Trying to Triage

I haven't often had reason to use the word 'triage' in everyday speech or writing, but this morning I realised that it's time to triage my several worries and anxieties.

What do I worry about first?

Is it a further spread of my cancer? Or catching - and due to compromised immune system - probably dying from, coronavirus? Or dealing with painful side effects from my medications? Or anger and disappointment at the way the US presidential election 2020 is shaping up.....etc.etc.etc.

I've been kind of self-isolating against common and garden 'flu since before Christmas 2019, so I'm used to that - it has to be the best way for me to avoid picking up this nasty new bug. I'm doing the long-playing hand-wash routine now, too. Worrying will not help, being mindful of risks might. Avoidance is, at least, possible in this case.

I'm doing everything I can to avoid a further spread of my cancer (breast/bone) by regularly taking the medications prescribed. I have, by my own choice, postponed until late this month a PET scan required to monitor my internal situation in detail. I've felt the need for some breathing space, to enjoy, without anxiety, a little more "free" time, as well as allowing more time for painful joint and muscle side effects to, perhaps, decrease to enable me to do the test more successfully. I do worry, of course, but I tell myself that, at 81, I'd be facing the big shuffle off anyway, after an eventful but very good lifetime, for which I am truly thankful.

The results of the November 2020 presidential election will be unlikely to affect me personally much, if at all, but it still depresses me that the one golden chance the people of the USA had to get a president who really and truly cares for ordinary people and their needs, is likely to have been trashed this year by Democrat bosses - corporatists, and conservative in all but title.

Bernie Sanders is a hero for continuing to fight for us - it'll be a generation or more before there's another chance such as that which has been on offer this time around. The Democrats don't want Bernie, never have, never will - he represents policies which would adversely affect their wealth and privileges. They have used every trick in the book (and more) to depress results in his favour. I've been watching more political stuff on TV lately than I have for many years - it's just so obvious what's going on. Media manipulation is, indeed, "a thing"!

As for the most likely Democrat presidential candidate - I don't dislike Joe Biden, but his age is showing, far more than is the case for Bernie Sanders. Bernie has been tearing around the country campaigning like a man half his age. Biden has done little, and when he does manage to make a bit of a speech it's weak and unimpressive. I will not use the word 'dementia', as many have in regard to Biden's speech, but I do believe that it's too late for him to make a good president. His time came some 10 to 15 years ago, when he did have charisma and a certain presidential look and sound about him. See my first blog post on Joe Biden, in 2007, here - a very different take from the one I have today. Bear in mind that, in 2007 I was still fairly wet behind the ears with regard to politics in the USA!
https://twilightstarsong.blogspot.com/2007/11/joe-biden.html
Biden is obviously, now, in the pocket of the oligarchs and Dem establishment. Considering his age, and the serious universal health issues which have lately arisen, I suspect that all will not proceed exactly as planned in November. This isn't as much of a worry to me as the rest of it, but it's something of which I'd dearly love to see the outcome...if other issues allow.

NEWNESS

2020 has begun, for me, with a variety of new stuff. Even as I prepared this post there came a new word to add to my vocabulary. I had to look up this word from the quote on the right: Evanescent definition: vanishing, fading, fleeting. Also new for me this New Year: a new(ish) computer with new operating system, as mentioned in earlier posts. Another newcomer will be a new washing machine, delivered next week. We were reliably (I trust) told that the issue which caused our washer to stop in mid cycle, a few days ago, is not repairable - the major mechanical part involved in the breakdown of our 15-year old machine is no longer manufactured by Maytag. So, off we had to go to the Maytag store to order the 2020 version of our old washer.

What else is new for me, this New Year? A new piece of knitting - a shawl knitted in 'V' shape, up one side and down the other in some pretty but slightly awkward yarn called Homespun, I chose a colour called Tourmaline (a rich dark blue-green) . The photo comes from the online free pattern.






Also, on the knitting front, I forced myself to finish the disliked work of joining together multiple 8" squares I'd knitted during the weeks before Christmas, while playing with a bunch of colours, mixing and matching. It's not big enough for a blanket but will provide a warm throwover for the knees, or a colourful piece to "pop" - somewhere in the bedroom when Okie weather returns once again to sweaty heat.

