tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83080137453167460192023-11-15T11:13:37.103-08:00Respect For Our EldersCarynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773953166231147901noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308013745316746019.post-28051464275399605202011-01-27T08:28:00.000-08:002011-01-27T08:28:03.668-08:00MVI 0498<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7cVW_Oyvtas?fs=1" frameborder="0" width="425" height="344" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>Carynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773953166231147901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308013745316746019.post-62040657431779135552006-12-31T04:46:00.000-08:002009-03-21T13:19:13.099-07:00American Health Pie<table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" celpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://journals.aol.com/relincorp/RespectforOurElders" target="_blank"></a></td></tr><tr><td align="middle"></td></tr></tbody></table><p><em><span style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:180%;color:navy;"></span></em> </p><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" width="100%" name=""><tbody><tr valign="top"><td valign="top" width="100%"><p align="center"><span style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif;color:navy;">A long long time ago</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#000080;">I can still remember when a doctor tried to cure and heal</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#000080;">You knew that if you were sick or hurt</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#000080;">That it would not cost you your shirt</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#000080;">And maybe you could even make a deal</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#000080;"></span> </p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#000080;">But Empire didn't meet the deadline</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#000080;">To get some help for neck, back and spine</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#000080;">Bad news for the doctor</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#000080;">We can't pay any doctor</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#000080;"></span> </p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#000080;">I can remember that I cried</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#000080;">When I realized Blue Cross had lied</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#000080;">The company sure took their side</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#000080;">The day that health care died</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#000080;"></span> </p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#000080;">So, Bye-Bye American Health Pie</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#000080;">Took the subway to the clinic </span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#000080;">For some health care to buy</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#000080;">And, them Empire boys were selling buckets of lies</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#000080;">Singin' you could cure yourself if you try</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#000080;">Or we won't have to pay if you die</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:Helvetica;color:#000080;">by Caryn Isaacs</span></p><p align="center"><FO</p></td></tr></tbody></table>Carynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773953166231147901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308013745316746019.post-24228996052069869582004-03-25T04:06:00.000-08:002008-10-10T07:23:27.501-07:00Stop The Madness<P>They knew the time would come when they'd have to make a decision whether Mom would live with Joe in Boston or move into Shady Acres near Missy.</P><P>"I think you're Mother's gone mad!" Dr. G sounded a little crazed himself. Usually he measured his words so carefully. Missy would have thought he'd say, your Mother seems a little distracted or even that she has the beginning of Alzheimers. He sounded so over the top. Was it he who was going mad? "Mrs. O'Brien just handed me a million dollar check!"</P><P>Missy was speechless for a minute. "Thank you for calling, Doctor. I'll have to speak to my brother and we'll get back to you." </P><P>Thankfully, he picked up on the first ring."What now?" Joe was screaming into the phone. </P><P>"What's your problem?" Missy almost forgot why she was calling.</P><P>"Father Sullivan just called. Mother sent him a million dollar check." Missy realized she'd better get right over to her Mother's. </P><P>""I'll call Aunt Elizabeth and ask her to go over until I can get there. She may have noticed something." Their Aunt lived in the same building.</P><P>"Oh Missy, I'm so glad you called. I don't know what's going on. There's a moving van in front of Maureens and a for sale sign on the door. I used my key to go in when no one answered my knocks. There was an envelope with my name on the counter with a million dollar check and nothing else. Has your mother gone mad?"</P><P> Just then Missy's dog Lucky started barking like mad. "Lucky, calm down before I go mad. "Hold on Auntie Liz, while I get the door." There was a delivery man with a huge floral arrangement in the shape of a horseshoe. "Oh God, it's from Mom. She must really have gone mad!" Missy read the card.