Paul Roper is Alive and Almost Well

This picture is a couple years old.  But it is still Paul.  He had a heart attack Saturday, after a day of pulling the weedeater crank cord.  It just plain wore him out, apparently the cord pulled on him instead of visa versa.  After about a day of constant pain  he called 911 and before he could hang up the ambulance was there.

A stent was put in and he went home today.  They went through his arm instead of his crotch.   A new approach.  He went to the GOBAG meeting this evening and seemed fine . . . considering.

A Mars Hill Miracle!

This is Roxie. The picture was taken at her granddaughter’s wedding in 2003. She is the mother of my friend Ed. Then, she was about 90. Now, it is nine years later.

A few weeks ago Roxie was ill and her children who live nearby took her to the hospital They kept her to run tests. Then her body started having problems like it was shutting down.

The doctors told her children she was dying and there was nothing they could do except have hospice look after her. They agreed to let her return home and hospice would keep a check on her.



Guess what! In her home environment she got well again. She is no longer sick. Maybe weak, but she is 99 years old. It is a Mars Hill Miracle.

Growing Old Gracefully

Anna and I were sitting in a waiting room at the hospital very early yesterday morning. My sister was there for a procedure. A man and his wife walked in. The man looked in my direction, he saw me his expression lit up, he smiled and gave me a warm wave. I didn’t recognize him. As he and his wife talked to the receptionist I recognized him. His name is Joel. He lost hair since the last time I saw him.

He had been coming to our Good Old Boys & Girls (GOBAG) meeting but he hasn’t been there for a while. I felt bad that he recognized me but I didn’t recognize him.

After he and his wife sat down I walked over to say hi. He introduced me to his wife by saying “He (me) and I (him) went on those bowling tournaments in Las Vegas and Reno that time….” I interrupted him saying, “Wait! I have never been to Reno or Las Vegas.”

He confused me with someone else. He refocused and realized who I am.

While in the waiting room we decided to have breakfast. We had country steak and biscuit. On my biscuit I spread grape jelly. In my jumbled clumsy movements I dropped the little grape pack onto the floor in front of me. I picked it up and saw the floor had a little patch of grape jelly. I thought a cleaning lady will be by shortly and get it. Then I thought what about all the people who might walk on top of it and get jelly on the bottom of their shoes. They will have a sticky shoe each time they take a step. Being the humanist that I am, I cleaned up the jelly off the floor.

Anna wanted to move a few seats over to be able to watch the news on the big TV on the wall. When we moved I thought I got rid of our breakfast napkins, cups, and paper plates. I know I threw it all in a garbage can. As soon as we moved two Latino women moved into the seats we were occupying. There was a small table with a phone and a Styrofoam coffee cup. That was the same kind of coffee cup I was drinking my coffee from that I bought from the hospital cafeteria. Damn! I forgot to pick it up and throw it away. I didn’t want for my trash to be a nuisance to the two ladies – the best thing for me to do was to take a few steps over, smile and say, “excuse me” and pickup the coffee cup and throw it away in the nearby trashcan. I was about to stand up to make my move when one of the ladies picked up the cup and sipped out of it. It was her cup. In just another moment and I would have made a fool out of myself, again.

Back home, later in the day I called Paul and told him about seeing Joel in the hospital and that is where Paul was. He has been in the ER since the day before. His heart rate had drop to the low 30s. The doctors were trying to decide what to do and his daughter was trying to get him to change over to Saint Joseph’s in Atlanta. I checked with him about four hours later and his heart rate was back to normal and he was checking out of the hospital

Getting old is not for wimps.

What’ll You Have – Whatcha Got?

I missed another GOBAG meeting yesterday. I think I missed the whole month of December. I am still congested but not as bad as before. I don’t want to chance it, knowing the Billy Joe Royal concert is already paid for, so I don’t want to have another setback and have to miss it.

After all, money is money.

It is not fun being sickly over the holidays. The only good that came of it is that it kept my appetite nailed down. In early December I tried putting on a certain pair of Levis and I could not button the waist. Yesterday, I tried them on again, and they were slightly on the loose side.

Throat congested or not, some things still needed to be done yesterday. I took my 89 year old mother-in-law to a couple of places.

And while taking her from place to place I made a quick-stop at Golden Years Nursing Home to have a quick visit with Jerry McB. We decided what time we should pick him up for the Billy Joe Royal concert and to make sure he had his ticket. Jerry has a long goatee now. I see why they call a goatee a goatee. I half-way expected Jerry to say, “Y-y-y-e-e-e-s-s I-I-I h-h-h-a-a-a my ticket…ba-a-a-a-a.”

I hope he didn’t catch my cold or I would have defeated my purpose.

