It's Friday again...and I'm now in a Pensive Mood...

• I wrote a little bit this week about the Bible story of the Talents. Do you remember what it's about?
• I feel that God has given talents to doctors, scientists, nurses, and even President Biden and others who are daily placing themselves in danger to stop the spread of Covid...
• And God, when prayers are sent up by those who had not taken advantage of the talents already provided to fight Covid, must wonder, "Why have you not acted to share in the wealth of the talents I've given to doctors, et.al., to meeting your needs in this time when an enemy has sent a deadly virus... Therefore, I will take the talent I gave you and add it to those of the many who are fighting so hard to save as many lives as possible on my behalf...
• ~~~
• Thoughts!?

 I started to read earlier, taking a break, but the new book was about a older woman, facing her death...I was almost immediately pulled back into my own life as I see the years fly by, while, sometimes, the days seem so long...

It's quiet now. My caretaker was here to mow. He has become a friend, who also takes out my garbage as often as he is here...Now, I can feel his frustration, as he stayed away from me, explaining that his sister and other family members have contracted Covid. Thankfully, it is not the Delta strain. This is the first I've seen him in over a week, so it was good to see him even though I didn't have a friend to share a few words with...

He's also been my driver and helper with groceries. But he's had to make adjustments to his schedule to deal with his heavy lawn care jobs as well as the issues for his home and family. I knew it was coming, but have no alternatives to my own needs at this time...

Except, that, this morning, I received my second large delivery order from Walmart through their new program. I had taken the initiative to accept the test trial for it and found myself caught within the "mess" of a new system being implemented without total debugging and testing... I have to chuckle because it reminded me of the "mess" Biden is now dealing with in Afghanistan.  Sure, it, too, is a mess... After all, Trump had signed a deal with having Americans out of Afghan by May and so Biden had early announced that they would be leaving. I was happy and so were many Americans. Now I wonder what Trump and the Taliban leaders said.  I've learned that deals were being made for months... Who really knows... What we do know is that the leader of Afghanistan and its military swiftly left. Now, as iis often the case, the public immediately started to complain when the "mess" started. Yes, Biden is taking responsibility... At least this leader is accepting responsibility and working hard to deal with this along with the other major issues he inherited.

This past week, I also had been active... It was to my benefit to have Walmart succeed--otherwise, I didn't know how I would get my food and other supplies. So, like Biden, I recognized the mess after trying to place my first order... It went fairly well, even though the frozen dinners were soggy... So, I've been spending a lot of time on studying the Walmart system, working with it, and submitting suggestions or problems I've found. You see, after I placed my first order, I placed another one...and it disappeared, along with an e-mail order that had been sent as part of their new pickup-delivery... So during that period, I lost hours of food selection as I had also lost a complete order. Yeah, like me and others, including Biden, I was frustrated...and, in my opinion, Biden is dealing with it well, given all the crap that is happening these days...

So, after several days, I notified a contact at Walmart and shared that the improvements to the computer system was 100%... I offered a few more suggestions about procedure...then I felt like I was part of the process when I received my full order this morning and filled my freezer and refrigerator...dinners, yogurt, cereal...all simple easy-to-fix things that I eat as a single person, now somewhat disabled...

Unfortunately, federal laws prevents delivery of my meds...so I have not been able to pick up what is waiting after my last doctor visit... I did check with Walmart about delivery by mail, but the rep was honest and pointed out the potential problems of using that method... In the meantime, I'm grateful that the meds were not those that were necessary to maintain, for instance, my blood pressure, etc.

What has happened is that I find I have had to become more self-dependent than I have ever been before...

Right now, I'm not able to drive and it seems everything I need to do requires visits to this place or that... I got new glasses, but am still not totally satisfactory, even though I had gone in to have them checked twice...more frustration, of course. I cancelled the two other tests they wanted me to have... Also had to tell my primary physician that I couldn't come back to talk more because I didn't have a driver...

