Governors Gone Crazy and Tragedy for an Aide

ferncohen.com
As with everyone else in New York these days, I find myself distracted by the Governor Spitzer sex scandal, the subsequent Governor Paterson extramarital-affair gossip, and the [NJ former governor] McGreevey alleged-menage-a-trois scandal, as well as a tragedy on E.51st St., where a construction crane hit a residential building, killingg seven people. So I haven't updated everyone on my last visit to the doctor.

My blood pressure was down to 140 over 90, which is an improvement from 210 over 118, but it is still too high. Since the Benicar wasn't covered by my Medicare part D drug plan, and would have cost me $70 co-pay, she switched me to Lisinopril, and ACE-inhibitor, and told me to also take the Toprol, an alpha-blocker, again. And, she also added Crestor for the cholesterol. I've lost track of the number of pills I am taking every day. On top of this, my urine specimen showed that I had an infection, so I gt a 7-day round of Cipro. Since the Cipro pills are huge, I thought I would chew it ----- big mistake! Cipro has to be the most vile-tasting pill that ever passed my tongue. This morning was my last dose-- I hope. I managed to swallow down about 10 of the 14 doses, without having it melt on my tongue and totally gross me out. In two days, I have to give another urine sample and I PRAY that this infection is gone, because the thought of taking this medicine again, sends shivers up my spine.

My support group at Beth Israel was very emotional this week. It was Phyllis' first meeting since Stan died. She is doing the Ride for Life ad Advocacy in DC, and I have to think it will be so hard for her. Roberto's two sisters Ivette and Rachel were there Tuesday night, along with three people who lost a parent to ALS, and Susan who lost her son in August.

Another tragedy hit hard here at the beginning of the week. Gulshan, one of my aides, received a phone call from her husband's brother in India that her husband [who has been over there for several months to run a family business], was in a serious automobile accident. On Tuesday night she came to work, and was very distracted, understandably. Se said they needed to induce coma for her husband, in order to ease the swelling in his brain. She was looking forward to the next day, when they would get him out of the coma and she would be able to speak on the phone to him. Her son was already on a plane to India. Gulshan would ot be going unless he took a turn for the worst. Well, he did take a turn for the worst. Shortly after Gulshan arrived home Wednesday morning from her all-night shift, she received a call from India that her husband had passed away. She left for India where she will be for two weeks. I am so sad for her!