Pills

 

Up until I retired at 50, I was pill free. My body seemed to function pretty well and I rarely saw the Doctor.  My dentist has always been looked after well. I am sure I have been responsible for more than one College degree in his family.

 

After retirement with not so much to do, I started to think about a lot of things, not the least was how this older body was starting to need some service and maintenance. I wonder today almost 30 years later if I might have been more prudent to stay away from these health protectors. When we seniors get together, one of the first topics to come up is how many appointments we had this past week at Doctor and medical clinics. What pills we are taking and what for. Why it is becoming a contest as to who is the sickest.

 

I am tired of taking pills morning, noon and night. I can remember in the old days the old favorite “Aspirin”. It is still a staple medication for many health issues. Years ago it was prescribed for everything.

 

My intake is less than many of my friends but sizable just the same.

A pill to make me pee, one to hold me from peeing, a pill for high blood pressure and another to help the first one, another pill to keep my heart running smoothly, a pill to keep my joints lubricated, (I was using WD40), and one to stop them from being too painful, two pills to thin my blood, a pill to keep my platelets from clogging up (whatever platelets are?),  a pill to control my indigestion, a pill to help me sleep and another to wake me up. I take a new pill to help stop an annoying shaking in my hands; (I do not have Parkinson’s). The druggist warned me that it can cause me to want to shop a lot and to gamble. I still shake and when I lose more than $100, I even shake more.

   

All these pills I am told are just bits of poison sent to different parts of the body to numb a problem. My next pill will be for the brain so I will feel OK about all the rest. I was taking a blue pill for excitement but have since moved on to a Gold one. I guess that is why they say we are in our golden years.  

 

Paul D. Scott.