The Government Doesn't Need "Death Panels"

I'm beginning to think we elderly are going to be unwittingly endangering our own longevity without being pushed by the government. Though inadvertently they will be responsible with Medicare functioning ( I use that term reluctantly) the way it is.

There is a guest opinion in this morning's Spokesman Review by Dr. Donald F. Condon telling why has is opting out of Medicare. It's nothing we don't already know. The reimbursement schedule is forcing Doctor's out of the program.

That isn't the only problem Doctors face, either. Among those Dr. Condon innumerated are the professional disagreements Doctors have with what some obscure committee deems appropriate as far as what's to be covered. The patient loses because Medicare wins.

Late payment of claims is another problem that parallels the problems car dealers are currently having with the Cash for Clunkers program. This puts the car dealers in the same boat as Doctors. This puts everyone in the Doctor's chain in peril from office staff, mortgage on his practice, even into his personal financial well being. Who can blame them for wanting to opt out? Who can blame the car dealers for hanging on to the Clunkers until they get paid? They at least can sell off the Clunkers; Doctors have no such option. Government efficiency is an oxymoron.

Here's the way the old Dogwalker sees it. Right now it's difficult to find a Doctor that will accept a new patient who is on Medicare. When you do find one, you're treated in assembly line fashion. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I've tried to discuss more than one issue and have been told there is no time. It matters not that no one was in the waiting room when I arrived nor when I left. Fifteen minutes. That's it. There is no thorough discussion of a condition what-so-ever.

It's usually pop a pill and see you in a week or ten days. If you're persistent enough they may refer you to a specialist who really doesn't want to see you either. I've run the course with the back Doctor. I've had two shots, neither of which did anything, and now we're experimenting with medications that are to change how the brain perceives pain. To no avail. Up the dose. To no avail. Instead of seeing him in ten days now it's call him. I'm sure I've run through the allowable office visits for which Medicare will pay.

I have no idea what all this experimentation is doing to my liver and kidneys. Actually I don't want to know. But here's the point.

Doctors who are now merely reluctant to accept you will begin to opt out. What then? Where do you go for your prescriptions? The emergency room? We'll begin not to take them because we won't put up with the waits. Our cholesterol will soar along with our blood pressure not only from not taking our meds but also because of the added stress. Don't even think of the things that will go undiagnosed thus untreated.

The "death panels" will have no one to counsel because we'll not be patients. What's more, we'll all be dead! Well, that's one way to bring the costs down. All we have to do is go belly up! I wonder if it's what they've had in mind all along!

Fat Chance!

It's hot and I'm getting cranky as the temperatures continue to rise. I'm tired of politics. I really am. Especially since I've been preaching to the choir lately and it seems I'm the lone member. So. It's time for a change of pace for at least a few days. As difficult as it may be, I'll look for some positives.

With all the focus on health and health care, let's begin with our new Surgeon General, Regina Benjamin. Those who can be nothing but negative, no matter what, have been all over the fact that she is - uh - chunky. What kind of an example is that?

We women tend to obsess over our weight but that she is chunky never crossed my mind when she was nominated. I looked at her background and felt she was an excellent choice, but then I do march to a different drummer.

We've all been told there is an epidemic of obesity in this country. Yes. At least an epidemic of overweight by some criteria other than your mirror. So just what constitutes overweight and obesity from a more scientific point of view? BMI, Body Mass Index.

Knowing I'm on the heftier side of normal I wanted to see if I was merely overweight or really, actually obese. So I followed the link, plugged in my height and weight and found that, alas, I was merely overweight and not badly so. I consoled myself that this little test does not take into account age, bone structure or any of that good stuff. Just plain and simple, height and weight.

Now the good news! According to a story in this morning's Spokesman , being overweight may not be so bad! It informed me that two recent studies have shown overweight and obese people can expect to live as long as "normal" people while underweight people are at increased risk for premature death!

Take that all you skin and bones super models and movie stars! Ha!

Sure, those who are a tad more than pleasingly plump are ripe for various ailments less likely for their thinner counterparts. Yet the skinny on that is plumps don't suffer from anorexia or bulimia, for example. Nor do they cause all sorts of system wide upsets from restrictive and crazy diets that rob a body of basic nutrition!

So here I am. A senior with weight settling in places I wish it wouldn't. So be it. One thing with having a pet who is not well, I'm learning how to control my penchant for obsessing. That it's carrying over to other aspects of my life has to be good - for my anxiety level, my eating patterns and even how much wine I consume to ease the frustration.

I've accepted the idea I can wear a size larger on the bottom than on top. I've accepted I can wear a larger size period! And still look good! Now I can dress for dinner in something nice and come home satisfingly full and not feel the waist line cutting into me!

