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IN THIS ISSUE

• Pat Moore has exciting memories of Italy
• Verda Cooke is concerned about a common medical practice
• Tom Kyle forwards a story of two mischievous boys
• Zvonko Springer reminds of ways to attain inner peace
• Jean Sterling and Pat Moore suggest interesting websites

Pat Moore writes about a trip to

ITALY

The Amalfi coast road was one of the most interesting roads I have ever seen.

The road lies between Pompeii and Amalfi. It is very winding, with many sharp curves, so the bus drivers have to change every few miles, and have to memorize those miles so that they know every turn and at what angle to turn the bus, and even need to know almost every rock. They drive their bus for 20 miles, then get off and drive another bus back over the same 20 miles. It is pretty stressful, I would imagine.

It was absolutely fascinating as the Mediterranean Sea was many feet below. I sat glued to the window as it was so beautiful to watch the waves crashing on the rocks below, but some tourists played cards and did not even look at the view. Unbelievable!

The night after three hours winding around that part of Italy on that scary road, we stayed at a most unusual hotel called the Sand Castle. The outside of the hotel was made to look like sand and was built in the shape of a sand castle. We went in from the level of the road where the reservation desk was, then we went down in the elevator to the rooms - the lower the room and closest to the ocean, the more expensive. If I remember correctly, the restaurants were on the second or third floor, for the view over the ocean.

We managed to get a room overlooking the ocean and it was a thrill to go to sleep that night with the sound of waves pounding on the beach below.

I have lots of memories from that trip. One was of a memorable time visiting the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Our small group was not very happy with the tour company before getting to Pisa. It was on the bus - off the bus - see something for one hour - then wait for the slow stragglers to get back to the bus, and then rush to the next tourist spot. So we decided to leave the tour company and do Italy on our own.

After a lot of asking, our small dissatisfied group hired a university history professor who took small groups one day a week around Pisa for a very personal tour.

When we got to the Leaning Tower he spoke quietly to the guards and they allowed us to go inside. This was not usually allowed so we were very surprised. When we got inside, the guards - I think there were six of them - came in and began to sing. Because of the acoustics of the building, it sounded like a thousand voices and was magical and something I will never forget. Needless to say, we tipped them generously.

Since we had such a good time in Pisa, I spoke to the history professor and he kindly phoned another history professor in Pompeii and arranged for him to take us around for two days.

Of course I also bought all their books about Pisa and Pompeii, and these, plus their fees, which were quite reasonable, made our trip extra special and also gave us the names of possible personal tour guides for Rome, Venice, Milan, Florence, and the Isle of Capri.

In Milan, the guide even arranged for us to get seats to see the Italian fashion show, which was fantastic.

The one of Venice with the bridge was taken from our hotel window. The most interesting things we saw in Venice were two occasions: one was a funeral, with the gondolas all black, and they had to lower the casket from the third storey of the home where the bedroom was.

The other occasion was a little more pleasant as it was a house-move. Everything in the home, including a piano, had to be carefully lowered down to the gondolas, and then taken to their new dwelling. As we watched, I thought about the grumbling that I had done about moving - ours were nothing like that headache. Imagine the insurance for that kind of move! I wonder what would have happened if the piano had landed in the water.

Verda Cook writes: A month ago, you suggested I write something about our experience with unnecessary medications prescribed by the hospital for Stanley during his hospitalization and after he was released. At that time I wasn´t prepared to take the time to write, but now with Michael Jackson´s death (and I am not a fan of his), and the information that one of the drugs he abused was Percocet (Oxycontin/Oxycodon), I felt it was timely to write about our experience. As well, I have spoken to several people since then who have also had this experience but did not know what to do about it.

OVERPRESCRIPTION OF DRUGS

Over the past two months, my husband and I have navigated an unexpected journey through the medical system.

When we moved from our three-acre property in the country to a condo in the city, we knew we had to have a plan to avoid falling into a sedentary lifestyle trap. The condo building where we live has a fully-equipped gym, a bowling alley, woodworking shop, poolroom, and shuffleboard. We developed a plan that we would spend three nights a week in the gym doing a complete workout, and at other times we would go to the mall and do power walking. Instead of driving ten blocks to the bank, we walked. We also walked twelve blocks to my brother´s home and eight blocks to the home of another relative, on a regular basis. We wear pedometers to keep track of our activity level.