Even now as I write, I am beginning to have pain as I am sitting. For those who haven't heard, I learned that my left hip is deteriorating. My new primary doctor mentioned it on my first visit when I talked about the auto accident I had in March last year. When she indicated what my hip looked like, I was shocked...I had never been told before--yes, you guessed it, I had become frustrated with my last doctor's office and had moved because I knew I needed a good doctor's support and wasn't getting it.

Fortunately, I had an excellent doctor for my surgery to remove a brain tumor. At that time, he also order physical therapy to ensure I could regain balance and walking skills. If I had only that issue--brain surgery--I probably would have been fine. But learning about my hip deterioration set off an entirely new issue, in most ways, more difficult to deal with than surgery of the brain.

Right now, I am unable to walk without a walker...Imagine not being able to even go to the bathroom without a walker to ensure that your ankle, your knee, your lower leg, or your hip will not give out as you take a step and cause a fall. I am fine otherwise, but right now and for the last few months, I have been trying to get approval for somebody to help me with driving, and other daily activities. Bureaucracy is alive and well...

And I have encountered many people who do not do the job to meet the needs of me, the customer... Contrary to how I was able to work with Walmart to get my needs attended to, I find I keep being referred from one place or another, or actually firing individuals who were doing more harm to me (mentally and emotionally) than helping...

You know, God gave me over 70 years of relatively good health and I am so grateful. I wonder, sometimes, if he placed me in these situations to reveal and, perhaps, commiserate with others who are struggling to survive within the world we live in today if only by reading about another's experiences...

My doctor asked me recently when I confessed being depressed, whether or not I had considered suicide... My resounding "No" was surely spoken through me from the Holy Spirit that dwells within me... Am I as strong as Job in facing all these issues? Afraid Not! But I don't need to be... God loves me as I am and cares for me, even if my day is so bad that I don't even say good morning to Him... He realizes my pain... And, if I should feel better...but can only get out a few words, it is normally these:

You know, I don't profess to understand what is happening in today's world, but I know He doesn't mind my seeking and asking questions... Sometimes His word comes into my mind to, maybe, even share with others. Sometimes He just makes me wait...and wonder...

But I know He Loves Me. And, even if I no longer sing in public as this elderly lady and her family does...I'll still be singing in my mind:

And if you are feeling old or alone...or like Mary Eddy, when I used to sing this song as a duet when we sang on a local radio station, with Rev. Joe Jordan, in Morgantown, W.V., when her son had died, we knew that, somewhere, somebody was listening who the song had been sent to, especially in response to their pain or fears... So, if the pain and suffering...and the shock of death has toughed you because of one issue or another...just say the words..."Lord, help me today, show me the way...one day at a time!"

God Bless

Glenda

Would You Ever Become A Vigilante??!!!

Fountain in the park (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
"After each attack on a member of her staff, Dr. Katherine Taylor had begged the hospital administrator for better protection. She wanted 24-hour armed and uniformed policemen, metal detectors, "panic buttons" in every room, and male EMTs on every shift. Despite suffering three physical assaults herself and being groped in the ED four times in the past year, Dr. Taylor's pleas to hospital administration had fallen on deaf ears.
"There are practical and philosophical obstacles to locking down the ED..."We must accept that the people who lash out at healthcare workers are sick. They are patients. I have to be concerned about the image of the hospital.
"Many of our violent patients are high on drugs and alcohol," she usually countered. "Some are demented and psychotic. The point is that they outweigh us and are stronger than we are. We can't handle them alone.
"I don't want our emergency department to look like an armed camp. It would scare away customers. There is liability when our security officers restrain patients..."

The First To Say No


By Charles C. Anderson






You may have noticed that, upon reading the first few pages of this book, I stopped and put out an advance notice and declared it a must-read. I feel even more strongly that it is now that I've finished reading!

I recognize that Dr. Anderson has dramatized his novel by using many samples of what he's seen as an emergency room doctor, within just one novel. (Or maybe not?) The timing is not important, rather it is the fact that I believe that every shocking example case that he has used is real, in this agonizingly realistic story ...