</P><P>"I know you and your brother have been disussing me but you don't have to worry. You know that mad money I keep? You and Joe can split it along with whatever you get for the condo. You know I've been going out on that new gambling boat with my bridge partner, Herbie. Well, we won the big tournament, 10 million dollars. We'll call you as soon as we get settled in Monte Carlo. Of course, I'll be Mrs. Glickstein by then. You may think I've gone mad, but nothing can stop me now." </P><P> </P>Carynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773953166231147901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308013745316746019.post-78500697336620809122004-03-02T07:33:00.000-08:002008-10-10T07:23:27.502-07:00Dangerous Minds<P>As we get older, most of us think about the agony of losing our minds to dementia or Alzheimer's. Some bizarre mental disorders are not as common, but they do occur.</P><P>Apotemnophelia is a compulsion to amputate ones own limbs. Necrophelia is a strong sexual obsession with death. Capgrass Syndrome is a delusion of doubts. Restless leg syndrome causes a crawly sensation. Fatal Familial Insomnia is a human form of mad cow disease.</P><P>So, if you think you have any of these conditions or something as unique, but your doctor tells you it's all in your mind, your next thought could be:</P><P>1. Are you out of your mind. The doctors know everything.</P><P>2. My minds made up, I'll just have to live with it.</P><P>3. I can't make up my mind.</P><P>4. I have an open mind, as long as it doesn't cost too much.</P><P>5. In my mind, it's the HMO's fault.</P><P>6. I've a mind to find a new doctor.</P><P>7. I've had a mind to just give up.</P><P>8. I'm of two minds. One wants to accept the verdict, the other wants options.</P><P>9. I'm going to use my own mind and get an answer.</P><P>10. Maybe it's all just in my mind.</P>Carynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773953166231147901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308013745316746019.post-18362061612772445392004-03-02T07:19:00.000-08:002008-10-10T07:23:27.502-07:00Private Enemies<P>There's a knock at the door. "who's there?"</P>
<P>"It's Charlotte, Mrs. Jacobs, from Meals on Wheels."</P>
<P>"Don't try to leave that stuff here. I know your trying to poison me."</P>
<P>"Mrs. Jacobs, it's good food. All your neighbors like it. You've refused your delivery three times now. I won't be coming back again if you don't open the door."</P>
<P>"Go away, I know what's in that stuff. You can't get rid of me that easily."</P>
<P>The telephone rings."Hello?"</P>
<P>"It's the front gate, Mrs. Jacobs. A social worker from Memorial is here to see you."</P>
<P>"I don't know any social workers. Tell them you didn't get any answer. They could be terrorists. Why don't you people do your job? Don't you know when someone is trying to break in or are you one of them?"</P>
<P>The door again. "Go away!"</P>
<P>"UPS, mamm. Package."</P>
<P>"Take it away, quick, it could be a bomb."</P>
<P>"I don't think it's a bomb, mamm. It feels like clothing. It's a shirt box from Chicago."</P>
<P>"Get rid of it. How did you get by Security? You terrorists know all the tricks."</P>
<P>The phone. "Hello?"</P>
<P>"Hi Mom, how are you? Did you get my birthday present?"</P>
<P>"I'm doing great. I just finished breakfast with that nice lady from Meals on Wheels. The gift is lovely. It must have cost a fortune to send it all the way from Chicago."</P>
<P>Banging at the door. "We're going to have to break the lock. She must have changed the key again. This is the third time she's pressed the panic button this week. I'm afraid we're going to have to take her in. It's a shame no one is looking out for her."</P>
<P>Author; Caryn Isaacs</P>Carynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773953166231147901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308013745316746019.post-8461165417751021962004-03-02T07:01:00.000-08:002008-10-10T07:23:27.503-07:00Safety First<P>Julia couldn't understand why Mary complained all the time. Well, this was her last day working for the old woman. She wouldn't miss the whining, but she hoped she could get another job real soon. Besides the money, she needed the telephone to call her mother in Haiti.</P><P>"Julia, where are you? I've been up for hours. I need to go to the bathroom."</P><P>"Just go in the diaper, Mary. I'm busy now." Julia was finishing her breakfast and looking at the television. </P><P>"I don't want to make in the bed. It smells bad enough in here."</P><P>"I just washed the sheets last week. OK, let's get you up. This is going to be a busy day."</P><P>"Are you leaving me here again?" Julia almost forgot that she wasn't supposed to let on about the move. Mary's daughter was tired of the daily complaints too. She had finally found a place where Mary could live near her. Although Julia thought Mary was doing just fine since she had moved in. Sure, before there had been some problems with falling. But now, the lights came on and off with a clap or a timer. The tub had been changed to a stall shower with rails and a seat. The doorbells chimed if anyone opened a door. Surely, Mary couldn't ask for better care.