GOOD HEALTH, GOOD LUCK ALWAYS, Love Grandma Rose

When I was a little girl I always got birthday cards and valentine cards and rosh hashanah cards - whatever the holiday; signed with the above sentiment - from Grandma Rose. It wasn't until I was 45 that I realized what a genius she was. Wealth, Beauty success and the best sex with the handsomest dude meant nothing without Health. So you are wealthy enough to afford Canyon Ranch but you are in Intensive Care at the University Hospital; you can afford a stable of boy toys but you have eczema and no one wants to touch you! You can look like Farrah Fawcett or Suzzane Somers and be rotting underneath with Cancer. Ask the dying would they give it all up for Health; the answer would always be Yes. No one wants to grapple with the maze of dr. visits, and stress tests, or mysterious treatments that are not approved by the FDA (remembrance of steve mcqueen and his desperate flight to mexico for apricot pits).

What fun is it to hobble to plastic surgeons on Rodeo Drive if you are so medicated you can't see straight? Ask insomniacs what they would give for a good night's sleep? The millions of obese who will turn themselves over to surgeons to shed the weight and the diabetes and hypertension that goes with it - taking second mortgages on their houses to afford it - If they survive the operation and complications that go with it - If it is worth it?

Adele Davis ate right to stay fit and died of cancer anyway. So the Grandma Rose sentiment of putting Health on top of everything else puts her right up there with Einstein; forget the lottery - be fortunate enough to have health so you can enjoy your life and savor every moment.
Love,

Grandma Rose's granddaughter

I Want my Money Back!

In Today's world getting time off for personal "stuff" isn't always easy. Most companies run on tight budgets and short staffs. So today's visit to the hospital for elective surgery had been planned for like an Olympic Athletic event. The prelims or qualifying event was the pre-admission testing on Wednesday; the warmup was the 'last supper' with obligatory fasting and discriminatory pill taking. I got to the "arena" a bit early and only had my debit card with me for the "infamous copay- or in athletic circles - Entry Fee." I was gowned and IV-d; my vitals were fabulous 122/73 and 98 temp.

Dr. Death walked in - I was disqualified by the out-sourced Asian anesthetist- it turns out my Ekg showed some weird Right Bundle Branch Block -not discovered til they had my money and i was dressed for surgery. Alas there would be no competition - no pain meds and no recuperation period - out the door I went. NO surgery until I got a release from the Cardiologist (to be named later) that this was ok. So off we go to set up the whole schedule again provided the "stress test" with added stress provided at no additional cost - shows i am immune to all the problematic things around me. Here's looking at you kid! and the incredibly technologically stressful world that has been created for us all.