All you have to do is read a newspaper or watch the news! America has become a violent nation! Violence of one type or another happens faster than can be reported!

Dr. Kate Taylor, head of the Emergency Department, in a small  Virginia city, had lost her father too early in her life. One of her fondest memories was his walking with her to a local park where a beautiful fountain with fish was her favorite place to spend time with her father, sitting along side, looking down at all the wishes that had been made by visitors throwing in pennies...

Now that park could no longer be used by the town's residents...

It was filled with drug dealers, prostitutes, and a place where anybody who wandered in might be brutalized or worse. It was "owned," now, by the Plagues, a gang of violent criminals...

And they routinely paid off the majority of the police officers to stay away from that once-beautiful park...

Kate Taylor had another memory from that park. When she was 13, a man had tried to rape her there in the park...and he was still trying to hurt her...but, now, as head of the Plagues, he "owned" that park! And the doctor who she had never told she loved, was murdered!

You will start reading this novel as a young doctor is being raped. She has no idea how many have used her, but it was definitely more than one. This was her third gang rape... But, she knew more now, and the man who was raping her did not live after she was through with him... She and the medical emergency worker who now had to talk by holding a finger over a tube in her throat, after she was hurt bringing in a patient, both joined Kate as they began to take back their town!

Did you know that medical care workers can be violated by criminals in an emergency room, and cannot file criminal charges because it happens during the time the criminals are considered patients? Do you know that since many are homeless as well as criminals, they do not pay...for anything...except their drugs or alcohol...or sex (perhaps)...

The author has retired from his medical career. He may never have become a vigilante, but he has become a whistle-blower... One that I admire greatly for having written this book! If you feel right now that there is NO reason why criminals, drug dealers and prostitutes roam the streets of America's towns (Note that the homeless are not necessarily included), then I encourage you to support one man's efforts to reveal what is going on. It may not be so rampant in every town, but I can guarantee you, that similar single incidents are happening everywhere...like I said, just read the news!

This book is not easily read because of the number of violent acts one right after another, although the author has done a wonderful job in writing it as a thriller. I did get bogged down a little with the medical issues terminology that were efficiently described, but that's my own limitation, not the author's.

You will be amazed and excited about what a few people, and then a town did! And I would have been in there, in some way, if it happened somewhere near me! Would you? Enough is Enough... Read this book!



GABixlerReviews

Charles C. Anderson is a 38-year veteran emergency physician, critical care physician, and trauma specialist who has directed multiple hospital EDs and emergency medical transport systems. He is the author of original medical research articles and has patented several medical devices.

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Review: Do you, like many others, have High Cholesterol?

Image by ilovebutter via Flickr

The Cholesterol Delusion


By Ernest N. Curtis, M.D.






Remember the commercial of a few years ago, of a middle-aged guy smiling to everybody and telling them, whether they cared or not, that his cholesterol was down? Of course, that statement was then followed by an advertisement for medication...

Yes, I've been on medication for a number of years now--at a certain age, your doctor will begin to discuss this with you. Thereafter, you will be having routine blood tests...

But the main reason I resent the medication is that there are so many--thus there is a price war, especially if you are in an insurance plan, that wants you to constantly take the brand that has successfully won low-bid for that year. Soooooo, I was ready to consider it all a Delusion...

Dr. Ernest N. Curtis received his B.A. in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Berkeley and his M.D. from the University of California, Irvine. After a Residency in Internal Medicine and Fellowship in Cardiology, he entered private practice and has practiced for the last 32 years.(Back Cover). I always check the educational credentials of those who are writing the type of book which, in my opinion, requires it for the author.

Not only does Dr. Curtis reveal sufficient background, he also has written the book in a way that makes it a useful tool for the reader.

Starting with the first page which defines Delusion for us from Stedman's Medical Dictionary! I don't know whether he meant it to be funny, but given the book cover, I had to think so...