</P><P>"Oh, my feet are cold. Where are my slippers?" Mary's nightgown was open to the back to make it easier to put her on the toilet. Mary could use the bathroom and shower herself, but this is what Julia got paid for. </P><P>"You know I had to throw those out. You were slipping all over the place."</P><P>"Where is the rug I keep here by the bed?"</P><P>"It's in the closet. You can't have anything that you can slip on."</P><P>"I could get up myself if this metal bar wasn't here. And why do I have to sleep with these gloves on? My feet are cold, not my hands."</P><P>"The bar is there so you don't fall out of the bed during the night. The gloves are so you don't scratch yourself." Julia was tired of explaining the same things over and over."Come on, I have your cereal ready."</P><P>"I don't want cold cereal. I want pancakes and bacon."</P><P>"You know your daughter turned off the stove so we don't have a fire."</P><P>Julia walked right behind Mary. She felt a little sorry for her. Mary would certainly be safe from harm in the Nursing Home, but she didn't want to think about her own Mother living in a place where safety came before love. </P><P> </P>Carynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773953166231147901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308013745316746019.post-81623696676965099942004-01-26T06:44:00.000-08:002008-10-10T07:23:27.504-07:00Catch Me If You Can<P>The reason I'm leaning on one leg and then the other is that if I stand too long on the left one, I may bleed right through my bandage. Even though I scotch taped a Publix bag over the bandage, sometimes it just gushes out. I try to keep the weight off that leg, but the inside of my shoe keeps rubbing on corn on my other foot.</P><P>I'm not going to give that Chiropodist another nickle. Medicare paid him a fortune for me already. Last time, he had the nerve to ask me for $10. just to cut my nails. Well, he lost my business. Now, I just go into the emergency room whever they start to dig in.</P><P>I'm only waiting on this line for the bus because I had to fire that stupid girl. She doesn't even know how to cash a check. She had the nerve to tell me I wrote it out wrong. I really wasted my money on that half price discount home health policy. </P><P>If I didn't need to get my prescription filled, I wouldn't even have left the house. That guy should come here with all I'm paying him. He says he can't get on the bus with his wheel chair. Look at me, with two bad feet, am I in any position to be running?</P><P>He should give me his whole bottle of pain killers and keep the cholesterol pills. He says he's getting them from a reputable Canadian pharmacy, but last time I tried to cut them in half, they just disintegrated.</P><P>Well, at least it won't be a wasted trip. I can get another load of free plastic bags.</P><P> </P>Carynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773953166231147901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308013745316746019.post-84900921811767420002004-01-18T12:05:00.000-08:002008-10-10T07:23:27.505-07:00There is no place like home.<P>The girls had taken turns making "something special" for over 20 years. From now on, Ida would be ordering from a menu at an assisted living facility. Rose hoped she could teach her daughter in law how to make some of the family recipes . She wasn't even sure they had Kosher salt in South Carolina. Only Ruth would remain here on her own. " I want you both to have a place setting from this table."</P><P>"I never remember eating from these. You always serve on paper plates." Ida didn't think she'd have any use for this fancy stuff where she was going. Lazy Isles offered microwavable meals in their pantry, if you didn't want what was being served in the dining room that night.</P><P>"I'm sure my daugher-in-law doesn't want me polishing silver on her marble countertops . And these glasses would be broken in 2 minutes with the twins jumping all over. Where have you been keeping these?" Rose admired the light sparkling off the water goblet.</P><P>"I inherited these things from my mother. Her mother brought them from Hungary. I've never used them before. My grandmother never talked about them. My mother was always buying new dinnerware from the catalogs ." Ruth lifted some soup from the pot into a turrine with a matching pattern ladle. " I didn't even remember I had these things in the closet until I went looking for something to give you as going away presents. From now on, I plan to use these for all my meals."</P><P>"How can you do that? Aren't you afraid they'll break?" Ruth's friends were almost afraid to sit down at the familiar kitchen table, that was now covered by an antique lace tablecloth. </P><P>" I may have thought that when I put them in the attic after my mother passed. Then when Herb and I moved here, who wanted to fuss? Now, my own daughter lives in South America, saving the rain forest. My son's wife has things from her own family. Please, let's make a toast."</P><P>The crystal tinkled in their shaking fingers. "We've sat here through the birth of our grandchildren, the loss of our friends, the cruise brochures and the operations. Even though we may be apart, when we eat with these, it will be like coming home." </P><P> </P><P> </P><P> </P>Carynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773953166231147901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308013745316746019.post-49983533026258846222003-12-27T05:15:00.000-08:002008-10-10T07:23:27.505-07:00American Justice Part 1<P>They're lined up around the block." LaVerne looked out the window. The guests attending the Grand Opening of the Starzinsky Elder Lifestyle Improvement Center were dressed to the nines, despite the black puddles of slush on the sidewalk. The only flaw in this picture was the man sprawled out in a pile of wet cardboard across the street. He had been there for as long as she could remember. The crusted blood and his broken face marked him as something to avoid.</P>
