Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2010
THE JACKSON HERALD
PAGE 5A
Pondering the pill problem
AM I THE only old
man that believes old
men (and women) are
over-medicated?
I didn't think so.
Don’t tell my loved
ones (Shirley, my kids
and grandkids), but I
sometimes take a pill
and seconds later won
der if I took that pill.
(They worry enough
about Pop already. )
Yeah, I know. There are vari
ous, sundry and assorted ways
(and gadgets) to organize your
pills and keep that from happen
ing. The most popular seems to
be those little trays that look like
miniature garbage dumps. They
have a section for each day of the
week, and the lids have letters
telling you what day it is. That
works all right, I guess, until you
have more pills than there are
days in the week. I suppose you
have to go to a monthly organizer
when that happens.
It’s sort of like gardening. You
come up with a system you like
and that works, and you go with
it. Mine works - most of the time.
And I like it. So I go with it.
Shirley’s kitchen has a bar
attached to a cooking island. The
bar is about six inches lower than
the island. That’s where we eat -
unless we have company.
And that is where I line up my
pills. I push the containers (bot
tles) right up against the island in
front of “my place at the table.”
I’m a football fan, and my pill
bottles are my offensive line: two
ends, two tackles, two guards
and one center. If Dr. Johnson
prescribes one more medicine, I
virgil
adams
guess I’ll have to start
the backfield.
My pill line is orga
nized left to right: morn
ing, noon, night and
sometime. One thing I
don’t forget to do is eat
breakfast, dinner, sup
per and an occasional
snack (I’m a county boy
from McLemoresville,
Tenn., population 311
if you count dogs, cats
and chickens; we don’t know
about lunch, and we eat dinner
at noon and supper at night) and
that helps me take my pills when
I’m supposed to. Understand?
Some of them are pretty hard
to swallow, not in the physical
sense but psychologically speak
ing.
Do you read the side effects
of that stuff? I do. Bad mistake!
I thought long and hard before
I started taking the last medica
tion Dr. Johnson prescribed for
me. Here’s why:
“SIDE EFFECTS: Drowsi
ness, dizziness, confusion, dif
ficulty concentrating, unsteadi
ness, fatigue, swollen legs/arms,
increased appetite, weight gain,
nausea, dry mouth or constipa
tion may occur.”
What! No baldness, blind
ness, in-growing toenails or
eppizutticous? (“Eppizutticous”
is what Mama always said we
had when we came down with
some unknown something. I’m
not sure I spelled “eppizutti
cous” correctly; I couldn’t find
it in the Dictionary. )
But the above side effects are
not all. Listen to this:
“This medication rarely may
cause mood or behavior chang
es, such as anxiety, agitation,
hostility, pressured/rapid speech,
or thoughts of suicide.”
I decided to go ahead and
take the stuff anyway because,
after thinking about it, I realized
I already suffer from 75 to 80
percent of the side effects. I am
no stranger to confusion, dif
ficulty concentrating, unsteadi
ness, fatigue, weight gain and
constipation. I have bouts of agi
tation, but fortunately they have
not progressed to the hostility or
abusive stage. Not yet.
You know why the drug outfits
(excuse me, the Pharmaceuticals)
tell you all that bad stuff, don’t
you? They are covering their
... let’s see, what shall we say?
This being a family newspaper,
let’s just say they are covering
their back.
The Pharmaceuticals are
afraid of being sued, and if it
turns out you haven’t been to the
bathroom in three or four days,
they can say they warned you,
and that absolves them of any
obligation or consequences of
guilt. Case closed.
Aw, heck! I’m an old over
medicated man, and I guess I’m
just paranoid. I don’t like their
TV ads, either. They come in
two parts. There is Part A and
there is Part B.
Part A is bright, colorful
and beautiful. It begins with a
healthy, good-looking model
extolling the virtues of the
medication in question. It is
miraculous how said medica
tion is going to make you happy,
beautiful, energized and cured
of what ails you. You will get
well. Hallelujah!
Hang on. Part B is coming.
The lights are dimmed. The
volume is lowered. It’s as if
the Grim Reaper is about to
walk off the TV screen right into
your living room. He delineates
the many ways said medication
might make you sicker than you
already are and - perish the
thought - could kill you. If you
have liver problems, forget it.
I exaggerate, of course. (The
Pharmaceuticals would never do
that.) Many of us are blessed to
have access to their wonderful
products. I’m sure they do more
good than harm. I wish they
didn’t cost so much.