One place I carried her was The Varsity. She loves Varsity hotdogs. It was a preplanned meeting. We met her granddaughter, the husband (a preacher), and the granddaughter’s two grandchildren, a boy and girl, both under 10 years of age I think.. The two kids were my mother-in-law’s great great grandchildren.

They didn’t get to see each other for Christmas, so this was their Christmas luncheon.

I was sitting eating and enjoying the interactions of the two kids when I noticed a friend walking around like he was looking for someone.

Should I wave my arms to get his attention and introduce him to my in-laws? Hell No!

This guy, as nice as he is, has a way of getting right in your face and mooching whatever he thinks you might have, like cigarettes or maybe you would buy him a beer. I have seen him ask people for money, beer, and cigarettes. I had a vision of him mooching Varsity fries from the kids and the preacher. And I didn’t have my new video camera.

Pictures of last night meeting is on the way.

We May Have to go with the Onion

My son Rocky sent me a link to a Wall Street Journal article that scoffs at the idea that the raw unpeeled onion is something that will thwart off the flu. The article more or less said it is just folklore; wives tales, or whatever without any scientific proof.

I think, as much as humans scientifically know, the best remedy to prevent the flu is flu shots… plain and simple. Get your shot.

If you can get it. Flu vaccine is not being produced very fast.

Of course to get certain flu shots such as for the Swine Flu you must meet certain criteria: pregnant women; children in a certain age brackets; health workers, such as nurses and doctors, and other certain critical jobs will get their flu shots first… but most importantly, to keep this country going, we must see that those multi-millionaires on Wall Street be the very first to get their flu shots! If they die off, we won’t know what to do for guidance*.

*like who gets the flu shots first and who gets millions dollars bonuses.

Onions & Flu Germs

The other day we received one of those forwarding things about flu germs. It told of a rural community that many people had the flu and many others died because of the flu.

The country doctor was busy doctoring the flu victims and somehow he heard of one large family that no one was sick. Out of curiosity he drove out to their farm to check on them. Sure enough, everybody in the large family was healthy. He asked the mother why the flu didn’t strike them – what was their secret.

She showed the doctor a little plate with an unpeeled union sitting on it; And another one and another one. She said the onions warded off the flu germs.

The doctor asked to borrow one of the onions to carry back and study. It didn’t say so, but I think he probably wrapped it pretty good.

Back in his examining room he put it under the microscope and found it was covered with the flu germs. The germs were magnetized to the onions.

So, I would think plenty of people read that and went to the grocery and bought onions, as they probably should have.

However, with the onions sitting in the grocery store with hundreds of people walking by, some with flu germs…. Don’t you think some people bought those onions, carried them home and ate them?

People Come and People Go

A few months ago my mother-in-law was put into a nursing home for physical rehabilitation after her long hospital bout She had a roommate.

The roommate was a little old quiet lady that didn’t have much to say. She could talk but most the time she was very quiet. She had a special recliner next to her bed that she sat in a reclining position most the day and watched TV.

When we were bringing my mother-in-law’s stuff in I noticed on her roommate’s side someone was there working on a laptop. That was the only time I saw that she had a visitor that was probably a relative.

Her side of the room was covered with framed pictures of grandchildren and pictures of Mary and Jesus, little statues of Jesus on the Cross hanging here and there. Also, on a shelf was a miniature version of Michelangelo’s Pieta Statue.
There was also a stereo system and a TV. The TV was loud.

I felt like an intruder to the lady’s private living quarters. I felt she has claimed that room to be her room.

After a couple of days of a blaring loud TV Anna asked the lady was it ok for us to turn the TV down. She said gently OK.

After several days I noticed the lady was either in her recliner or in bed… never moving a muscle. Then I noticed that at every meal one of the nurse helpers hand feed her, spoon by spoon, or fork, as the case may be.

Then I begin to feel sorry for her. She had to wait to eat until all the patients were served. The same people that fed her were the same ones that handed out the trays… and many times when they brought food to a room it called for another action. The poor old lady had to wait sometimes over an hour until somebody could hand feed her. By then, I’m sure some of the food lost their heat…. Cold coffee…. Ecccchh!

After a few days she talked to Anna and Marie.

I always made a point to speak to her when I came in but she never spoke back. She just looked at me and studied me in a studious way.

One of the nurses’ aids told us that she has been there many years. I think she said 12 years, and also she was now in the Hospice plan now. They didn’t expect her to live more than 6 more months. I think why she was not in a hospice room was that she made herself a home in that room and didn’t want to leave it.

Twelve years! I wonder how many people she saw come and go… some just for the 30 day rehab stay and others dying… which must be a terrible feeling, waking up and notice the person in the bed next to you is not making any kind of sound, breathing or anything. And from past experience you are pretty sure you are lying next to a corpse.