<P>LaVerne still couldn't believe how smoothly things had gone during this year, transforming the Star Ortho-Surg Clinic into this welcoming home of an innovative program for the community. The federal auditors had taken most everything, except the lease on this prime real estate right across from the Verizon headquarters. It was LaVerne's quick thinking that had brought the Verizon Retirees Assoc. together with the community leaders to fund the project. </P>
<P>Dr. Tony Star took a fast look in the back seat of his classic Mercedes. "The Russians won't miss a couple of hip replacements here, a few knee repairs there." He paid them plenty for the referrals their No-Fault scam provided. He knew he'd be basking in the sun, spending the cash that was now stashed in the Mercede's boot, long before the Courier News caught wind of the Attorney General's investigation into fraud at the clinic.</P>
<P>Dr. Star was lost in a fantasy where an ice cold Mohita was being brought to him by a nubile young native girl. No more Russian Mule Sweat for him, after he collected on this last procedure. Lieutenant Dan had great insurance. The seconds pins, Dr. Star used on the Lieutenant's son, wouldn't hold up for any fancy footwork, but the savings were paying for Dr. Star's Cessna. He thought he remembered something about the kid going to college next year anyway. </P>
<P>Author; Caryn Isaacs</P>Carynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773953166231147901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308013745316746019.post-76541295115118772592003-12-27T04:30:00.000-08:002008-10-10T07:23:27.506-07:00American Justice Part 2<P>PLEASE READ American Justice Part 1 FIRST!</P>
<P>He heard, more than felt the fist that broke his jaw. Dr. Star couldn't see where the blows were coming from because his eyes were rapidly filling with blood from a cracked skull. He couldn't breath through his broken nose. The cold on his crumbled teeth brought him to his knees and he scraped his face against the bumper of the gleaming classic Mercedes. He struggled to stand. He thought he could make it to his office across the street, but this was the 15th. The 15th was the one day of the month that garbage was still collected. The brakes on the city garbage trucks were also a victim of Dr. Star's hand picked Mayor's budget cuts.</P>
<P>Dr. Star was catapulted against the pile of cardboard boxes leaning against the Verizon headquarters. He didn't know how long he had been sitting there. From time to time he could see someone in a uniform would come by to bring a cup of coffee or some soup. Dr. Star alternately yelled obscenities and pleaded for recognition. He was sure someone from the clinic would be looking for him soon. </P>
<P>LaVerne turned from the window. " Dan, can't you get that guy to move somewhere else. I'm giving my speech in front of this window and I don't want the guests to be reminded of the rest of the city's problems."</P>
<P>"Sure, I'll get my son to call a few friends from the Precinct. He loves to help out here. It will be good practice for him when he is a doctor, himself. Mike's really grateful for the The Anatoly Starzinsky scholarship. After his legs were ruined by that quack, he didn't think he'd get to go to college. </P>
<P>LaVerne agreed, "If you and your son hadn't been here, on the same day that Dr. Star disappeared, we may never have found all that money in Dr. Star's car. Your being a policeman must have scared him into leaving the car behind."</P>
<P>"Yea, I call that real American Justice." </P>
<P>Author; Caryn Isaacs</P>
<P> </P>Carynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773953166231147901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308013745316746019.post-41964211032381230312003-12-01T03:47:00.000-08:002008-10-10T07:23:27.507-07:00The Perfect Partner<P>Here are some American health system partnership arrangements that have changed the way we receive and pay for care. </P>
<P><STRONG>1960 The patient and the doctor are partners in health</STRONG>.</P>
<P>You feel sick, you call the doctor's home. His wife says he'll be right over. He leaves you some medicine and you give him a check. If you don't get well, it was just your time to go.</P>
<P><STRONG>1970 The patient and the employer are partners in health</STRONG>.</P>
<P>You feel sick, you go down to medical. The staff gives you some medicine and tells you to go back to work and enroll in the company exercise class. If you don't get well, you can always go on disability or collect on your pension.</P>
<P><STRONG>1980 The patient, the clinic and the insurance company are partners in health</STRONG>.</P>
<P>You feel sick, you stop at the clinic in the mall. They do some tests. The secretary gives you a prescription. You wait for your pills to come in the mail. It's all billed to your insurance plan. If you don't get well, you can pursue the options up to the maximum of your plan allowance. Then you can pay the bills from your pocket or claim bankruptcy.</P>