Some of us have insurance
that makes it possible for us
to see our doctor regularly and
afford the medications he or she
prescribes. It breaks my heart
to hear about old couples who
share their pills, cut them in
half, and sometimes don’t take
them so they can have money to
buy food.
I don’t know what’s going on
with the health care debate. I
don’t think anybody does. But
someday old folks won’t have
to share their pills, cut them in
half, or go without them so they
can eat.
Greatest health care in the
world? Not for them. Someday
that’s going to change. I don’t
know how or when, but it’s going
to change because America, the
greatest country in the world,
is going to do the right thing.
Count on it.
Virgil Adams is a former
owner/editor of The Jackson
Herald.
Disapproves of Obama plans
Dear Editor:
There are many Americans
who do not consider President
Obama as the first black presi
dent, but rather the first red
president, as in communist red.
I must admit at first glance he
most certainly acts and talks like
one. For instance, when he starts
sounding off with his share-the-
wealth ideas. It sounds a lot like
Karl Marx, coupled to that is his
do or die position on socialized
medicine and one can almost
hear an angry crowd chanting
“better dead than red,” and really
who can blame them?
I would rather believe his
share-the-wealth ideas are not
rooted in Marxism, but rooted
in generosity. He is simply the
last of the big spenders. For one
thing, President Obama really
enjoys sharing his good fortune
with others, especially friends and
associates. Let’s take for instance
Obama’s former associates at
ACORN. He gave them over $5
billion partly because they will
always be there for him, and that
also includes the election pro
cess. Only ACORN employees
could ever describe how tedious
and sometimes dirty a job count
ing only democrat votes can be.
Thank you ACORN.
A large chunk of the stimu
lus money went to the teachers’
union. They donate heavily to
the Democratic Party. Some may
look at it as a payoff, but know
ing how charitable Obama is,
it is more like gratitude for the
thankless job and the countless
hours union bosses sacrifice for
this great country.
Other Obama friends include
Barry Rand, chief executive of
AARP, received $18 million in
stimulus money for job training
senior citizens, no jobs were
created. Mark Penn, Hillary
Clinton’s pollster during her
presidential bid received $5.97
million and invited over for a
beer. I’ll bet Obama’s friend list
is getting mighty long.
President Obama has some
extreme and expensive plans
for us Americans in fighting
the threat of manmade global
warming. That is why I was
floored when I found out about
his $2 billion sweetheart deal to
multi-billionaire George Soros.
Investor George is a longtime
supporter of Obama and the
Democratic Party. George Soros
owns, among other things, an
oil company in Brazil. Obama’s
money will be used to help
finance, are you ready for this,
offshore drilling in Brazil.
Despite the fact that he will not
allow new drilling here.
I would also be generous if I
had Obama’s money, I would
give it back to the American
people.
Sincerely,
Jeff Stewart
Commerce
Letters policy: All letters-to-the-editor must be signed by the
writer with a phone number provided for verification. Letters may be
mailed, faxed or emailed. The deadline for letters is noon Monday.
The Herald reserves the right to edit or reject any letter submitted.
Write us about your thoughts on local, state or national issues at:
The Jackson Herald P.O. Box 908, Jefferson, GA 30549
FAX: 706-367-8056 E-mail: editor@mainstreetnews.com
T—■—I • •
Time is
Money
Shannon Sell
Whether buying or selling a home, the Offer To Purchase
is the starting point for making the sale go through. If the
sellers do not accept the offer outright, they may make a
counter-offer, which the buyers may likewise accept or
counter again.
In the interest of speed and success, it's best to keep
counter-offers to a minimum. If you are trying to sell with
urgency (and who isn't?), weigh the buyer's offer against
your need to move quickly. Perhaps the value of the
concession is quite small against the profit you'll see upon
a sale.
If you are asking $200,000 and receive an offer of
$196,000, that's equivalent to just 2% less, which is like
offering $.98 instead of $1. Similarly, buyers must also be
realistic about the possible costs of "over-negotiating" in
today's rapidly changing economic atmosphere.
If you balk at the seller's counter-offer now, and decide
to walk away and begin your home search over again, you
could be facing higher interest rates and/or rising home
prices. Today, time literally is money, and the longer you
postpone your purchase, the more it will likely cost you.
Before making (or accepting) an offer, discuss the offer
and counter-offer process with your representative, so that
you know what to expect and can be more prepared to see
the deal to a successful close.