During Easter week, my husband developed puzzling symptoms of flu, with chest pains, and I called an ambulance. The paramedics did tests and assured me that it was probably the flu, but they took him to hospital for further tests.

For the next two hours I sat watching the monitors and everything seemed normal. Then the EKG began to change. Two hours later, my husband was being admitted to the hospital´s cardiac trauma unit.

From the time of my husband´s admission to the hospital, the staff insisted they wanted him to be totally pain free and if he had any discomfort at any time, he was to tell them.

At 2:00 p.m. he had an angiogram, which showed three blocked arteries. Triple by-pass surgery was required on an emergency basis but the surgeon was very reluctant to rush him into surgery since he had received large doses of anti-coagulants and the danger of haemoraghing was too great. As a compromise, a balloon pump was inserted to take the workload off the heart for the night. Surgery was scheduled for 8:30 the following morning. Our son and I were to be at the hospital by 6:30 a.m.

When we arrived at the hospital, the surgeon took the time to fully explain what the procedure would be and the risks involved. The surgery was uncomplicated with no surprises and the surgeon was pleased with the outcome. Our son and I were allowed to spend a few minutes with my husband, but since he was very heavily sedated and would not be aware of his surroundings until the next day, we decided to return to the hospital the following day.

Discovering my husband in a state of confusion during the first two days was not surprising; we anticipated this might happen. On the third day, while he was still in intensive care, the hospital phoned and asked if I would come in and spend the day with my husband. He had become very uncooperative and difficult to manage. Our son went with me and we would take turns sitting with my husband. Both of us were alarmed at his mental confusion. This was unlike the husband and father we knew. His conversation was incoherent. Our son asked the staff if one of the medications caused my husband´s mental state. Their comment was, "All old men who have major surgery become confused." I took issue with their terminology.

When he was moved from the ICU to the Step Down Unit, he seemed much more compliant and less confused. He followed instructions willingly and normal conversation could be conducted. The staff was again insisting they wanted him completely pain free and he was to indicate any discomfort he might have.

One evening he complained of pain between the shoulder blades. When asked at what level, he replied the pain was between a two and three, which would be considered low-level pain. Immediately the staff brought four small capsules. I didn´t think to ask what this medication was and the next morning when I arrived at the hospital, I was told that my husband had given them a very rough time during the night. He was confused and very uncooperative. I asked what medication the four capsules were that were given to him the previous evening, and was told that it was Percocet (common names are Oxycodon or Oxycontin).

I was upset to think they would administer a highly-addictive narcotic for low-level pain. I told them to mark his chart, "No Percs (Percocets)." I suggested that Tylenol would control that level of pain and if it were a higher level, another type of medication could be used, but not Percocet. Again I was told they wanted my husband to be totally pain free and that was why the drug was being given to him. When he no longer received this medication, he was not confused and could again follow instructions.

On the morning of his release from the hospital, the staff explained all the medication that was being prescribed for him, as well as the times at which it should be taken. Among the prescriptions was one for Percocet, the very drug I had asked to have removed. I objected, but was told the prescriptions had already been faxed to the pharmacy and I would need to discuss this with the pharmacist.

When the pharmacist was reviewing the meds with me, I pulled the container of Percocet out of the mix and said I refuse to take these with me. He argued, saying that my husband might need them to control pain. I countered that in such an event I would consult with our family physician and request a non-narcotic pain reliever. He insisted I take them.

Finally I said, "You´ve convinced me. I´ll take them. At midnight tonight I will take these pills to the street corner downtown and sell them for $45 per pill. There are plenty of people wanting to get high on these pills and my bank account is being depleted." No further argument; he removed them from the mix of drugs.

How many people, when released from the hospital, expect to remain totally pain free and readily accept narcotic prescriptions (or perhaps ask for them) in order to live a life free of headaches, sore muscles, bee stings, etc., when non-addictive medication would be adequate (Advil, Tylenol, Aspirin)?

When my husband was released from the hospital, he had a very sore mouth and tongue. I asked the pharmacist which of the medications might be the cause. He said he would contact the hospital and get back to me. Very shortly after, he called back and advised me not to give my husband the blood pressure medication. The hospital was sure that was the cause of his sore mouth, and my husband did not need this medication anyway.

I asked why it was prescribed if he didn´t need it. The pharmacist explained that the hospital has a standard list of medications which are automatically prescribed when a patient leaves the hospital, depending on the reason for the hospitalization. I was stunned.