Astrologically, there's something new too. Pluto and Saturn, planets which I believe have been bugging me for the past 2 years health-wise, moving to-and-fro opposite my ascendant and close to natal Mercury, are at last moving forward. They will soon be out of range (I hope!) It has been uncanny and at times unnerving to note how health-related stuff coincided with the movement of these two planets. Pluto and Saturn have, from time immemorial, been known to have a few unpleasantnesses to dole out when transiting close to personal planets in the natal chart. My own experiences include diagnosis of breast cancer leading to lumpectomy, mastectomy, excision mastectomy, radiation. For the metastatic bone cancer in femur and hip: local procedures and radiation; not to mention a variety of medications - not particularly nasty in themselves, but with nasty side-effects such as joint pain, nausea, hair thinning (not all lost - yet!) Lymphatic colitis emerged in the midst of all this, and led to colonoscopy and various remedies. It does often turn out that the unpleasantness experienced when these planets visit was a necessary development - something which needed to happen in order for the native to move on. Hmmm! It's a great pity that the effects of those two planets' transits are not more... erm.... evanescent!

Saturday & Sundry Thoughts on This & That

Not many or particularly deep thoughts. Over the past week or so I've been feeling tired, exhausted, fatigued, fed up.... It's not really connected the breast cancer issue. Both incisions are healing well, and the pesky drain was taken out at last, on Thursday. Stitches likely to be taken out on Monday. There might be a course of radiation sometime in my future, but I have not yet made my appointment with the radiation oncologist for assessment - I need a little breathing space, damn it! It's our 15th wedding anniversary on Tuesday. We missed a celebration last year, have missed celebrating my birthday and husband's birthday already this year.

My secondary issue, lymphocytic colitis, discovered after colonoscopy, has been causing more problems after it had gradually started settling down. I suspect that side effects from the 6-week course of meds I bought - at the knock down price of $1,400 - have been kicking in during past days. I have only 5 days' worth of tablets left. Side effects of this med do include unusual tiredness, and various types of discomfort stomach/bowel-wise. These should subside once I finish the course (I hope).

Other thoughts, unrelated to health issues:

If Joe Biden eventually becomes the Democrats' nominee in the 2020 presidential election - it simply has to have been "a fix".

Happy to see the name of Mike Gravel around once more, this time in context of the 2020 election.

Two of my posts on Mike Gravel from 2007 and 2008:

https://twilightstarsong.blogspot.com/2007/10/soapbox-time.html
https://twilightstarsong.blogspot.com/2008/05/changing-horses.html

We watched "I, Daniel Blake"

on Netflix this week - a 2016 British movie. It made me as angry as I've ever felt watching any movie or TV drama. Angry, not at the movie itself, but at the circumstance described in it, which are present for far too many people in the UK (and in the USA too as it happens). Gold Star to the movie's director, Ken Loach (also famous for other hard-hitting films such as "Kathy Come Home" and "Kes"). Thank the gods for the Ken Loaches of this world - unafraid to say what needs to be said in ways that strike at the heart.

 James Spader as Alan Shore, Candice Bergen as Shirley Schmidt

David E. Kelley, in the USA, is another such writer/director, though not as raw and hard-hitting as Ken Loach, he still managed to get said things that needed to be said. We've been re-watching (by DVD) the whole series of "Boston Legal" this week. Alan Shore's wondrous closing speeches are the jewel at the heart of each episode; these address issues that needed to be candidly addressed at the time the show originally aired. Those same issues mostly still need a candid airing in 2019 - because really nothing much changes, does it? "Boston Legal" managed to last for 5 seasons on ABC channel, 2004-2008. Those outspoken closing speeches did, eventually, raise the hackles of the network's owners, or their advertisers, I guess. Where is today's comparable show?

Accelerated Pace!

Further to yesterday's post...

Our trip to the Hospital in Oklahoma City went smoothly and more speedily than we expected. Left home 7 AM, arrived at the hospital around 8.35 AM. Registration was fairly quick; not long after 9 AM we were already in the Cath Lab, Himself in hospital gown and socks waiting for a catheter to be fixed up. No blood work was needed (contrary to our expectations). After a wait of about an hour the doctor who was to perform the procedure - a very pleasant guy he was too - came to have a few words with us (husband, me and K. - husband's daughter). After another short wait husband was off to have his pacemaker "seen to".

We joined our other companion, K's husband, for a wait of some 30 minutes, then returned to the Catheter Lab to await husband's return. The doctor came first, reassured us that all had gone well, according to plan, and confirmed that, after an hour or so, husband would be able to leave.

Amazingly, we were back home by 3 PM, after having a spot of lunch at a Greek restaurant on the way out of The City. Husband has to take it easy on his left arm for a day or two, and should be alright to drive after a couple of days.

So all's well. Husband has a new companion too, a magic 'box' which somehow monitors his pacemaker and sends messages, once every 24 hours, to some place beyond the back of beyond. Ideally it is to be kept close to his bed. If by any chance he's not around his bed when box attempts to contact his pacemaker, sometime in the early hours, it will "search for it" - and for him. Yeah - I know!