Curtis also presents his material following the usual method of writing about scientific issues, beginning with a glossary.a foreword explaining why he wrote the book, and then proceeding to define the theory, etc. I also was impressed that he included an Appendix entitled, "How to Read a Medical Journal Report". To me, he was saying, "don't take my word for it, do your own research." References and bibliography are included as expected.

Dr. Curtis defines the theory by providing a list of statements, the most important to me for purposes of discussing his theory was:

5) Lowering the cholesterol level with diet and/or drugs will decrease the risk of developing coronary artery disease, prevent heart attacks, and save countless lives. (p. 1.)

Here I am, eating--checking content of foods and selecting items with no or low cholesterol--and choosing them, oftentimes paying more and not enjoying their taste as much. Why? Because I've been told to.

Ok...here is the kicker. Dr. Curtis claims each of these statements, leading up to the above quote are:
"...entirely wrong; that is, they are not supported by a shred of scientifically credible evidence."

Further, here is something else that made an impression on me:

...is in direct contrast to the common conception of fats and cholesterol deposited directly on the inner lining of the artery much like sludge in a pipe. This point requires special emphasis: There is nothing deposited on or sticking to the inside of the arterial wall. (page 9)

Huh?????

Further, ..."the Cholesterol Theory maintain that cholesterol is the main causative factor...They have no clue to what triggers the plaque changes that lead directly to heart attack..." (p. 10)

Would you believe that "the major source of this vital compound known as cholesterol is our own bodies rather than our diet"? (p. 14)

Now many of us, while reading, will think of bypass surgeries we hear about...I read, "plaques in the arterial wall are initiated by a proliferation of cells that form a dense fibrous cap...A better analogy than the clogged pipe might be the formation of a callous..." (p. 17)

Ok, I highlighted points that made an impact on me; however, the author takes each issue and thoroughly defines and explains the scientific activities that have taken place and then helps readers consider his own opinion. Frankly I highly recommend the book--enough to have already raised the issue with my doctor who was about to have another blood test started... I think the key issue to come away with is sufficient knowledge to raise your own questions! As can be seen from the list below, there are lots of issues and opinions...

In the meantime, you may have come to be quite satisfied with brands, such as pictured above...but there may be options...if you care enough, then this book is a must-read for you! You decide!

GABixlerReviews

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Review: Find Yourself - From Guest Book Reviewer Bettie Tucker!

Find Yourself:


A True

  Inspirational Story
 
  and Self-Help Guide




John Mitchell













Xlibris Corporation—50 pages
ISBN: Hardcover 978-1-4415-9993-3
Softcover 978-1-4415-9992-6
EBook 978-1-4415-9994-0







Find Yourself by John Mitchell is a compact but very helpful book. The design and layout is exceptionally creative and perfectly suits the information that the author conveys in this true story. Yes, it is a self-help book; however, it also tells the personal story of a young man named Michael who achieves success after being released from lock-down time in a mental hospital. As the administrator of a new program, the author, who is a counselor, chooses 38 clients from four different lock-down facilities to participate in a new and challenging program. Michael is almost deprived of this opportunity, but the author makes sure that this doesn’t happen. Readers are presented with a brief summary of how the self-improvement program works and what is expected of the clients.

Throughout the book we are given glimpses of Michael’s life and come to understand what all he endures before he finally receives the help of John Mitchell so that he can “find himself.” He has to overcome feelings of abandonment, depression, addiction, abuse, fear, grief, low self-esteem, etc.

Before the author begins the latter part of the book, which is written to help his readers deal with life-stealing issues, we get to witness the inner courage of Mr. Mitchell as he battles cancer and makes serious decisions in regard to his health. Throughout all of this, readers will see just how much his clients mean to him—especially Michael. His health permits him to see some of the clients graduate, but he is in the hospital for Michael’s “big day.” But they will meet again, and the author hopes that one day this special client will know that he wrote this book and that he will read it.

After reading the “Self-Help Guide,” readers will have a valuable resource to assist them in improving their own lives. I found the chapters dealing with grief and depression to be particularly helpful.

