My Aunt Ruth

I am so lucky I was named after my mom's older sister Ruth. She's the favorite aunt and idol of all my nine siblings, She was eight years older than my mom, Rosie and they were best friends. It's eerily similar to my sister Carrie and me--Carrie is eight years younger than me, the baby of 10--just like my mom. Sadly my mom's two oldest brothers died of the pandemic flu! Her family was very spread out in age-unlike the Wertzbergers-the ten of us are just 13 years apart!

Ruth is 92 and the only surviving member of her German Catholic clan. (I do remember meeting her Aunt Tilly in Galena Illinois though who was 90 something and going strong).

Ruth has seen her share of tragedy-one sister died in her 40's, my mom died at 53, Ruth had two of her own sons die young, and her husband died about 20 years ago.

Yet she survives and thrives. Her daughter Edie said she has never seen her happier. Ruth lives in a small home in Wisconsin and she is one of the only women--did she plan it this way? My cousin Paul, her son, says there is something in the Iowa water (where Ruth and my mom and family grew up) that makes them boy crazy. Ruth always has at least two boyfriends and periodically she will sneak out of the house with one of them and go to the bar down the street. The town is so small that the barkeeps now put a sign in the window that says "Ruth's here," so her caregivers don't panic. Tell me, is there a better way to grow old?

Blogher conference winds down with Rocco Dispirito and I'm gearing up...we're talkintravel.

Blogher conference winds down with Rocco Dispirito and I'm gearing up...we're talkintravel.

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Blogher conference winds down with Rocco Dispirito and I'm gearing up...we're talkintravel.

Blogher conference winds down with Rocco Dispirito and I'm gearing up...we're talkintravel.

Posted using ShareThis

Appendicitis Part II

Okay I know you've been on the edge of your seat waiting for the next blog post on my appendicitis and there is no excuse for the delay except bad memories! Once the docs decided I had to have my appendix removed my husband had to take his car home, ride his bike to the doc in the box and take me in my car to the hospital. Along the way I made him buy some fashion mags about which the nurse said,"Aren't you worried about getting bad messages about your body?" Only in Santa Cruz , Berkeley South, would you get that message. We learned how smart she was later when they wheeled my bed into the operating room and while Rich took pictures, this same nurse somehow had my iv twisted around a cart and almost pulled it out of my arm until Rich yelled at her. A harbinger of things to come? In the operating room the anesthesiologist put me out--only I woke up! It was the most bizarre experience in my life. It felt like the doctor and anesthesiologist were sticking spoons down my throat and I could hear them talking. All I could think of was that I had to say something but I was paralyzed. I thought if I try hard enough I can move something. My monitor must have shown something because thank goodness the anesthesiologist upped my meds and I went back to sleep. Afterwards the doc said the anesthesiologist would tell me they had a hard time incubating me. I said "I know, I woke up." "You were awake!" he said. "Yes I heard you talking and felt the intubation." It freaks me out still and I have to make sure they knock me out enough if I ever need another operation. But what really bugs me is the anesthesiologist didn't apologize or even acknowledge that I woke up-he just said "Tell future doctors you have a very hard throat to intubate."

Alien world of healthcare system

When I went to the doctor with stomach pains at Bella's insistence I didn't expect to get sucked into the healthcare system vortex. It's a bit like being kidnapped by aliens and probed on an outerspace ship. I went in with a stomach ache and left without an appendix a day later. Along the way it was a comedy of errors. After the emergency room doc poked and prodded me he pronounced that he said "I'm sorry, I think you have appendicitis. Do you want pain medication?" "For what?," I asked, since I only had a tummy ache. Knowing from experience that it's better to say yes now than suffer later, I got a shot of morphine at the same time a nurse stabbed my butt with antibiotics. Thank heavens I said yes to the meds, the next exam they did was the most painful thing I have ever experienced. The nurse instructed me to lay down sideways on an MRI machine while they put a balloon in my butt that would expand. She told me it would hurt and said "Didn't they warn you about this? I told the doctors I would never have this unless I was put to sleep" Thanks lady! I have had bunion operations, shingles, herniated discs but never have I had this kind of pain. I warned the nurse it hurt so badly I was afraid I was going to pass out and her advice? "You can scream if you want to!" After ten minutes of this agony it was over but seared into my brain. It didn't help that when I talked to my sister later, an R.N., she asked why they didn't just do a laproscopy on me. How do I know?? They wanted to torture me? While I sat in the waiting room my husband Rich finally showed up and asked-so helpfully, "When was the last time you pooped?" I was going to feel so stupid if they did all these tests and I was only constipated. It may have been the only time someone was happy to hear they needed to have their appendix removed.  Part II next 

Xanax for dogs and cats with body disorders?

I admit I am not an "animal nut." I have nothing against the cute creatures except picking up poop from the sidewalk, (who didn't cringe when they saw photos of gorgeous Hugh Jackman picking up his doggy's do?), cleaning kitty boxes and paying vet bills. It's probably because I didn't grow up with pets. Whenever my siblings or I would ask for a cat or dog my mom would tell us to play with our sisters and brothers. Can you blame her with ten kids, 13 years apart, in Iowa, with freezing winters?

When I first saw commercials for diet food for dogs a few years ago I should have predicted the U.S. economic crisis. If Americans are spending money to buy special food for dogs to lose weight clearly they are overspending. But when I brought up that ad at a dinner party with some friends recently they defended it--saying dogs do get fat.

Then they told me about taking their pets to animal therapists...you read it correctly...there are homeless people on the streets but some people are making a good living diagnosing animals psyches.

One woman said she brought her dog to the vet and the doc said her pet was stressed and needed to take Xanax. Another friend said when her cat gained weight the kitty didn't like to be petted and this is the advice she got from her vet, "Your cat has body issues. She's gained too much weight and thinks she looks unattractive. " So my friend spent the next month holding a mirror up to the cat's tummy and repeating that the kitty was beautiful.

By the end of the evening they had me thinking I was the crazy one and maybe I am...what do you think?

bella saves my life

My husband said it was just constipation and I would be wasting my time going to the Dr....this from a man who if he sneezed his mother would take him to the emergency room! Thank god for Bella-she made me promise to go to the Dr...they removed my infected appendix-even my own sister said she thought it was nothing...more later