Pace Changing... Again

What's happening, for us, today is a sequel to what was described in this post from October 2010, some 8 years ago:

Change of Pace for Mañana


Around 10 days ago husband's pacemaker went into "safe mode" - he noticed, when monitoring his blood pressure, that his heart rate was always spot on 65 - this went on for several consecutive days. We looked for information online and discovered the likely reason: new pacemaker battery/generator needed!

First stop was at our family doctor's office, husband was given an appointment within a couple of hours, then and referred straight away to the nearby local hospital where, fortunately, a cardiologist was present, on one of his duty days there. The cardiologist confirmed that our findings were correct. Next step was to get the pacemaker "interrogated" by a representative technician from the pacemaker's manufacturer. This was done the next day, a quick job, just to confirm there was no malfunctioning going on.

An appointment to have a new generator inserted was made. This has to be done at a hospital in Oklahoma City - as was the case in 2010. So, that's where we'll be today. Husband's daughter and son-in-law will drive us to The City. We understand the procedure will be fairly routine, with local aesthetic this time, small incision - out with the old bits, in with the new. Including registration, waiting time, and a bit of bed rest and monitoring for the husband afterwards, it'll be an all day job - 9 to 5 at least.

Husband's pacemaker has given sterling service for the past 8 years; we shall be wildly optimistic and with glass half full say, "Here's to the next 8!" (Husband was 81 in March by the way.)

"Food, Glorious (or not) Food....."

Since diagnosis of early stage breast cancer back in early March, and subsequent surgery, I've been paying more attention to my diet, with special attention to any foods which can encourage the production of estrogen in the body - which I would do well to avoid. The first article I read warned strongly against soy - any kind of soy, in any quantity. Soy was the definite top of the list 'no-no'...said the author. I knew nothing at all about soy, except that I do not like the flavour of soy sauce. I began busily reading every ingredients list in the supermarket, and being dismayed at the amount of soy to be found hiding just about everywhere. Later, upon searching further, I found a different story: soy isn't dangerous for breast cancer survivors who had estrogen positive markers in their pathology. What to believe?

The 'no danger' pieces were by medical people who had carried out statistical studies - I'd have thought these to be most reliable. Anyway, from now on I shall avoid soy when I can, but remain unperturbed if there's a smidgen of it in something I enjoy. Might as well play it down the middle, rather than become unduly obsessive. Same applies to dairy products - use 1% or 2% milk (I do anyway), low fat or no fat yogurt, and preferably cheeses from Europe where stricter regulations are in force. English, Irish, Italian, Canadian or Australian cheeses are my choice in any case - I have disliked all American cheeses from my first weeks here.

I've taken to eating some blueberries daily now - a fruit I'd ignored until reading how many good things are encased in that wee dark berry (low in calories, loaded with antioxidants, fiber, vitamin K, manganese and vitamin C, along with many other important micronutrients); and more carrots, and carrot juice. Wholemeal bread, too- not just bread that is called "wheat", as against "white". I'm trying for more cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage, garden cress, (I so wish I could find some water cress - used to love it in England), broccoli, Brussels sprouts and similar green leaf vegetables. I'm not impressed by the standard of freshness of some of these in our local supermarkets though. The Brussels sprouts we ate last evening tasted nothing like the sprouts I used to eat back in England.

I eat little meat, will probably eat even less now. A little rotisserie chicken from time to time and the occasional pot roast perhaps.

On the topic of food, in general, a question on Quora sparked my interest the other day.
What are some mind-blowing facts about food?


Lots of answers appear there, some of them cause one to say "Ew, ew, ew - never eating THAT again!", others are simply interesting. Below is a neatly enumerated answer from Yuvraj Singh, who quotes his source as Google: a list of 60 facts. Any notes/additions in italics come from your friendly neighbourhood Blogger.)

1. The oldest evidence for soup is from 6,000 B.C. and calls for hippopotamus and sparrow meat.

2. Pringles once had a lawsuit trying to prove that they weren't really potato chips.

3. Pound cake got its name from its original recipe, which called for a pound each of butter, eggs, sugar, and flour.

4. Ripe cranberries will bounce like rubber balls.

5. An average ear of corn has an even number of rows, usually 16.

6. Consuming dairy may cause acne.

7. Most wasabi consumed is not real wasabi, but colored horseradish.

8. Central Appalachia's tooth decay problem is referred to as Mountain Dew mouth, due to the beverage's popularity in the region.