<P><STRONG>1990 The patient, the provider and the payer are partners in health</STRONG>.</P>
<P>You feel sick, you call your primary care facility. A nurse practitioner discusses your symptoms. She says they will call in a prescription to your pharmacy plan. If the medicine doesn't work , you can come in next week for an approval form to see a specialist. Your HMO pays the bill. If you don't get well, you can change HMO's or your heirs can sue for malpractice. </P>
<P><STRONG>2000 The Consumer, the Supplier and the Provider are partners in health</STRONG>.</P>
<P>You feel sick, you go on the Internet to upload your symptoms to the Provider Benefit Manager's web site. You wait for EMail competitive bids for alternative treatment options from Suppliers. Enter your card number to have the amount deducted from your health savings account. Print out a receipt and bring it to any Super Store for Self-Directed Healthcare. If you don't get well, call the consumer health partner support group.</P>
<P>Author; Caryn Isaacs</P>Carynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773953166231147901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308013745316746019.post-16796164076493731352003-11-23T23:09:00.000-08:002008-10-10T07:23:27.508-07:00The Blind Date<P>"Hello, I'm the prescription drug coverage you invited. May I come in?" </P><P>"Sure, what are your plans?" </P><P>"I'm going to cover you."</P><P>"What was your name again?"</P><P>"My short title is the Amendment to the Social Security Act. My full name is the short title plus, Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003*. But you can call me Medicare Advantage."</P><P>"I thought you were coming alone. Who's that with you? What are they doing here?"</P><P>"That's BIPA. The Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act. We want to make sure you get all the coverage you deserve."</P><P>"Are they included in the plans?" </P><P>"BIPA asked the Drug Manufacturers and the Benefit Management companies to handle all the details. They'll get theirs from Social Security or they'll just borrow and your children can pay later."</P><P>" I thought this was supposed to be an all expenses paid date with Prescription Drugs?"</P><P> "Well I am Prescription Drugs, but the only way I can cover my expenses and those I have for my other wives, Medicaid and SCHIP, is to bring them along. I also have to include the Indians, the NIH and the VA. As long as we're counting, the Pharmaceutical Assistance Transition Commission and the Quality Improvement Organizations are hungry too. I hope you've made room for the Special Provisions Grantees. I've ordered takeout for the suppliers, I mean the doctors and hospitals. It's all under control. I'm having your fire exit removed right now so Modifications to Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's new Digital Superhighway can be installed."</P><P>"I don't like this. I want to talk to the guy who set this date up!"</P><P>"Go ahead, call this 800 number. They will give you a number for your State so you can be directed to your County agency. They will have a volunteer call you back. While we're waiting, let's watch some new medical research I'm paying for on TV. "</P><P>"I can't watch TV. Didn't you know that I am blind?" </P><P>"Really? Maybe I can get you a hearing aid. And get your wallet. I need money for tips." </P><P>* The placement of commas is not an error. </P><P> </P><P> </P><P> </P><P> </P><P> </P>Carynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773953166231147901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308013745316746019.post-14180629443053869342003-11-15T11:08:00.000-08:002008-10-10T07:23:27.508-07:00Someone Like You<P>"How are your feeling, Ada?" Ruth, her friend and neighbor for the past ten years asked. Ada seemed surprised to be addressed. "I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?" Sylvia, usually the diplomatic one of the group leaned across the table. "We just thought that maybe you were too tired to come tonight. After all, you leave here so early every morning and return after dark." "Well she's here now, so let's just start playing." As the host, Betty felt responsible for keeping to a schedule. After a few hands, it was obvious Ada did not have her mind on the cards. "I'm going home. I don't belong here." Betty sprung up as fast as her new hip would allow. "What do you mean? Aren't we always here for you?" Sylvia continued her diplomacy " She'll adjust, just like I had to." Ada's face turned red "My situation is nothing like yours, Sylvia. Your husband has gone to a better place. You can treasure your memories and find new interests. Harry is not with me but he still needs me all the time." "Why don't you try writing about what you're going through?" The thought had just popped into Ruth's head. Ada looked like she had just been slapped. "What are you talking about? I don't have time for nonsense. Who wants to hear about sitting in a room full of people staring at the wall. Should I send a story to the bill collectors?" But Ruth could see her friend standing at the podium, giving lectures on nursing home reform, as she used to lead the community meetings. "I've seen on the Internet where people keep a journal, a kind of diary. Other people who are dealing with the same issues can read it and offer