So those of you in Mississippi who are fat and happy as number one for the 5th year in a row on the fattest state competition, enjoy. Careful with your kids, but enjoy. And you Colorado folk, who rank the lowest, with your lean and sinewy bodies, don't you drink too many Coors. It could add some fat to the meat on your bones! Oh, woe!

As for Dr. Bengamin, she looks good to me. I just can't build up a trust in those who have that lean and hungry look!

But The Tip Of The Iceberg

Have any of you ever wanted to change doctors after you've turned 65 and are on Medicare? It's no easy task. If they take Medicare patients at all, they take limited numbers. Why?

Medicare reimburses them very little and wants to cut even more. This is also the reason Family Practice physicians are in short supply and dwindling. They can't afford to be in practice. This is an ill wind for seniors. If the government increases it's role in determining how much should be paid out for treating an ailment, it is of concern. I do not, under any circumstance, want Congress involved in this. Insurance companies are bad enough since they've forgotten what insurance is supposed to be other than profit centers for their own gain.

Have you noticed that there has been no mention of offering the same health care packages available to government employees in the current discussions? It was a big part of Obama's campaign rhetoric. One way to level the playing field might be to drop government plans for themselves and make it mandatory they participate in those available to us. Then there may be hope.

As an example of how bad it is for the doctors I am going share with you an example. I had a cyst removed from my finger a month or so ago. For the initial exam/consultation and office x-ray the doctor billed $331.00. What was not approved by Medicare is the issue. $260.89. Approved was $70.11 of which Medicare paid $56.09. The remaining $14.02 would have been on me had I not had a supplemental that picked it up. The doctor had to absorb the rest.

This is not financial incentive for the doctor, now, is it!

The total for the complete procedure including the anesthesia was around $4000. For one little cyst. You can imagine, without my spelling it out, the hair cut the doctor will take on that!

That health care reform is sorely needed is not the argument. That government should be involved as an incentive for action seems to be needed. My nagging fear is the rush to legislate without adequate input from all aspects of the medical community. Not Congress and not insurers, but medical professionals who understand disease, injury and treatment.

I don't believe it can be done by August, 2009. If it is, the excess senior population will be remedied. We will be expendable.

And Now I Wait...

You who have been long time readers have listened to my complaints about an extremely painful lower back. It has taken four years to reach the point I came to this morning.

First I had an x-ray which indicated a slight bulge and deterioration of the L5-S1 area of my spine. I went to physical therapy. A lot of good things happened except for the pain. I became more flexible and my balance improved. Then came acupuncture to no avail. We investigated the bursitis issue of my hip which showed some "shredded" muscle in my gluteus medius and minimous. More physical therapy with the addition of deep tissue massage and chiropractic. Again, other things got better but the pain remained and was getting worse. At least I needed more pain killer to tolerate it.

Finally, my doctor suggested I might need to see a back doctor. Physical therapy shouldn't hurt! Well, DUH!! Finally. Finally.

Last Monday I went to see one. It took him about 32 seconds to spot the inflamed nerve root. The joy of going to a specialist! I knew he was going to suggest the "shot" which I had been dreading. "All I've heard," I told him, "is that they are extremely painful."

"Not so" he said emphatically. "It depends on how it's done. We numb you up then give the shot and you'll feel little if anything."

I nodded, wanting to believe him but not really doing so. But, after four years this was my last hope. My back is a pretty good back for one my age. There is nothing structurally the matter with it. But the inflammation can cause fits. Tell me!

So today was the day. Hub drove me because I was told my legs would be numb for a time and I shouldn't drive. Off we went for my Epidural Steroid Injection. The link shows exactly how it's done.

I should know in about three days if it's working. In two to three weeks we'll know how well. Hopefully I'll not need another. But on the bright side, if I do I won't hesitate. The doctor was a man of his word.

Did I feel anything? Yes. I felt it when they injected the laticane on each side of my spine. It was no worse than having an acupuncture needle inserted except for a slight burning sensation which was gone as quickly as it came. I was aware of the other needle being inserted but it didn't hurt as much as when you have blood drawn!

So, today, rather than feeling the dread that fills anticipation, I'm filled with cautious optimism. Gosh, if I could only translate that same optimism to my political observations I might again be a happy person!

Say It Isn't So!

The government is taking all the fun out of travel! It's bad enough you have to stay seated for the first half hour of a flight; now there is talk that some air lines are planning to charge for use of the facilities! This can be tough on we more mature types. So, more and more often, we drive.

Now, according to the Wall Street Journal States are beginning to close down rest areas on the Interstate Highway System! Why can't some of the $48.1 billion in infrastructure stimulus be used to keep these facilities open?

It's tough enough when there is over a hundred miles between them, like Gold Creek to Bozeman over in Montana. It takes some prudent planning.