9. Apples belong to the rose family, as do pears and plums.

10. Oklahoma's state vegetable is the watermelon. (Note from me: It's delish too!)

11. One of the most popular pizza toppings in Brazil is green peas.

12. About 70% of olive oil being sold is not actually pure olive oil.

13. Real aged balsamic vinegar actually costs anywhere from $75 to $400 or more.

14. Store bought 100% "real" orange juice is 100% artificially flavoured. (Note: Surely not my favourite and only choice - Florida's Natural brand? Cartons say 100% pure Florida orange juice, not from concentrate.)

15. The most expensive pizza in the world costs $12,000 and takes 72 hours to make.

16. The winner of the 2013 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating contest consumed 69 hot dogs in 10 minutes.

17. The Dunkin' donuts in South Korea offer doughnut flavors such as Kimchi Croquette and Glazed Garlic.

18. Chocolate was once used as currency

19. There is an amusement park in Tokyo that offers RAW horse flesh flavored ice cream. (EW!!!)

20. The tea bag was created by accident, as tea bags were originally sent as samples. (Pretty bad accident too!)

21. A Cinnabon classic has less sugar than a 20-oz. Bottle of Pepsi.

22. Castoreum, which is used as vanilla flavoring in candies, baked goods, etc., is actually a secretion from the anal glands of beavers. (EW!!)

23. Humans are born craving sugar.

24. Radishes are members of the same family as cabbages.

25. The red food-coloring carmine — used in skittles and other candies — is made from boiled cochineal bugs, a type of beetle.

26. Casu Marzu is a cheese found in Sardinia that is purposely infested with maggots.

27. The softening agent L-cysteine — used in some bread — is made from human hair and duck feathers.

28. The potentially fatal brain mushroom is considered a delicacy in Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, and the upper Great Lakes region of North America.

29. If improperly prepared, fugu, or puffer fish, can kill you since it contains a toxin 1200 times deadlier than cyanide.

30. It is almost impossible to find out what all the ingredients are that Papa John's uses in its pizzas.

31. Coconut water can be used as blood plasma.

32. Milt, which is a delicacy around the world, is fish sperm.

33. McDonald's sells 75 hamburgers every second of every day.

34. Ranch dressing contains titanium dioxide, which is used to make it appear whiter. The same ingredient is used in sunscreen and paint for the same effect. (That accounts for the universally nasty taste of Ranch dressing! Only Heinz Salad Cream for me, even when I have to ship it in from the net.)

35. Three plates of food at a Chinese buffet will net you about 3,000 calories.

36. To make jelly beans shiny, shellac is used, which is made from Kerria lacca insect excretions. (EW!!)

37. One fast food hamburger may contain meat from 100 different cows.

38. Ketchup was used as a medicine in the 1800s to treat diarrhea, among other things.

39. Fruit-flavored snacks are made with the same wax used on cars.

40. Peanuts aren't nuts, they're legumes.

41. No matter what color Fruit Loop you eat, they all taste the same

42. The most expensive fruit in the world is the Japanese Yubari cantaloupe, and two melons once sold at auction for $23,500.

43. Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth.

44. When taken in large doses nutmeg works as a hallucinogen.

45. Eating bananas can help fight depression.

46. Canola oil was originally called rapeseed oil, but rechristened by the Canadian oil industry in 1978 to avoid negative connotations. "Canola" is short for "Canadian oil."

47. Honey is made from nectar and bee vomit.

48. Yams and sweet potatoes are not the same thing.

49. Chuck E. Cheese pizza restaurants were created by the inventor of the Atari video game system, Nolan Bushnell.

50. The twists in pretzels are meant to look like arms crossed in prayer.

51. "SPAM" is short for spiced ham .

52. To add nutrition, a lot of milk, juice and yogurts enrich the food with EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids. In other words, your OJ contains fish oil.

53. There's an enzyme in pineapple called bromelain that helps to break down proteins and can also ruin your tastebuds.

54. Apples float in water, because 25% of their volume is made of air.

55. The popsicle was invented by an 11 year old in 1905.

56. Crackers, like Saltines, have small holes in them to prevent air bubbles from ruining the baking process.

57. The reason why peppers taste hot is because of a chemical compound called capsaicin, which bonds to your sensory nerves and tricks them into thinking your mouth is actually being burned.

58. One of the most hydrating foods to eat is the cucumber, which is 96% water.

59. There are 7,500 varieties of apples grown throughout the world, and if you tried a new variety each day, it would take you 20 years to try them all.

60. The most popular carrots used to be purple.

Clinging to the Wreckage

Talk about clinging to the wreckage! That wee "Love is" cartoon was drawn in response to a hurricane (Katrina, I think). In the context of this post, it's metaphorical, about a different kind of wreckage - aged bodies - bringing on their own varied array of side-effects.

