Tuesday, October 29, 2013

A comedian without even trying

My daughter is a senior in high school and has applied to my alma mater, The University of Virginia (UVa).

I've been following a blog written by an Administrative Dean to keep up to date with the news.
 
Recently there was a letter written in response to a post by a person named Momofahoo.

I made a statement to my daughter about it being such an odd name.

She started to crack up and so did my wife when told.

"It stands for Mom-of-a-Hoo (students at UVa have been called the Wahoos since the early 1900's)," my daughter let me know.

"Oh...I see," I said while they continued to laugh.

It's good to know I keep adding to things to be joked about for the rest of my life.

I suspect my daughter has always wondered how such a goof-ball of a Dad could actually have ever become a doctor!

Sunday, October 27, 2013

See one, do one

I recently saw a 33 year-old who needed to be detox'd from street drugs.

I'd never seen him before but was able to assist him in being admitted to a facility for the same.

I had a chance to review his in-depth admission papers recently.

It reported he had started to use and abuse alcohol at age 8, hallucinogens at age 10, opiates at age 16, marijuana and other club drugs at age 17, cocaine at age 19, amphetamines at age 20, and heroin at age 30.

It's possible he was raised in a dysfunctional family and that the apple did not fall far from the tree.

I've often come across parents socially who are disappointed that their children have dabbled in alcohol and drugs at an early age.

They're often "hammered" when voicing their displeasure over the choices their kids have made.

Home sweet home

Mr. H. had a devastating stroke in April.

He's 82 years-old, unable to talk, swallow effectively or move one side of his body.

He's at home surrounded by family pictures and his pet birds.

One of his 4 children is there at all times to assist his 80 year-old wife in his care.

The children are taking turns flying in from other parts of the country and stay 2-4 weeks at a time.

There are no plans for Mr. H. to go to a nursing home.

"Where we are from (a Caribbean island)," says his daughter, "there is no such thing as a nursing home. We take care of our own."

She said this as she was helping to re-position her father in his bed after assisting her Mom in giving him a bed bath.

I'm certain there are a lot of folks in nursing homes who wish they would have been born into this family.

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Hiding in the midst of a bunch of other questions

Included in a 70 year-old male's medical records was his military discharge medical exam performed in 1965.

Prior to the physical exam were a series of about 50 questions: While active duty did you suffer from any of the following?

1. Joint pain
2. Trouble breathing
3. Neuritis
4. Homosexual tendencies
5. Visual problems
6. Hearing related concerns
7.-->50. etc.

I suspect the answer to #4, in 1965, was always "No."

The discharge form used these days, obviously, has a different question #4!