Heck, it takes prudent planning to get from here to Missoula, a mere 142 miles with two rest stops. We usually leave early in the morning if we're going to shop. That being the case we have to determine how much coffee we should drink before we leave and how much to take with us. There's the cold factor. How much time do we have to consume it before it gets cold and it's passage through us in relation to the rest stops.

Bacchus presents another dimension. Before he started his ten thousand medications he'd be good for the day if we dewatered him before we left. Now he has more need than we do because of the diuretics he's on. Never-the-less we've pretty much got it figured out.

I feel for others however. Exits are sometimes as far apart as rest stops if not farther. If you're traveling through southern Utah, you have to find a town to find a rest stop because that's where the water source is. As for exiting to find a gas station, that too can be iffy. The town can be miles from the actual exit. Restaurants and cafes are no sure bet either. Many say "restrooms for customers only" which means you have to buy something which usually would be a cup of coffee. So the process begins all over again. Plus a lot of them aren't too crazy about it if your dog needs relief too!

So far the majority of the states closing the doors on an essential service are in the east and south. Hopefully if won't creep westward any time soon!

I suppose part of the reason the states are doing this is because it doesn't create jobs. Phooey! How many of the projects given the green light for funding are offering anything other than temporary work at best? Rest areas need care takers, landscape and maintenance workers on a year round basis.

Those in charge need a reality check. They want us to get out and spend our money. They want us to eat, drink and make merry. They want us to drive so we'll buy all those wonderful new fuel efficient cars they hope we'll fall in love with. That means we can travel farther on a tank of gas.

They need to realize that we're not going to fill our car's tank and go if we can't empty our tank along the way!

This Is How I Came Home

My hand is still numb. The sling comes off Thursday. Hunting and pecking with one finger is proving difficult. Besides I'm still groggy. All for that little cyst! Can't wait to see what's underneath all this swathing! See you Thursday or Friday.

The Cyst Has Got To Go!

I've had this nuisance factor for about eight years now and it's coming off tomorrow! When it gets aggravated it hurts; it's gotten infected more than once and snags on everything! Though I couldn't find anything about stress causing it to act up, just after Bacchus's initial diagnosis it flared to about twice what is now. It may have gotten aggravated from giving him his pills in a less than delicate manner. It's time for it to go!

What is it?

According to E Hand.com it is a ganglion. I love the explanation of how it can be this or that and caused by this or that and may or may not be an issue. I may or may not lose my finger nail. I can't help but laugh. I do figure I may or may not survive the procedure but will take a wild chance and say I will! Who knows, I may or may not be back as soon as tomorrow afternoon! More likely Tuesday, however.

This is how E Hand explains it:

In the hand, a ganglion is a particular type of lump which shows up next to a joint or a tendon. Inside, it is like a balloon filled with a thick liquid. It may be soft or hard, may or may not be painful, and may get bigger or smaller on its own. It may also be referred to as a mucous cyst, a mucinous cyst or a synovial cyst.

What caused it?

Normally, joints and tendons are lubricated by a special liquid which is sealed in a small compartment. Sometimes, because of arthritis, an injury, or just for no good reason, a leak occurs from the compartment. Now, the liquid is thick, like honey, and if the hole is small, it can be like having a pinhole in a tube of toothpaste - when you squeeze the tube, even though the hole is small and the toothpaste is thick, it will leak out - and once it is out, there is no way it can go back in on its own. It works almost like a one way valve, and fills up a little balloon next to the area of the leak. When we use our hands for normal activities, our joints squeeze and create a tremendous pressure in the lubricating compartment - this can pump up a balloon leak with so much pressure that it feels as hard as a bone.

The lubricating liquid has special proteins dissolved in it which make it thick and also make it hard for the body to absorb it when it has leaked out. The body tries to absorb the liquid, but may only be able to draw out the water, making it even more thick. Usually, by the time the lump is big enough to see, the liquid has gotten to be as thick as jelly.

I'm seeing more of my Doctor these days than Bacchus is his. I'm using the time for a bit of a tune up. After this little snippet is over, we tackle the arthritic back. One more time. Sigh.

Why Are We Seniors Such A Puzzlement?

Back in November when Henry Alford , a contributor to the New York Times , among others, told me I was on his list of ten favorite blogs by or about seniors, I did some digging to learn more about him. It came as no surprise that he had written a book. The title tells it all: How to Live - A Search For Wisdom From Old People While They're Still On this Earth.

The title made me laugh and I vowed to read it. This is not a review of the book but rather an expression of curiosity as to just why "seniors" are viewed as some sort of mysterious beings.