A very unpleasant, increasingly awful 10 days have been had, in this household, following the first dose of a different anti-biotic the nurse practitioner at surgeon's office prescribed (bactrim generic). After a very shitty (sorry) experience with 1 tablet of augmentin , I started the next horror ride. Anti-bi's purpose is to kill infection that has developed in small part of one of the incisions made during lumpectomy. As I'm aged, healing is nowhere near as efficient as it once was. In consequence, that part of the incision has to be 'packed' each day (husband does it after instruction and equipment from nurse.) That, in isolation, without anti-biotic side effects, would not be too much of a problem at all.

Bactrim rapidly took my appetite, gave me constant nausea. At first, I managed on light diet, maybe for a day and half - then, with constant nausea, diet rapidly zoomed down to almost nothing but lots of water, and a half pot yogurt, half cup chicken broth. After a few days of not eating, the blood pressure pills I take regularly began to prove too strong, BP too low, so I stopped taking them bit by bit, monitoring all the time. I also stopped taking the Letrozole tablets from oncologist, until end of bactrim course, as these are also known for some unpleasant side effects.

Feeling weak, but needing to finish this course, ending Sunday evening, I plodded on, feeling pretty bad. The penultimate night was scary. Heart rate suddenly increased way too high - unusual for me! Couldn't sleep, even for 30 mins - strange visions. With help of Google in the early hours of Sunday, I found that one of my regular BP meds is a beta-blocker, and that beta-blockers do bring down heart rate. I took one then half of another, 30 mins later. Monitored on home machine. By later in the morning some normality had returned, though BP in general still too low for me. Dizzy, wobbly, mind fuzzy, and feeling really, really bad. I still had to take 2 more bactrim. It had to be done. I was more wobbly on my feet than I've ever been in my life, and kept forgetting and losing stuff. That'll all improve, I feel sure that, as I take in more food, and get back taking full BP meds. If not will see GP.

Alongside this tale of woe, the concurrent return of a couple of other regular bugbears of mine. I know how to deal with these, from experience... and, I do know me!

(A) pollen allergies are hitting me far more strongly than usual - possibly because I am run down + possibly there's lots of pollen around in OK - rated Very High most days (lots of wild flowers). Constant running nose ensues (leading to sores on nose , sneezing fits, painful hot itchy eyes, and bunged up ears which make everything sound as though an equalizer needs adjusting. My own voice sounds weird too. Zyrtec taken daily but not a lot of help this time.

(B) Sore top of left foot causing bother due to old injury site having rubbed against shoe during the couple weeks before my procedure when we took to walking the mall or the streets around home, for exercise for both of us. I've dealt with my left foot in much worse state than this on several occasions, in the UK and here. If not for the rest of this tale it'd not worry me too much right now, just another thing to protect and monitor daily.

So, on we go!

Unexpectedly

Unexpected news on Sunday, (updated below) of Hillary Clinton's health-related problem made possible for the world to see via a video, taken by a casual bystander, subsequently spread around the net like dandelion wisps on the wind, could be the first of several unexpected happenings during the remainder of this long and taxing election season.

On watching the video, I immediately recalled my post of around a month ago when I wrote here:
Expectedly...or not

If something unexpected should cause change, on the Democratic candidate's side - for instance: Hillary Clinton's health issues? If such issues do exist, and were to become more obvious, calls could arise for more detailed medical examination with publication of results. New revelations regarding her e-mail debacle or the Clinton Foundation shenanigans, more damaging to Hillary Clinton than any before (via Wikileaks)? If circumstances in either scenario were serious enough, her chosen VP, Tim Kaine would come into more intense focus, perhaps acting as candidate. Or, the DNC might decide to choose, as replacement, someone for whom public votes have been cast, or someone of proven ability at national level: Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden? I doubt the DNC would ever countenance Senator Bernie Sanders as candidate, no matter how many states he carried in the primaries, Wall Street and the oligarchs who rule the DNC wouldn't allow it. Joe Biden though could, I suspect, improve slightly the Dems' chances in the General. Fewer voters, especially former Bernie Sanders supporters, hate him with the same intensity they hate, or distrust, Hillary Clinton. Tim Kaine, though...not so sure, nobody really knows him. A more likely scenario, should some unexpected event(s) befall Clinton, would be to somehow, if at all possible with the current president's influence, push her through the difficulties and into the presidency, then worry about other issues arising.

Given that Secretary Clinton appeared to recover well after spending some time at her daughter's apartment on Sunday, proving perhaps that what happened was, as reported, due simply to heat exhaustion, was easily remedied by rest in a cool environment. Alternatively, and more seriously, the event could have been a symptom of some known chronic, and possibly progressive, ailment of which her family, aides and the Secret Service are all well aware, and equipped to deal with. If the second of those speculations were to be correct, I'd guess that the (highlighted) outcome mentioned in the last sentence of the clip from my August post would apply.