Find Yourself is a book that is easy-to- understand, tells a heartwarming story, and provides sound advice. I highly recommend it to readers of this review.



Bettie Corbin Tucker
Independent Professional Book Reviewers
http://www.bookreviewers.org/

May 19, 2010

Review: Robin McGraw Shares Guidance to Women

What’s Age Got To Do With It?
By Robin McGraw
Thomas Nelson
ISBN: 9781400202140
218 Pages


I really didn’t know what What’s Age Got To Do With It? By Robin McGraw was going to cover, so when I realized that it included a lot of information on hairstyles, makeup, clothes, I put it aside at first. When I review this kind of book, I read it differently—I take it a chapter at a time...and I’m glad that I did! There is a wealth of material available to the readers and I recommend that this book be purchased for your personal library so that it can become a permanent resource for you. The emphasis on achieving and maintaining good health will make this a valuable reference for women at any age.

Many will automatically recognize Robin; however, if you don’t, she is the wife of Dr. Phil McGraw and she attends every show! You will most definitely see her as she and Phil leave together. Beautiful Woman! Because she is beautiful, and because of her active role in this show, she receives a lot of feedback, questions and comments from fans of the show. My guess is that, by now, she has her own base of fans.

What’s Age Got To Do With It? is all about women. Readers will quickly grasp that Robin has a great passion to help women and enthusiastically answer their questions. In fact, the book evolved out of the many emails she received and many are included in the book. Each chapter includes a personal narrative by Robin, giving lots of background about her personal trials and mistakes, which help to lend credibility and warmth—being willing to admit to having made bad hair decisions, and having to live with them, for instance, is not something we women normally are willing to do—we want to forget our mistakes! Each chapter also includes submitted questions that are answered by the set of experts who have assisted her in writing the book. And spotted throughout are “Robin’s Rx boxes which contains interesting little tips.

I found the chapter on hormones the most beneficial; however, each woman is bound to discover something meaningful to her as she discusses women’s issues from head to toe! Here are some highlights that I especially found beneficial:
· “I wanted to share what I was learning and help them [women] understand that taking care of yourself and becoming an active manager of the body which God has give you isn’t selfish—it’s essential. (p. 4)
· Women need “me-time” and must ensure it happens!
· Exercise can reduce risk of major diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, etc.
· A surprising side effect of too much sugar? Wrinkles!
· A sample menu for 14 days is included!
· Examine skin each month for brown spots and follow up if needed!
· Read about/research bio-identical versus synthetic hormones!
· Deflate puffiness around eyes by . . .
· Big purses (and backpacks for kids) are not always healthy—they can create back, neck and shoulder strain!
· Find clothes that are both fashionable...and comfortable!
· How will I know – will Jesus call me on the phone? (p. 209)
· Accept your age and work to keep your body God’s temple.
· It is not selfish to be an active manager and nurturer of what God has given you.

If you see anything in this review that you find interesting...then I have no hesitation. Buy and add this book to your personal reference library! What’s Age Got To Do With It? by Robin McGraw is sensitively written so that you feel like you and Robin are discussing personal issues—and she’s not going to embarrass you, ‘cause she’s be telling her own stories right along with you. It’s time to read this if you are 20 and above!

G. A. Bixler
IP Book Reviewer

Standing The Watch Wins Award! Cool!

The Big River Press News March 2009




Big River Press proudly announces




Standing The Watch: The Greatest Gift was awarded

First Place in the 2009 ReaderViews.com
Reviewers Choice Award

Memoir/Autobiography Category
Standing The Watch: The Greatest Gift
R. J. Brown
Big River Press (2008)
ISBN 9780979874437

Reviewed by Danelle Drake for Reader Views (10/08)

I will start by saying that this is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. The writing brought me to tears with the loving way this leaving was embraced. As with many touchy subjects; death is not often discussed until it is upon us.