One thing I did find interesting in the reading of the book is that he seemed to be searching for a definition as he was looking for his answer. Those he interviewed seemed mostly, not all but mostly, an eclectic hodgepodge of eccentrics. Granted, he and I do not run in the same circles, but I haven't found the seniors of my acquaintance to be as needy of attention or acceptance of their eccentricities as those in his book.

What I found most interesting, however, were the comments on Times review. It occurred to me that somewhere along the path of aging, younger generations lose touch with who we are and where we've been. We're like knick knacks sitting on a curiosity shelf and we need delicate handling. Do we?

We're referred to as libraries; full of knowledge that should be studied lest it be lost. But how should we be approached? What questions should be asked? Wow.

Of course, I am a senior myself so it isn't all that mysterious. In a book I actually did review a couple of years back there was a great deal of discussion about the disconnect between parents and their adult children. I never suffered that. I like to talk, my Mom liked to talk and when we visited, we did little else - but talk. It's called communication. It's no great mystery. Not just talking, but listening and more importantly - hearing - what one another has to say. There may be disagreements. It's a natural generational happening, but no great mystery.

I found the cover illustration particularly funny. The picture of a Shar Pei - full of wrinkles. I enjoyed the irony. As Shar Pei's age, they become less wrinkled. Would that be true for we seniors! Perhaps if we did a Benjamin Button and could reverse the aging process so we looked more like those studying us we wouldn't seem so unapproachable!

As it is, I guess we seniors hold a great secret among ourselves. We've all attained varying degrees of wisdom by merely being. Some of us have lived very well, others not so. It's all pretty much as to how the chips fell and what we did with them.

In other words, if it weren't for those wrinkles there would be no puzzle at all! We're just like everyone else.

Good Legislation/Bad Legislation

Two articles caught my attention this morning. One was a guest opinion in the Spokesman entitled We'll live to regret suicide initiative ; the other was a poll in the magazine section regarding whether the government should pass laws to fight obesity.

As to the first, Washington state has recently legalized physician assisted suicide similar to what has long been legal in Oregon. I prefer calling it death with dignity. It eases the more tawdry implications, while being a better indicator of it's true purpose.

The writer feels this is the first step toward a convenient way of killing one another when death may or may not be imminent even though the medical opinion may so state. He uses himself as a case in point. He had been given the six month prognosis back in November 2005 and has lived to write this column.

As I read his thoughts I was thinking of the power Hub and I are holding over our dog's life. One day, probably in the not too distant future, we will have to make the decision if it's time to let him go. We've done it five times before and it never gets any easier. You ask yourself if you have the right to make that decision and you agonize over the timing.

One of the writer's points is that this legislation will eliminate trusting in God to determine the course. I have some problems with that thinking. I will concede, not having read the legislation, that he may have some valid points in pointing out weaknesses in the details. I look at the issue from a broader perspective.

First, just because the legislation is in place does not mean anyone has to utilize it. If you'd rather take your chances, go for it!
On the other hand, when one is in such severe discomfort that it's being considered in the first place, I, at least would like to have the option.

Those of you who are long time readers know I had a friend in Oregon who exercised the option. She was not weak, nor was she coerced. She was just plain exhausted from fighting constant pain and no hope. What course would God have chosen for her? Days? Weeks? Months? Years? Who's to know. She was at peace with her decision as was her family. Those of us left behind are the ones who struggled with it. The question foremost in our minds was could we make that decision for ourselves. There may well come a point where many of us might want that option.

We ask the same about Bacchus. We've already decided we will not take extraordinary measures again. We did it at the onset to keep him with us awhile longer, but he's an old dog who has had a good life. We'd choose not to have him suffer more extreme trauma for our own selfish desire to have him with us for what we know will be a short time at best.

If we can do this for a beloved pet, why not people? I'd like to think, and I believe statistics from Oregon would bear me out, abuse has been rare if at all. Fearing all the "what ifs" does little but upset for unsubstantiated reasons.

This ties into the point, too, that we are dealing with adult human beings here who should be allowed to make decisions for themselves to leave this world with dignity and without pain.

It also ties into the poll about government legislating the fight against obesity. While death with dignity, with the proper, enforceable safeguards in place, is good legislation, trying to legislate obesity is big brotherism several steps too far. Again, we're dealing with human beings here. We may make the wrong choices for ourselves but to legislate removal of that right could lead to an expansion of government in our lives that would strip us of everything that makes living livable.

The worst part about government intervention in our lives is the government itself - made up of humans that supposedly have the ability to think things through and make good decisions. Look at them at work today. Is there any one of them that can make the decision for you better than you can make it for yourself? I won't even ask you to look at how many of those law makers are obese by today's medical standards.

So there is good legislation and bad, too much government intrusion versus some long overdue. The safety net, I would suggest, is the people we put into office to make those decisions. There are times we do a pretty poor job of "vetting" them!