The following day I had to take my husband to our family physician and during the consultation I mentioned the pharmacist´s explanation for the prescription of blood pressure medication which wasn´t needed. She confirmed that he did not need this medication and also confirmed that this was standard practice. She said that just because you are given a prescription, you are not obligated to have it filled. I suggested that this was irresponsible behavior on the part of both the hospital and the pharmaceutical companies, since the average person would not know if medication is required.

She became quite testy and said, "Not everyone stays up to date on medications and treatments like you do. Most people don´t question the medication.They just have the prescription filled and take the pill."

Recently I spoke to a friend whose husband had emergency quadruple by- pass surgery in another province, seven years ago. On his release from the hospital, he was given a prescription for blood pressure pills, which he has been taking faithfully. Only recently he was told he never needed this medication. As a former dental nurse, I take an interest in what medications and treatment are prescribed and for what reason.

What I have learned through this experience is that the individual, their spouse or caregiver must be responsible in becoming knowledgeable about what care is being administered and why. One cannot stand by and presume that what is prescribed is necessarily what is needed. As consumers and clients of the medical system, we must ask questions and not be afraid to challenge the system if necessary.

I find it frightening and reprehensible that the pharmacy and the hospital would insist on a patient taking a highly-addictive narcotic unnecessarily. If this is standard practice, no wonder we have high- profile celebrities (and many others), addicted to Percocet (Oxycontin/Oxycodon) and overdosing on the drug. This is not a practice unique to the Canadian health care system. Let´s stand up and say no to the aggressive use of narcotics, and let´s not be afraid of a little discomfort in our lives.

ED. NOTE: All these widely-prescribed medications are very expensive. I take four meds prescribed by my doctor which cost over $550 every three months. I asked if they were really necessary, and the doctor said the only way to find out was to stop taking them - hardly a scientific evaluation. If all drugs are similarly expensive, then our drug-dispensing doctors and hospitals are making the pharmaceutical companies rich. "I hope so," my doctor said. "I have shares in those companies."

Tom Kyle sends this story of

TWO WEE BOYS

Two little boys, aged 8 and 10, were excessively mischievous. They were always getting into trouble and their parents knew all about it.

If any mischief occurred in their town, the two boys were probably involved. The boys´ mother heard that a priest in town had been successful in disciplining children, so she asked if he would speak with her boys. The priest agreed, but he asked to see them individually. So the mother sent the eight-year-old to see the priest first in the morning, with the older boy in the afternoon.

The priest, a huge man with a booming voice, sat the younger boy down and asked him sternly, "Do you know where God is, son?"

The boy´s mouth dropped open, but he made no response, sitting there wide-eyed with his mouth hanging open. So the priest repeated the question in an even sterner tone, "Where is God?"

Again the boy made no attempt to answer. The priest raised his voice even more and shook his finger in the boy´s face and bellowed, "Where is God?" The boy screamed and bolted from the room, ran directly home and dove into his closet, slamming the door behind him.

When his older brother found him in the closet, he asked, "What happened?"

The younger brother, gasping for breath, replied, "We are in BIG trouble this time! GOD is missing, and they think we did it."

Zvonko Springer forwards this parody of Kipling´s "If":

INNER PEACE

If you can start the day without caffeine,

If you can get going without pep pills,

If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,

If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,

If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it,

If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time,

If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,

If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend,

If you can conquer tension without medical help,

If you can relax without liquor,

If you can sleep without the aid of drugs ...

Then you are probably the family dog!

And you thought I was going to get all spiritual with this, huh...?

SUGGESTED WEBSITES

Jean Sterling writes: There is a hotel in Orlando - the Peabody - that features the parade of the ducks every day. They parade to the fountain where they swim and play:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yXbfDujpws

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Pat Moore suggests this site for car lovers:

http://texasbobsworld.com/auto_nostalgia.html

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Other airlines might want to follow Air New Zealand´s example of an effective way to encourage passengers to listen to safety instructions:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-Mq9HAE62Y

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Just in case you have animals or small children around, the sago palm poses a poisonous threat:

http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/sagopalm.asp

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Randy Cassingham, who sends out This Is True every week, tells a graphic story of how paramedics saved a life:

http://arunaurl.com/3421

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Nana Mouskouri sings Schubert´s Serenade: http://arunaurl.com/345e