No sooner had I finished drafting this post than I saw an afternoon report in the New York Times updating the situation - clip:

“Secretary Clinton has been experiencing a cough related to allergies. On Friday, during follow up evaluation of her prolonged cough, she was diagnosed with pneumonia,” said Dr. Lisa R. Bardack, who examined Mrs. Clinton at her house in Chappaqua on Sunday. “She was put on antibiotics, and advised to rest and modify her schedule. While at this morning’s event, she became overheated and dehydrated. I have just examined her and she is now re-hydrated and recovering nicely.”

Whether her problem is exactly as described, or there is more to it than the people are being told, I do wish Secretary Clinton a quick return to better health. I'm no fan of hers politically, will not vote for her in November, but simply as one "old gal" observing another "old gal" - I hope she will get better soon, health-wise at least!

It's Music Monday - staying in tune with the unexpected:
Sheryl Crow and Every Day is a Winding Road:

Whoop-de-don't!

I'm not sure whether the husband and I have a version of the 'flu , a particularly virulent common cold or, in my case especially, pertussis aka whooping cough. Maybe we're passing viruses back and forth, mixing and matching 'em, mutating as they go, producing an uncomfortable combination of all three possibilities.

I didn't have whooping cough as a child, husband did, as well as receiving the whooping cough vaccine - which I didn't. Whatever this is, it's not much fun, especially during the night! I've developed bouts of paroxysmal coughing, leading to retching, gasping, etc. and more or less complete loss of voice after the first half hour of a morning. We've resisted going to the doctor's office, so far, because we'd only infect others, and/or pick up additional infections there ourselves.

Anyway, in the course of looking around online for possible helpful home remedies I kept noticing the names of two women: Pearl Kendrick (left of the two photos) and Grace Eldering. They researched and pioneered the whooping cough vaccine which has, over the decades saved many thousands of young lives. Whooping cough tended to mainly infect, severely affect, and sometimes kill, very young children, who were unable survive its constant bouts of brutal coughing. So, to keep my mind off the next world-class coughing bout I did a wee bit of research on the lives of these two sterling ladies.

Pearl Kendrick was born on 24 August 1890 in Wheaton Illinois, daughter of a Methodist pastor. After university she began teaching, but during World War 1 when women had the opportunity to take positions which would, in normal times, have been filled by men, she took a job in research into microbiology and bacteriology. She would eventually become the initiator of further research resulting in a valuable, life-saving vaccine. Her research partner was Grace Eldering, 10 years her junior, daughter of a Scottish immigrant mother, father's family roots in the Netherlands. Grace grew up in Montana, had to leave university due to financial problems and took up teaching. In 1932 Grace joined Pearl at a laboratory in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she was heading a research team.

Both women had suffered from whooping cough when young, knew its dangers first-hand. At its height, whooping cough claimed over 6,000 lives each year in the United States, and was responsible for the deaths of more infants than polio, measles, tuberculosis, and all other childhood diseases combined. The ladies and their team developed standardised diagnostic tools; modified and improved existing vaccines; conducted the first successful, large-scale, controlled clinical trial of the pertussis vaccine; and participated in international efforts to standardize and disseminate it.

For more detail there's an interesting read at pdf containing excerpts from Bold Women of Michigan by Virginia Law Burns.


I can't find birth data for Grace Eldering, but can construct a natal chart for
Pearl Kendrick from information at Wikipedia - set for 12 noon as time of birth isn't known.

Sun (self) conjunct Saturn (science) in Virgo, and Mercury (mental orientation)also in Virgo (service & meticulousness)- an excellent start!

Jupiter (expansion) in inventive avant garde Aquarius lay in harmonious trine to Neptune/Pluto in Gemini. I'm no longer surprised how often this period of Pluto and or Neptune in Gemini brings forth such brilliant characters, in all fields - when the outer planets are closely linked to personal planets. Here the two trined Air signs reflect gravitation to mentally-based work and research.

Moon in the travel sign, Sagittarius (whatever her time of birth) along with Mars reflects dedication to the expansion and availability, in needy counties outside of the USA, of the valuable fruits of her team's labours.

One more factor: a loose Yod (Finger of Fate) linking Mercury to Chiron (the Wounded Healer) by sextile; then two 150* quincunx aspects link both Mercury and Chiron to Jupiter in Aquarius at the apex. This is a nice "nutshell" of Ms Kendrick's work: inetellectual efforts blended with the urge to heal expanded (Jupiter) and distribute (the apex) for the good of others (Aquarius).