Oprah Winfrey - Heavyweight

When I read the AP article about how upset Oprah is with herself I could empathize. So can just about every other woman in the world who has trouble maintaining a medically acceptable weight. So many of us belong to the "Sisterhood of the Yo-yo"!

The ads at the end of the article added insult to injury. They were Drop 13# with Acai, Dr. Oz Diet and Simple 2 Lose. Ha!

I had a health professional brighten my whole day awhile back. We were discussing my issues and the weight I've put on since vacation and Thanksgiving. "You're not going to obsess over losing a lot of weight are you?"

"Well, I'd like to shed 10 or so pounds and the first of the year brings my annual stint on the South Beach to accomplish that," I replied.

"Perfect." It's a good, sound plan, it works and it's easy.

It was music to my ears! Yes. I'd really like to lose more than that 10 pounds but realistically I realize I probably won't. And that's okay. Even that amount will help keep the blood pressure and cholesterol in check; the physical therapy and treadmill which is part of it, will help keep the old cardio vascular pumping at peak and I won't need to beat myself up.

I think the same goes for Oprah. As long as she's been a star she has had, shall we say, a zoftig physique. I think it bothers her far more than it does her fans. To confess that she's had to starve herself to achieve the weight losses she's had is no more healthy than being severely overweight. She worries that she's to be a role model and she let people down. Nonsense. Promoting something that is unachievable by most and certainly unsustainable isn't what role models are about.

All the special diets and pills in the world won't help anyone maintain their weight. Most of them don't work. If you already have high blood pressure you probably put yourself at even greater risk by taking them.

What does work is a modicum of discipline and realism. When you find yourself gaining, just stop and take it back off. Right away. I've done it and if I can anyone can.

True, as a "senior" no one expects me to look as I did in my 20s. The important part is that I don't either. Oprah, in her 50's is what she is. She doesn't have to get back into her Calvin Klein's to be healthy or please her fans. She doesn't have to look like Cher. All she has to do is be okay with herself and know that a whole lot of women like her just the way she is.

I'm always going to have those extra pounds I'd like to lose. So will Oprah. It's a female thing. We just need to be realistic, like ourselves and worry less about what we imagine others may be thinking. We're probably wrong anyway. That's another female thing. We're full of them!

Oprah is a heavyweight all right but it's for all the good she has done, her phenomenal accomplishments. That's a figure that cannot be measured in pounds!

"Yoga" Your Way, I'll go Mine!

There are times I am so glad I live in the good ole USA where freedom from religion is still allowed! Not that I am condemning the beliefs of others but at times they seem a little far reaching. The Christian conservative movement is an example in our country. In Malaysia it would seem to be the Muslims.

According to the BBC Islamic authorities have issued a fatwa telling the country's Muslims to avoid practicing yoga because of it's Hindu roots and because of that it may corrupt their thinking. Wow.

Here's my problem with that ruling. You see my "fat" wa-t-ever-you-want-to-call-it needs all the help it can get. Be it hip, pelvis, back or some combination of all three, the prescribed exercise routine I follow each and every day is all yoga based. So far it has been the only thing that has actually helped, even if only minimally. Nothing else has come close.

I really don't care if it's Hindu based, or even Muslim based, if it helps I'll take my chances. Just how deep breathing, gentle stretching and holding is going to corrupt my thinking is beyond my ability to understand. I guess though, it's the meditation part they find worrisome. You know, the part where you hold a position and meditate. Or think. That must be the part that potentially could corrupt. I usually lose myself in listening to my timer tick away the minutes. For some reason I rather enjoy the mindlessness of it and find it relaxing.

If I do meditate or think, like this morning, it was about whether or not I should write this post. I found that to be far more stressful than listening to the ticks. Stress is counterproductive but sometimes my mind does wander into thought. No matter how ill advised.

In explanation of Islam thinking, this was said, "Islam is a complete way of life. Islam is able to cater to the needs of Muslims; spiritual needs, intellectual needs and other needs, material needs. So there is no need to bring in elements from outside."

Just don't develop a bad back.

Who The Heck IS Henry Alford?

When I received an e-mail from Henry Alford telling me he had named Dogwalk as one of his ten favorite blogs by or about seniors as requested by Blogs.com I was, of course, delighted.

As he requested, I made mention of it on my blog. The fact that he introduced himself as a contributor to the New York Times and Vanity Fair did not escape me. When I went to his web site to investigate further I was taken by his youth. Why would such a young man have a blog about seniors?

The answer was readily apparent. He has a book due to be released in January 2009. The title made me laugh. How to Live: A Search for Wisdom From Old People (While They Are Still on this Earth). Well, he is a humorist!