Shannon Sell is the broker & owner of The Sell Group,
LLC, a full-service real estate firm located in
downtown Hoschton. He can be reached at
706-654-5691. www.thesellgroiiponline.com
H
AV
5>LLLt .iicur
California student to
research state
Dear Editor:
I am in the fifth grade at
Ripon Christian Elementary
School in Ripon, Calif. I
have adopted your state as a
class project. I will be doing
a report and making a dis
play about Georgia. Towards
the end of April or the begin
ning of May my class will be
having a “State Fair.” I will
display and show everything
that I have gotten and learned
about your great state to my
whole school.
It would be helpful to me
if you could ask your readers
to send me postcards of your
state, maps, brochures, infor
mation about wildlife, indus
try, neat places to visit, sta
tistics, sports teams and any
other information and items
your readers feel would be
helpful.
I hope your readers will
help me with my project.
I’m looking forward to hear
ing from them and promise
to send a thank you to them
in May after our State Fair.
I am excited to learn about
your state!
Thank you from
California,
Haley Byrd
Mrs. Terpstra’s Class
Ripon Christian School
217 N. Maple Avenue
Ripon, CA 95366
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Let your members know when your group is meeting!
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r|f| VETERANS OF
W FOREIGN WARS
Post 4872, Hurricane Shoals Convention Ctr.
Each 4th Tuesdasy, 7:00 p.m.
Jason Mergele, Commander
Phone 706-367-7237 263
“Courage, Courage’
Jefferson Alcoholics Anonymous
Open meeting - every Monday
at 8:00 p.m. in the back of
First Presbyterian Church
243 Washington St., Jefferson
For information call 706-387-0349.
Pd. 3
A UNITY LODGE
^ F&A.M.
No. 36, Jefferson, GA
1st Tuesday of each month, 7:30 p.m.
Dwayne Potts • 706-367-4449
Borders St. behind Tabo’s 260
JEFFERSON ROTARY CLUB
Meets Tuesdays
lefferson City Clubhouse
12:30 p.m. *(706) 335-3151
Shade Storey, President
J 547
.I
■ tin*
I BANKS COUNTY
AMERICAN LEGION
JEFFERSON LIONS CLUB
Meets 2nd & 4th Monday
Jefferson City Clubhouse
6:30 p.m. *(706) 367-9349
Jimmy Mock, President
542
Kiders Post 21 s
Meets each 2nd Thursday, 7 p.m.
In Homer, GA at the
American Legion Building on
Historic Highway 441 pj, 02
To Advertise Your
Public Meeting
Here Call
706-367-5233.
Georgia Real Estate Investors
Association, Inc. - Athens
Meets the third Thursday each month
6:30 pm at the UGA Conference Center
1197 South Lumpkin Street,
Athens, GA 30601
Tom Hewlett - Chapter President
thewlettl @charter.net p^j2
BANKS COUNTY
HISTORICAL SOCIETY, INC.
meets first Monday each month
7:00 p.m. in the Banks Co. Historial
Courthouse at 105 U.S. Hwy. 441
North in Homer pa, 07
NORTH EAST GEORGIA
AMATEUR RADIO CLUB
Meets the 1st Thursday
each month at the
Commerce City
Public Library
1344 South Broad Street
www.ne4ga.org Pd.o6
JEFFERSON
Hi AMERICAN LEGION
Albert Gordon Post 56
Each 3rd Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.
Harvie Lance, Commander
Phone (706) 654-1274 310
St. Catherine Laboure
Catholic Mission
Mass Schedule: Sat. 4:00 p.m.,
Sun. 11:00 a.m., Thurs. 12:10 p.m.
First Friday Adoration 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Website: www.stcatherinelabourega.org
706-367-7220
' Pd.01
DANIELSVILLE
fgl AMERICAN LEGION
Post 39
Meets last Thursday, 7 p.m.
JANUARY - OCTOBER
American Legion Building
Crawford W. Long Street
BANKS COUNTY
Ip AMERICAN LEGION
^ Post 215
Meets each 3rd Thursday, 7 p.m.
In Homer, GA at the
American Legion Building on
Historic Highway 441 pd.06
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71
<2
DAVID COONEY, DMD
Fomily Dentistry
has moved to his new location at
1057 Winder Hwy. • Jefferson
(Across from Community Bank)
706-387-0305
Make an
appointment
today to
come by
and see the
new office!
Terrie, Dr. Cooney, Jennifer, Ashley, Anita, Angie
C