Trouble....trouble, trouble, trouble...since the day we set out...

Second trip this year we've had to cut short, turn around and return home due to health-related problems. On our last attempted trip, at end of April we returned because I'd hurt my ankle, as well as experiencing a severe bout of rhinitis/hayfever. A proposed trip to the Grand Tetons in Wyoming had to be cancelled due to the horrendously hot summer here in Oklahoma, and fear of wildfires close to our house. We decided to wait for substantial rainfall before we dared leave to maybe look around a part of Colorado we've so far missed. The rains came, we left. But within 24 hours husband's blood pressure became a problem.

Astrological news ~ If there is an astrological connection for these "disappointments" I'd pin it on transiting Uranus in early Aries. Uranus is the planet of unexpected change. Husband's natal Sun is at 1.48 Aries - transiting Uranus is now in retrograde motion and at at 2 Aries, conjoining his Sun. Back in late April/early May it was in exactly the same place! That is weird! I have natal Saturn at 12 Aries.

The good news: We set off earlyish on Wednesday, made good time on our 11 hour drive, decided to make an overnight stop around half-way, in Dalhart Texas.

The bad news: all the decent mid-price motels (Best Western etc) had strangely been built right next to the town's busy freight rail line. Why on earth would experienced hotel chains do such a thing? We drove around until we found a motel far away from the train noise (which was fierce!) Motel was a cheapo type, no internet, drab, crappy TV, but okay for one night's stay.

The indifferent news: not a good eatin' town. We ate at Pizza Hut after exploring and retired to the motel to watch the very first US X-Factor show. That ought properly to be bad news! Ye gods! It was tacky to the nth degree.

The bad news: My husband had recently been prescribed an increased dose of blood pressure medication, following some extreme fluctuations. We'd taken a BP monitor with us, first time ever - both having experienced BP problems over the summer. Husband checked his BP around 9pm it was VERY high - even for him. Waited and re-checked - getting higher - both systolic and diastolic. Relaxed and tried again - still rising. We began to feel alarmed.

Checked phone book for nearest hospital emergency room. None listed in Dalhart. Odd, we thought. There's one in Dumas, a half hour's drive away. Unfortunately, in that cheapo motel, we didn't have access to the internet to check via our laptop. BP still rising - now well above 200 systolic. Decided we'd need to drive to Dumas, but would first check at the Dalhart police station or fire station to establish that there really was no hospital in town.

Nobody home at police station, it was all closed down. Same at fire station. I suggested asking at a convenience store. We did so, and were told "Oh yes - we have a hospital, straight down that road". We found it, and after trying various locked doors discovered an emergency entrance.

The good news: Night staff were very kind and helpful. They had the husband flat on his back, hooked up to heart monitor equipment for more than 3 hours, gave him some strong medication after questioning him about meds, history, his pacemaker, etc.

BP went down some, though not as quickly, nor as far as they would have liked or expected. At times the monitor by the bed was reading 212 over 105! They advised us to not continue on our trip to Colorado, but to return home next day, see our own doctor about the meds he recommended about a week earlier. They also gave advice about how best, and when, to take the medication, the dosage of which they found puzzling.

We returned to the motel around 3.30am. Didn't get more than a couple of hours sleep. Set off Thursday morning for the 6 hour drive home. Husband's BP had "bottomed out" first thing, probably due to the strong stuff taken at the hospital. It had climbed after breakfast, but to a reasonable high, rather than an alarmingly high, level. Biggest problem driving home was ensuring that he didn't fall asleep at the wheel on the rather boring, sleep-inducing drive through rural Texas and western Oklahoma. I had him reciting limericks, and trying to compose new ones, to keep him alert! We've a doozy about Rick Perry but it's not for a family audience.

The bad news: Arrived home around 4pm Thursday, picked up med bottle to take to our pharmacy, to ensure he'd been given the right stuff in the right dosage, as prescribed. Then to doctor's office. Office closed. Notice on door declaring that the doctor will be away until Monday, "in emergency go to hospital". Nice eh? Brits can say what they like about the failings of the NHS, but I've never known a doctor to be absent without a locum (substitute doctor) being available in his/her place.

The good news: Husband taking the dosage recommended at Dalhart hospital, at the times advised, and BP seems to be settling down. It'll be monitored closely until Monday.

The hopeful expectation: That BP will settle at an acceptable level, doctor will check him over, endorse the recommendation of Dalhart hospital, maybe recommend strict monitoring for a week or so more, before we can decide to take off once again.

If all is well, we'll set off - but in a different, hopefully luckier, direction - once we're confident that all is well BP-wise.