In it he interviews everyone from celebrities to the eccentric to the accomplished anonymous. He speaks of tremendously personal moments in dealings with his own family, pathos and hilarity. A story about everyman and everywoman. Us. Because we are "old". (I told him how much I dislike the term elder though I had no other to offer in return!)

I have read books on aging by professionals who "study" us and those of us undergoing the experience. I am looking forward to reading one by an outsider looking in. I am a huge advocate of cross generational communication. It helps keep me on my toes and hopefully those I talk with also take away something of value.

It would seem this very thing was part of Henry's motivation. When asked about the inspiration for the book by Ron Hogan of Publisher's Weekly, he had this to say, "I'm fascinated with the idea that humans are one of the few species whose average lifespan exceeds the age at which they procreate. Why? What's the evolutionary reason? I think it's because old people are living libraries...and we as a culture really overlook that."

It's encouraging to me that a man like Henry Alford has come to this realization. Of course we "elders" have been trying to tell the world this truth for some time now. As I've talked about on several occasions, blogging is giving us our voice.

Here is a man, and I hope there are more like him waiting in the wings, who can tell our story. Not the stuff we dwell on, the aches and pains and frustrations of dealing with an inattentive medical community or which new malady has popped up just this morning. We do that well enough among ourselves. But the story of who we are because of who we were. The living library part. In doing so maybe he can put his finger on just why we as a culture really overlook that.

Thanks Henry.

Citizen Bloggers

Now that our collective anxieties have been put to rest until the next political upheaval, I've been thinking about how much the candidates owe the blogosphere. Not the political blogs, nor the professional bloggers, but the citizen bloggers. Like most of those who read mine and I theirs. We have become a vital link in a world quickly losing it's print media.

We have suffered from it locally when the Spokesman Review first cut the North Idaho edition and the gutting that has taken place since. Now I read that delivery is being stopped in at least a portion of the Silver Valley. Who knows; we may be next.

The bottom line rules. The sad thing is that not everyone has a computer on which to fall back. More and more segments of the population are going to be even less informed than they are now.

Those who do have computers are the lucky ones. Next they have to have time and lots of it to wend their way through the headline sites. Another learning curve will be which sites are liberal, which conservative and which just plain nuts. Then they need to find Snopes and other fact checking sites to determine if what they are reading is factual. The same holds true for the big league Blogs. Research, research, research.

Maybe we little one-off sites are of most value. I think again of my little cadre of ladies that carried on a long and passionate support network for the Obama candidacy. I'm sure there were hundreds of such groups for all manner of candidates. Just regular folks letting the world know what they think and why.

From my own experience, I know we have an impact. Be it positive or negative depends on the perspective of the reader. Every once in awhile, however, when it comes to your attention that your posts may actually have an impact it's gratifying. Both The Chicago Sun Times and Reuters picked up a post I had written back in early October on why I supported Obama. The Sun Times ran it a few days before the election and again yesterday along with Reuters. The combined activity from the headline generated nearly 16,000 hits on the combined sites.

I, of course, get nowhere near that level of activity on a normal day, but every once in awhile something I write, and not always political, will hit the eye of the big guys.

It's nothing super intellectual, just what I think and why. It's out there for anyone and everyone to see. It's out there to let the world know how one senior lady living in northern Idaho feels about what is going on in the world. No more. No less.

If what I wrote about Obama, however, generated one single vote other than mine it was well worthwhile. Even if it didn't, it presented a rationale. That too was worthwhile.

So you see? We little, one-off bloggers, part of some 60,000,000 out there, have more of an impact than we may imagine.

Sixteen thousand hits on a headline. Not bad!

Election Day From My Little Corner Of The World

Well, here we are. The day of reckoning. While no one has dared come right out and say it, all the commentary is leaning toward an Obama win. We are witnessing history of monumental proportions whether it be our first African American President or our first female Vice President. American politics is forever changed.

I've been doing a lot of reflecting this rainy election day. I've been thinking about the wonderful cadre of of ladies, who happen to blog, that I've been spending much of my time with over the past several months. They are a diverse group. Teachers, writers, artists, homemakers.

Most are near seniors or seniors like myself. Long time buddies like the Word Tosser , a local blogger who has been a long time friend, to A Piece of My Mind's Betty who keeps me up to date on Arkansas happenings. We think so much alike sometimes it's frightening!

I've met Sylvia from Over the Hill and Texas to Oregon . There is Margie's Musings and the most extra ordinary Just an Ordinary Gal. How could I not love one who blogs as My Sister was a Saint Bernard or Golden Years My a$$!

There is even the wonderful Rinkly Rimes who checks in from Australia, keeping me up to speed on how things work in Oz and what they're thinking about us.

This doesn't begin to give due to all the blogs I follow on a regular basis but it is the core group I've drawn from for peer opinion.

