Friday, March 29, 2013

Take your blood pressure medication!

Spent most of yesterday in the hospital, where my mother was admitted. Her doctor had changed her blood pressure medication a couple of weeks ago, it wasn't doing the job. Unfortunately her doctor was out of town and a home therapist said we should take her to the Emergency Room.

Bad idea, as far as I'm concerned. Put her back on her old medication which was working, just causing her to cough.

Instead we brought her to the emergency room, and since she's old and deaf, this got her more stressed out and scared than ever, because they were all gathered around her shouting questions and wanting to run tests and I'm sure she thought she was dying or something, which sent her blood pressure even higher.

She spent the night there, and is still in today for more tests, which I don't think she needs but I guess since they've got her in there they want to get their money's worth out of our insurance...  she's in a private room which must be costing a fortune....

The reason for my headline... she was about 40 when she was first diagnosed with high blood pressure...took pills for a couple of days but didn't like how they made her feel....so she stopped taking them and tried to do the "natural remedy" thing.

Result, 20 years later she had congestive heart failure, and now instead of taking 1 pill a day she has to take 4. And has to go into the hospital periodically on occasions like these.

Moral of the story - go get your blood pressure checked, and if you have high blood pressure make sure you take your meds, otherwise believe me you'll wish you had, when it is too late...

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Ben Affleck tackles the American Revolution

From the Malay Mail: Ben Affleck tackles the American Revolution

AUTHOR
Nathaniel Philbrick has announced on Twitter (@natphilbrick) that Ben Affleck will be at the helm of the adaptation of his upcoming historical novel "Bunker Hill: A City, a Siege, a Revolution" set for publication on April 30.

The novel is based on historical events that took place in Boston in 1775 during the first years of the American Revolution, the war of independence against Great Britain.

The story will mainly focus on Bunker Hill which was the bloodiest battle during this period.

The adaptation of this chapter of American history will be undertaken by screenwriter Chris Terrio who won an Oscar for "Argo."

The film will allow Ben Affleck to return to Boston where he grew up with Matt Damon and where he set his first two films, "Gone Baby Gone" and "The Town."

The winner of the 2013 Oscar for Best Film is currently working on "Live By Night," a movie adaptation of a Dennis Lehane novel that will also take place in the capital of Massachusetts during Prohibition.

Ben Affleck will act in the movie as well as direct and produce along with Leonardo DiCaprio. -AFPrelaxnews

Monday, March 11, 2013

11 March: Events of the Days

1731 Robet Treat Paine is born on March 11, 1731. Paine (March 11, 1731 – May 11, 1814) was a Massachusetts lawyer and politician, best known as a signer of the Declaration of Independence as a representative of Massachusetts. He served as the state's first attorney general, and served as an associate justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, the state's highest court.