SHOTGUN EFFECT

Random thoughts about the happenings of the last few days:

My grandson had minor surgery on Tuesday. I picked up the girls from school and hung out with them preparing supper until mom and dad got home with my frandson. We had a fascinating talk about books. The middle child is an avid reader. Both girls like sad books. Couldn’t really find out why.

It was most interesting when we transitioned to family. My wife’s side has been traced back to the 1100’s in France. They moved to Scotland and got established and developed connections to royalty. I thought this might be interesting, but #1 child said she didn’t care much about that side of the family because they aren’t blood relatives. I guess that is true in one sense but not legally. My daughter is adopted. She assumed that was the start of a new family and therefore is not connection to our side of the family before her mom. I had to laugh. Then asked if that meant I wasn’t her Papa? No was her papa. So how does that work if her mom’s side of the family is not blood relatives? She was stunned and staggered for a moment. Well, you are my papa. Mom and dad arrived and the conversation was over. I would love to have explored that more.

Wednesday was my regular doctors appointment. Besides the normal talk about diabetes and high blood pressure I pushed to get answers to other issues. He kept trying to get away, but I would not let him.

Our talk led to a cortisone shot in my left elbow. I’ve had pain for several weeks and it just would not go away. My hand was beginning to shake making my art rather difficult.

I am now scheduled for a colonoscopy next week. I’m not excited. I had one at age 50 and was not put under for the procedure. I just squirmed with the weirdness, and leaked most of the day. I have taken two friends for the same tests since moving here and they were so drugged out when I brought them home neither remembered anything that happened until after 6 pm. They weren’t even sure I brought them home. The test will also check for a botched rear end alignment about 12 years ago. Had hemorrhoids removed and things were not put back correctly. Yuck!

I’m also being sent to an urologist. Problems on both sides! And finally I am being sent for a mammogram to see why I have pain in my chest. He thinks it may be a cyst.

OK. I accept that I am falling apart. No, I am not fearful for any of it. I admit that I do not like pain and hate drugs even though I load up on them daily. I keep trying to get rid of some, but he keeps adding instead. I may open my own pharmacy.

I stayed with my grandson today and will also do it tomorrow. We always have a good time. We watched “How to Train Your Dragon” learned to play some DS games (I didn’t know what it was either – he had to teach me – and I never won). and cleaned the kitchen. I was surprised. The best thing we did that he enjoyed was clean the kitchen. Go figure. He was so proud that the first thing he said to mom was “Look at the kitchen” Good kid.