We've gone through this process together, giving one another encouragement when down, checking facts, sharing laughs. Many have gotten to the point of burn out and have taken to posting more family news or photos of the areas in which they live. All of that made it even more special for, to me, it's what this is all about. A slice of our country, our world, as seen through the eyes of those who live there. The family joys and woes and worries, the beauty of a neighborhood, a tree, a garden or a blossom. America. The beautiful.

It is said the young are the country's greatest asset. Maybe so. But these ladies and so many others like them are national treasures.

Never Too Old To Learn

As time ticks down to the election, I've been taking a good look at myself. What did I see? Someone I once would not have recognized as "me".

I've found that I can still feel passionately. I've also found a healthy dose of reality. Politics. I've never been so immersed nor vocal in my entire adult life. That I like Obama the man is no secret. That I still have doubts as to the outcome of the election is also no secret. That I do not agree with all the Obama/Democratic positions is no secret. I'm pretty much an open book.

I've found within myself the attribute of faith. Faith that my judgement is sound. Courage. The courage to bestow that faith on another individual. One that I have never met nor ever will.

Openness. By being open I've found openness in return. With that openness is the possibility of differing opinions. While I might not be persuaded by them, I've learned from them.

The comfort of common ground. Throughout this process I've met many new people on-line. Whether we will visit each others sites as often after the dust settles remains to be seen, but it has been gratifying to have found such a diverse group because of one area of common ground. As it binds us together as cyber pals, it will bind us together as a nation.

Age is no longer irrelevant. Be we young, first time voters or well seasoned seniors, all who have wanted a voice have found one. I have not received one dismissive comment.

It has been an exhilarating ride these past several months. It has proven to me something I've believed all along. Being old and out of touch is not an option.

AHhhhH-CHOO!

I haven't had a cold nor the flu for four or five years but boy I've got a dose now! Funny thing about living with aches and pains, when you add that old Rhino virus to them you're body gets confused and doesn't know what to do with any of it!

At least that's how mine is reacting.

Okay. We took a road trip. I'm quite conscious about keeping my hands washed but what do you do at rest stops where there is no hot water if any at all? Yeah. We've got the handiwipes in the car but they only do so much. And if you lead a fairly sequestered life like Hub and I do and you suddenly find yourself among throngs of people, who knows what they're carrying!

I thought I had things on the run yesterday but it's back with a vengence today. Meds. What can you safely take when you have high blood pressure pills, high cholesterol pills, pain pills, anxiety pills! Okay, I don't take anything other than the blood pressure and cholesterol stuff on a daily basis. But still...

The blood pressure stuff gives me a dry cough. I was forewarned it was a possibility but when I mentioned it to my doc she thought it might be allergies. Could be. I don't think so, but could be. So we didn't change. So now I have a chest full. What part is the BP med playing?

Who knows. I searched through my stash of over the counter meds and found one for coughs and congestion for those with high BP. We'll see if it helps.

I wouldn't be posting this but I had to come to the office to feed the fish since Hub is off doing his civic duty. The fish are finished now so I'm going to wrap this up and head back to the couch.

Always looking for the bright side, I listened to Obama's speech in Ohio and am as inspired as ever. It's being called his "closing argument" ; it could be a "Best of Obama" album! It was dynamite.

At least that made me feel well enough to get some food into my system.

When back on the couch I think I'll leave the TV off. Bacchus will sleep beside me. I may doze off. Maybe I'll even be ready for Hub who, I know, will arrive home in a mood even worse than mine!

My "Medical Underground"

Back in early August I began a new round of physical therapy for yet another diagnosis of what has been causing me severe pain for the past couple of years. Having consulted with an orthopedic surgeon and finding I have torn glutes and accompanying tendinitis that makes sitting for long periods impossible, I asked if he'd sign a waiver for the current jury pool being formed.

First he wanted to charge me $25 to do so. I protested and he relented so I trotted the paper work to his office. A week later his receptionist called and said bursitis of the hip was not due cause. I asked that he review the file again. Another several days passed and his nurse called to tell me his decision stood.

I was frustrated beyond words.

At my next therapy session, I explained my dilemma explaining that after two years of various types of therapy I never could break through the level I had reached. My guy is great. They have all been great; just stymied.

He suggested I see a chiropractor he knew. Off I went. After more poking and prodding, she suggested, "You can't up straight for long, can you?" Wow! We talked for quite awhile. I told her how much I liked the whole body approach of my physical therapist and how he thought she could help. "I'm going to co-ordinate this," she told me in no uncertain terms. I was elated.

She called the therapist, put me in touch with a deep muscle massage therapist and got the actual films from the x-rays and MRIs, rather than relying on the written reports.

