Sunday, January 07, 2007

Keeps on ticking...We've been up, off and on, most of the night with a family situation. Lady Linda's Dad, who is over 90 and beginning to show it, has been ill with various complaints (being up has reminded me of my many many years in practice and being on call...but I digress). Bottom line, we need to take him in for a few tests so he can get the proper medication.

The clock, on the badly colored wall, is another image from the 1950's house collection I referred to yesterday. It reminds me of how things have changed, how time has marched on and how neither man nor interior decoration can hold up to the relentless passage of the days. The clock, in at least one way, is lucky...it can get a new battery and keep on ticking. Not so much with we humans. We all end up gong the way of the flesh. Should the clock ultimately fail, we can get another, one that is more contemporary. Not so with loved ones.

If you love someone, hug them now and let them know how you feel...before their battery wears out.

Paddle safe...
DS

3 comments:

JohnB said...

Is aging all that it's made up to be?

What you and Linda have been going through with your father-in-law is never easy. He's fortunate to have the loving support of family nearby. And, to have a doctor in the family to help with the understanding of others as well as him as to what's going on is really great!

My last call on my 24 hour EMT shift came at 0615 this morning. When we arrived the fire department had completed an assessment and was turning the patient over to us for our assessment and transport. Not too unusual, except in this case it was a 90+ year old, who lives alone, who takes no medications, other than the daily asprin that they admitted to sometimes forgetting to take, and no other chronic or acute medical problems . . . until this morning when they suffered a stroke.

Fortunately, they were able to call 911 and police and fire both responded, as did we. And, we got them to the hospital within 35 minutes of onset (as best as we could determine the onset).

What a way to end the shift (not to mention start the day), a shift that went from an out of control 9 year old with a knife and who was homicidal (and we were there a good 15 minutes before the police)!-- to a stroke with a 90+ year old, and a lot in between! Another chapter of On Milwaukee's Streets.

(sorry Silbs, this should have gone onto my Blog--I did it again! ;))

Michael said...

Good, timely post today, Silbs. I wonder when this realization kicks in? I know people in their 40's who still go about shedding unwanted friends and partners, I guess because they plan to live forever and feel people are disposable. At some point in our lives it hits us that we're mortal and then we begin holding tight to our precious friends and relatives. To be honest, I'm glad I'm finally at this stage! Why did I wait so long...?

Silbs said...

JB: You are doing good work/deeds and, I suspect, enjoying a rich reward that cannot be measured in dollars.

Michael: I read once that, "Wisdom comes with age. Sometimes, wisdom comes alone."

I am glad you are both part of my life.