their support. Even some prominent experts share their perspectives." Ada was still on the defensive "I don't even have a computer or money to go on the Internet." Sylvia was glad the conversation had taken on a positive direction "You can start with pencil and paper. Imagine how many others could benefit from the experience of someone like you." </P>Carynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773953166231147901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308013745316746019.post-90212210504236361162003-11-15T10:40:00.000-08:002008-10-10T07:23:27.509-07:00Secrets of the Ancient World<P>My name is Seshat. I was named after the goddess of writing and measurement. I received my training as a physician at the Sais Medical School in Alexandria. I am part of an elite corps of women who are full physicians and not just midwives. We are followers of Peseshat, the Lady Overseer of the Lady Physicians, who is the first female physician in the world. For many years, I studied the papyrus of recipes for diseases and symptoms gathered from the knowledge obtained by the embalmers. Previously Herodutus taught that all disease was produced by the food on which we live. Now, we know that many things contribute to our health including the climate, good hygiene and even our thoughts. Most women do not work outside the home. They are busy beating the flax into fiber that will be spun into linen for clothing and bedding. I have the opportunity to go to the homes of the craftsmen and the wealthy. I am lucky to have inherited the land that Pharaoh gave my uncle for his work on the tombs. If I do not find a husband, without my own property I would be forced to live with one of my sisters. The women are planning a pilgrimage. Tonight there will be a banquet of quails, ducks, geese, tilapia, perch, catfish, carp and eels. We will drink wine, milk and water. Wild barley is soaking into a mash that will be used to bake bread and fermented with dates into Beer. We will drink a lot of the Beer and use the rest as payment for incense, honey and sandles for our journey. We will take up a collection of gold, silver and copper rings so that we will not have to pay the interest rates on a loan from the grain bank in Alexandria. I have commisioned the building of a bathroom. A coppersmith, who owes me for a Dead Sea Salt poultice I made for his arthritis, will craft a basin to catch waste water. Our current pipe is made of straw and clay which is very crude. We have to wash our hands and clothing with lye made of castor oil and saltpeter and wear heavy blue eye makeup to avoid disease. Before I leave, I will visit the home of our rabbi. He is old and suffers from cystitus, a recurring, very painful type of urinary tract condition. He will not wear the amulets that some do to break the spell from their enemies. After I take his pulse and examine him, I will make a tea of garlic, vinegar and coriander seeds. Garlic is known to relieve any kind of pain. </P>Carynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773953166231147901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308013745316746019.post-49581911290193487152003-11-15T03:03:00.000-08:002008-10-10T07:23:27.510-07:00The Way We Do It<P><FONT face=Verdana>We use words to deliver a message. Using the wrong word can distort the meaning of the message or deceive the listener. The right work will portray your intent accurately.</FONT></P><P><FONT face=Verdana>Resource Evaluation Leaders Inc. struggled to find the appropriate word to refer to people who because of advancing age cannot do some of the things they used to, but who still have many assets with which to build an improved lifestyle. The way we determined which word to use was by first asking for suggestions and then researching how each word was used in other contexts. Then we chose a word that would put a face on the name.</FONT></P><P>The first word that came to mind was <U>seniors.</U> When people turn 65, they are entitled to certain senior citizen benefits, such as Social Security, Medicare and discounts at restaurants and theaters.</P><P>The term <U>retired persons</U> was suggested. Many people look to change their lifestyle after retirement. In November, 1998 the American Association of Retired Persons changed their name to the acronym AARP to include anyone over 50 years old regardless of their needs.</P><P>We looked up <U>Geriatric, Aged and Older Adults.</U> These phrases are gaining popularity among the Medical and Government agencies to infer services for people with limited abilities in need of social services.</P><P>Then we remembered the word <U>Elder.</U> Elder is from the Anglo-Saxon word meaning more experienced. It is used to translate a number of the original words of the scriptures, such as the Hebrew word (pronounced) gaw-dole, meaning greater. Elder was also a political office held by responsible individuals. The appointed elders of the Christian Church served in a more religious than political way, "let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. (1 Timothy 5:17-18 RSV)</P><P>After much consideration, RELI felt that the word <U>Elder</U> will show our respect for those with greater experience and honor the priorities of those who can teach us. We may be mistaken, but this is the way we do it.</P><P> </P>Carynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773953166231147901noreply@blogger.com0