We have a plan now. My "underground" is working as a team to help me. Isn't this what it's supposed to be about? The outcome has yet to be determined. If what we're doing now doesn't help there are no other alternatives than a regimen of pain control. So be it. I will have given it my all.

In the meantime, I have to say these health care professionals may be the least appreciated and most helpful in the field of medicine. My G.P. has helped by signing the therapy requests for medicare and taking over the pain medication responsibilities from the surgeon, but it is the physical therapist, the chiropractor and the massage therapist who have done the consultation, investigation and designed the protocol to help me regain at least a vestige of my former self.

To each and every one of you, past and present, from office staff to those who've had hands on, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Cliff Notes

I was chatting with a neighbor this morning while keeping one eye on his cat, wondering if Bacchus would notice it. He often does not but I'm in for a ride if he does. He did not.

It got me to thinking about how cats frolic. If only I were one I'd not be having these !@#%%* problems.
They are so agile!

Look at the little guy in the picture. See how his feet are facing one direction yet his upper torso as angled away from them? He'll snap back whenever he wants. I'm that way all the time.

So here we go again, new diagnosis (It's inflamed tendons that are causing the muscles to tear and not heal and my spine to twist), new physical therapist - that would be Cliff - and new techniques.

Per my orthopedic surgeon's instructions I took my MRI report to see Cliff. I expected nothing but he spent a good half hour checking this and that and I agreed to have one more go at it. At least this time we know what we're treating. Plus I've invested two years already, what's a few more weeks?

He sent me off to the book store to pick up a copy of The Egoscue Method of Health Through Motion by Pete Egoscue, telling me it will be what I'll be working from when Medicare runs out. Don't you just love it?

I settled in and read it. I even tried a few stretches that are said to help eliminate the pain. Cliff was pleased. He told me he sends a lot of patients to buy the book but they never read it. Go figure.

I had my first session yesterday. Back to the morning routine of exercises now. I'll report back in a few weeks and let you know if this is going to work. I'll be cautiously optimistic. I just want to quit hurting!

The Reality Of Aging

While talking with a friend this morning, she commented on how I sounded like a new person. More like my old good humored self. The reason, if indeed it was true, is because of the relief of finally finding out what is wrong with my hip. We talked about how even minor aches and pains can affect our patience, tolerances and moods. We both have what I'd suppose is an average amount for women of our age - and we're well aware of how we behave and how others react to that behavior.

Then I checked my e-mail and found a note from my friends at Beacon Press. I did a book review for them awhile back. 60 On Up: The Truth About Aging in America by Lillian Rubin is a no holds barred dissertation on the realities of aging.

She is now asking why it is politically incorrect to apply those facts to John McCain. Her observations, on Beacon Broadside are sound. John McCain is by all considerations, old.

He has suffered physically and mentally more than most of us ever will, what's more be able to imagine. He is bound to be affected by that treatment as his physical prowess and mental acuity acquiesce to the aging process.

To be concerned about this should not be politically incorrect nor anti-McCain or any other label his campaign will put on it as time passes. It should be considered a prudent evaluation of his ability to sustain the rigors of the job.

I watch as he makes inappropriate jokes, I look at the advisers who surround him, I listen as he gets his facts confused and think, "This is only the campaign." I think about his temper, his denial of his own actions and wonder if he is in this mode at this point what will happen if he wins? And those aches and pains kick in? I don't want him doped up on meds to disguise them from us. I don't want him making crucial decisions while under their influence and I sure as heck don't want him contemplating war or dealing with our adversaries when his temper is short and nerves frayed.

Any President will have these types of moments, you might argue. True. But don't think for one minute they aren't magnified by age.

A Real Pain In The Butt!

I had my follow up on the second MRI today. The doctor came into the room and handed me a sheet of paper. "That's what's wrong with you!"

I skimmed the gobbledy gook and gave him a blank stare. "I have to tell you," he said, "I have never, never seen a diagnosis like this! And I've seen a lot! There is no lipoma, no tumor. To put it bluntly the muscles in your butt are shredded."

"Shredded?"

"Yep. Shredded. Do you have any idea what you did?"

A few sceanarios went through my head but nothing that would cause that kind of damage. We discussed them and we both shrugged.

"There is really nothing I can do," he said. "I've never seen anything like it."

Wow. So what do I do about the pain? We talked some more. We can have a different PT have a look at the diagnosis to see if there might be some new ideas but it seems doubtful. Over three years I've tried everything in the book - though it was for my back, not this. I was given a prescription for a non-narcotic pain killer I'm told I can take for the rest of my life. We'll see how that goes.

On the bright side there is no crippling arthritis and no tumor.

I'm thinking the aggressive approach might not have been the best one. Maybe it's time to do what we old folk are expected to do after awhile. Just sit on our butts and give it a rest!