A couple of times on Sundays while we were there the same two women came to visit her. They had a bible and held her hand and prayed. I recognized one of the women; she is a free sample hand-outer at Costco. I think they visited other patients there too… they probably had a Hospice list and as volunteers eased the condemned into a better religious frame of mind as not to fear the unknown of the Hereafter.

After I found out she had been there about 12 years and had 6 months or less to live I didn’t mind the religious statues and the personal pictures, or the TV – the whole room was slanted to her needs – that was fine… if I had been there 12 years and had less than 6 months of life left I think I would feel I have certain seniority rights.

At the end of 30 days we checked Marie out. As we were leaving the lady told Marie she hoped she would get her health back soon. It was sad, knowing the same wasn’t in her future.

Yesterday her name was on the obituary page. She was 85. She belonged to St. Joseph Catholic Church in Marietta, which is only one block away from the nursing home.

Taking Care of Maw & Paw

I am still recuperating from my pneumonia.

If this sickness-bout has nothing else positive about it, it did teach me how to spell pneumonia. I was so bad trying to spell it I could not even get close for spell-check to figure out what I was trying to say.

Now I can spell it.

Also, while sick, I have lost 9 pounds in about 8 or 9 days.

Today Anna’s computer froze up on her and we did what usually works: turn it off and turn it back on. Then it still didn’t work so we changed batteries in her wireless mouse and her wireless key-board and it still didn’t work. She called our son Adam and he walked her though everything and had it back working in no time.

And later the doorbell rang. It was a delivery man delivering a basket of fresh fruit from Edible Arrangements. Our other son Rocky and his fiancé had ordered it for me, because I am ailing. The Edible Arrangements is a basket of fresh fruit, carved to look like a colorful bouquet… bursting with color pedal shapes with stars and all. Not only was it pretty – it is very good… juicy.

The picture above doesn’t do it justice. I should have taken off the plastic cover first – then take the picture, but once the cover was off we clawed it out of shape.

We will finish it up tomorrow.

That's our boys!

I'm Back!

Now, you are to back up, put your hands to your mouth and scream and trip and fall backwards. It is all in the script.

I am been sick for almost week with a bout of pneumonia. I didn’t realize when you cough with pneumonia you chest feels as if it being crushed by pounds of cut up glass that somehow got into your lungs.

I found it paid, in less pain, only take quick breaths to fool the Mean Mr. Pn.

The sickness also drained in of the little energy I had. I found myself lying around in a stupor most of the time not wanting to read, watch TV, to computer stuff, or anything else other than wallow in my misery.

I didn’t even have a appetite. I wanted nothing to eat – so, that proves I was very sick – sick beyond my comprehension.

I came down sick on Tuesday and it seemed to get worse every day with a few false feeling good moments… but I kept holding off. Then Friday when I woke up I could not move without even sharper pain. Enough is an enough.

We went to the Kennestone’s ER.

We arrived at 9:30am and left after dark. That happens at ERs – you stay a while. Except when it is a stroke or an heart-attack, then they rush you right through. I know.

I was giving a bunch of tests and x-rays which is all timely, and has to be coordinated… and all that ads up in minutes.

Anna wondered what they will find. Dreading appendicitis or a bad gall bladder I said I hope one them just for kicks lights a match near my anus and poof! a six foot blue flame shoots out and everything is fine… got rid of the gas problem!

Across the aisle from us we heard an elderly in pain. Her sharp talking husband was nice to her, even though she cut him down, corrected him, and generally rode him. They had New York accents! That was they way they communicated.

Apparently the old hag fell a few days ago and like me she put off going to the ER.

After hours and moaning and screaming I saw a young thick black hair doctor enter their room and begin talking to them. After a few sentences he said, “Where are you from?”
The man said, “Isn’t it oblivious? New York.”

“Where at?”

“Brooklyn.”

Then he said he was from upstate New Jersey – he named some little town , which is probably right across the Hudson from the Big Apple.

Then they got down to a direct confrontational conversation. He said he would not operate on that certain vertebrae as the ex-ray showed chipped or cracked because she had done that years ago. She said she knew where it hurt and it was right there. He more or less told her she didn’t know what she was talking about, put her hand on it, which she did and he said that is not the one the ex-ray showed damage….. they talked to each other in their New Yorkish stand-off for a brief time then came to a friendly agreement. I think it is a ritual thing.

After we were loaded with prescriptions and whatever else I were released.

The pain pills are a doozy. The other day it had me dreaming my old childhood friend Sam Streaking across the rows at the newly innovated The Strand Theater in Marietta.