As written in Standing The Watch, "There's something about caring for our parents in their last days that's more spiritual than all the religious words any holy man could say. More rewarding than the fruits of any other work." This simple phrasing says it all. David and RJ Brown dedicate their lives to allowing his father, Lincoln, die at home with honor and peace.

Upon his death, RJ writes; "We quietly speak to Poppa's Spirit as we take care, for the final time, of his earthly remains and I sing songs for his departure, while Buddy-dog sleeps beneath the bed. David turns off the heater, opens the door so Poppa's Spirit is free to leave and lets in cool, clean, moist air."

Not only is Standing The Watch somewhat of a guide to home death with many informative, educational pages at the end for those who will be embarking on the journey, it is filled with compassion for those caring for loved ones regardless of their location. I highly recommend this loving book as I feel those who read it will grow as a person and open their eyes to all of the beauty that surrounds us.

If you haven't joined our readers before,
check out one of our books.
I know you'll enjoy them!

R. J. Brown
Publisher
Big River Press
Author & Essayist





Order a autographed copy using your by clicking the title of this article


Watch for The Dead Husband by R. J. Brown. A Sally Sees Cozy Mystery. Cleaning up dead husbands is not in SALLY COLLIER's job description so when she finds one half-buried at the bottom of his garden, her Monday morning schedule gets seriously derailed.

***


Congratulations to R. J. Brown on this Award and check out my own review as Tuesday, October 14, 2008, blog entry!

Standing The Watch - Heartwarming True Story!

Standing The Watch:
The Greatest Gift
By R. J. Brown
Big River Press
ISBN: 978-0-9798744-3-7


You may think by reading the blurbs for Standing the Watch: The Greatest Gift by R. J. Brown that this book is about death and dying. It is not!

This book is about Life! And giving the greatest gift that can be given to a parent or loved-one(s)—giving them the best possible life they can have as they live out their last days, months or years! For my mother, who had been living with me for many years, it was not a time of turmoil as I cared for her. She simply and quietly died in her sleep. I had only one thing to do for her right then—I immediately put a new pair of slippers on her worn feet as she had asked me to do.

But for some individuals, there are not only medical issues to be attended to; there are logistical issues of concern, based upon where a family lives. And then there is the burden that is placed on the caregiver(s) as time goes on and stress and strain develops.
Standing the Watch in its second edition provides not only specific issues to consider, but, more importantly, in my opinion, the writer shares exactly what happens—both the good and the “not so good.”

David and Rebecca had already made a commitment to Lincoln, David’s father, that he would live with them after his wife died. And after many years, as Lincoln’s health failed to a point that he was considered terminal, he asked for another commitment—for him to be allowed to die at home. Standing the Watch is the story that centers in on those final days of Lincoln’s life¾a story that should be read by everyone old enough to understand and grieve at the death of another! It should also be read and taken as a learning tool for pastors, doctors and friends of those who are caregivers!

I found that I could read this story from two sides—as a potential friend of Rebecca and David, as they lived through their pain and worry. The other side, as an individual who could very well be in the role of caring for loved ones in their declining years. This book does not need a review that tells you about the storyline, for we all know what occurs. It does, however, give you specifics about what must be done at that time, in one book, with places to make notes...and with checklists that can be reproduced easily and used!

Rebecca writes this book as if she is sitting, talking to you. You feel her disgust when Lincoln, who had been a missionary, has a pastor who cannot be bothered to visit him during his last days. You see her inclusion of email friends’ notes, which obviously were so meaningful that they kept her and David going when inner strength was sagging. But, no matter what, you will see the love of a family, facing one of the toughest, most life-changing events in anybody’s life—the loss of a loved one.

This book should be on your home bookshelf because you never know when it will be needed—to share with others in the same situation, to learn and brace yourself for the future, or to guide you day by day as you and a loved-one face the dance to the death. Some readers will search for this book at that time; but I urge you to read and be prepared...for Standing the Watch really is about now—and living and loving!


G. A. Bixler
For IP Book Reviewers