Since then I have been getting slightly progressivelly better each little length time and this morning I woke up and breathed with no pain.

But I still have my coughing spasms…. Which hopefully will leave in its own good time too.

My Excuse is I'm Sick

I haven't banged out blog post in the past couple of days.

I'm sick.

Tuesday night I went to bed sick and wallowed in my sickness all night long and all day long. I feel like I have the flu or a serious virus or a chest cold.

My energy has been zapped.

Hopefully I'll be back at soon.

Food Quickly DEPARTED from my Body

See the picture below? The guy cramming himself with food? I wish I had a similar clip art with the food projectiling itself out of the body… that would pretty much sum up my health situation this weekend. But now, I am better, just weak.

Saturday night I was hit hard. We had rented the movie DEPARTED and just as it was getting good I could not hold my head up. I felt only comfortable in a collapsed form on the couch wallowing in my misery and my own indigestion. I don’t think it is not what I ate because Anna and I had the same foods for two days. I think it is a virus.

I lived.

Sick today

I should have reported this earlier.

Running, Good or Bad?

I love to run. Afterwards, I always feel so much better. And I know, as a general rule, it is healthier for you.

I think, after you had ran maybe 30 to 40 minutes your body changes to a stress mode, the little computers in your body thinks you are about to die, so it releases a drug to relax you to help you step into death so much easier.

After this drug is released into your body things sometimes seem so much clearer, the grass seems greener, the sky is bluer, and every thing seems so much in tuned with each other thing. In other words, you are on a "Runner's High".

Back in February of 2002, I was running and my body must have released that drug, but this time my body went on to tell my brain, "OK, this time I am not joking, I mean it!" One of my arms ached like it was broken and my jaw ached like a very bad tooth ache. I was having a heart attack.

So, after my heart was repaired and I was back on my feet I started to walk for exercise. I didn't quiet have the nerve to take off running again.

But, watching how much enjoyment other people were having out running I couldn't hold myself down. I started running again. I was running a little more each time. After I built myself up to running a few miles. Then Christmas Eve of 2004 I had a stroke. Back in the hospital for a few days to be marinated with blood thinner. We were at my sister's Christmas Dinner when I had the stroke - talk about beeing a party pooper- sheesh!

Now, what effects I had from the stroke are gone. For a few days my eyes were frozen, looking in one direction only, but now I am fine.

And again, I quit running and started walking daily.

Now, last fall I decided I need to run again. So, this time I decided to start off in a very small amount. I ran 15 seconds. The next day 30 seconds, the next 45, and so on. Of course, I don't run every day, like in heavy rains, or sometimes I have other obligations. As of this morning I am up to 11 minutes and 45 seconds. Monday will be the next time I will be able to run and then I hope to run 12 minutes.

I am 64 years old. One of my friends does not beleilve anybody as old as we are should be running at all. He feels if the heart doesn't get me, my broken bones will - which he might have a point, your bones are more fragile as we get older.

So, I am thinking of swimming more instead of running. Decisions, decisions.

Christmas Eve Story or Me the Party Pooper

Last year on December the 24th my sister had us over to her house for a Christmas Eve dinner. The guests included our other sister, my two sons, my son's girlfriend Tiffany, and my sister's boy friend Mark.

We got there a little early to hang some pictures in her newly remodeled bedroom which I promised I would do. I brought all my tools I thought I would need.

I just got started good and dinner was ready. We sat down, somebody said the blessing and we started passing things. Then, while passing something I suddenly felt dizzy.

I remember I had the same feeling at Kroger's less than two weeks ago in the Deli department. They had free samples of something sweet with a whipped creamy topping and I couldn't resist myself, and within a minute after I did it I went into a dizzy spell. I walked around pushing a cart, thinking if I walked around I could shake the dizziness that was in my head. I walked around and around pushing that cart - I would have fell over if I didn't have the cart to keep my balance. I was right, I walked right out of the dizzy spell.

It looks like I might be a diabetic I thought, so I guess I better go to the doctor and and check that out - which I promptly forgot in a day or so.

Then, at the dinner table I was having the same feeling. My eyes locked looking at a right angle. I could not look in any other direction, and I was still dizzy, my head was going around and around.

I told them I was going to sit in the living room a few minutes but I would be back soon to join them. When I got up and walked sideways they new something had happened to me.

I told them not to worry about it, the same feeling came across me at Krogers and it left me soon. But they kept looking at my eyes. Then they rushed me to the hospital.

I had a stroke. Talking about being a party pooper!

I stayed in the hospital for three days with an I.V. that was marinating me with blood thinner.

Now, I think I am OK. (knock on wood - or my head). And ready for a rematch!