Astrologically ~ We shall simply have to hope that Uranus has now had his fun with us, and will leave us alone. Much as I love astrology, I refuse to be restricted by it!

Health, the Zodiac Signs & Scorpio

While I don't fully disagree that the way the planets were configured at the time of a person's birth can have a bearing on the general health of that person, I'm wary of placing too much reliance on that traditional theory. There are so many other life factors to take into consideration: heredity, environment, family circumstance and ethnicity for starters. Still, if astrology provides even a single strand of input, it's worth bearing in mind.

Last week, in a junk shop, I picked up the only astrology book I found on our Texas trip. It's a 1961 paperback by Janet Harris: Astrology for Everyday Living. Fairly run-of-the-mill stuff, I'd say - written by Sun sign with chapters on various life topics: personality, health, partner, children, career, home, leisure.....you know the drill! One chapter title irked me a bit, but the book was written in 1961: How to help your husband succeed. Just another of little wifey's duties? Sadly, and predictably even for a non-astrologer, there was no matching chapter on "how to help your wife to succeed".

Getting back to the health issue then, and, as the Sun is still in Scorpio, let's see what Ms Harris had to say about health issues for Sun Scorpio people - also applicable to other "Scorpio-types" I guess. Perhaps I'll fish out more in this vein for other signs as they come around.

In regard to your health, as well as to every other aspect of your life, you believe that you are "master of my fate". (Note from your blogger: that sounds oddly put, to me. Editor asleep on the job? - I doubt any reader ever believed they were master of Ms Harris's fate, it'd be made clearer by omitting the quote marks and making it "your" fate.) Anyway..... Your long suit is willpower. You feel that you can control the state of your health, simply by willing it. You have no patience with any sort of ailment or infirmity. Like Theodore Roosevelt, a Scorpion, who turned the delicate health of his youth into a vigorous maturity, you believe in all forms of strenuous exercise. You have great powers of endurance, and can triumph over a physical condition that would lay low anyone else.

If you are typical of your sign, you are thick-set, strongly knit, and sturdy. The sign indicates large bones, a powerful jaw, and a determined mouth. The eyes tend to be piercing and cold, the eyebrows bushy. The women of this sign have a voluptuous beauty, and the men are very masculine in appearance.

It is fortunate that nature has endowed Scorpio natives with strong bodies, for these people frequently indulge in excesses that would ruin a less sturdy constitution. They tend toward overeating and drinking. Sex is ruled by Scorpio, and in this area, too, moderation and discretion must be used.

If you are a typical eighth-sign native, you tend to disregard the first warnings of illness. You do not trust doctors, and you detest bed-rest. It is a real effort for you to take any sort of curative measures, and as for periodic check-ups - the idea rarely occurs to you! If you are really sick, though, you are a good patient, for you have outstanding courage. When it comes to pain, you simply "grin and bear it".

By and large, you are strong enough to resist many of the ailments that plague your weaker brothers and sisters. If you are careful about watching for danger signals and obeying sensible rules of hygiene, you are among the longest-lived people in the Zodiac.

Hmmmm. Strange she didn't mention that in traditional astrology Scorpio rules the sex organs, though she did mention sex, in passing, and there's a veiled comment about being careful about hygiene. The author was probably wary of being overly explicit and continuing the thought that Scorpio-types can be extra likely to suffer from problems connected with the genitals - STD's and suchlike.

I'm not sure how much we can rely on those ancient zodiac sign/body part lists.



(Right: The signs of the Zodiac and the parts of the body they govern, from: Gregor Reisch. Margarita philosophica. Freiburg: Johann. Schott, 1503. Below, a 20th century version.)

I have Sun in Aquarius, ankles are supposed to be a weak spot for Aquarius people - and oddly enough I do have a problem there. It arises from an inherited tendency to poor circulation in lower legs. I happily avoided the varicose veins which seriously plagued my mother and her father, but have inherited a dicky valve in the left ankle. It was the indirect cause of a 2-year long ulcer on top of my left foot some 15 years ago. The original minor injury, a burn from a metal decoration on my sandals heated by the sun, wouldn't heal. The wound gradually enlarged and deepened into a nasty painful ulcer, which took 2 years and a lot of effort to heal. My father had Sun in Aquarius too, and he had varicose eczema on his lower legs for most of his life. So I will not rule out the possibility of zodiac sign/body part correlation. How or why this could possibly be so, even in SOME cases - I have no idea!

Change of Pace for Mañana

During the past week my husband had a pacemaker fitted to regulate his heart rate. He hadn't experienced any of the problems normally associated with a low heart rate which, to some extent, has been his personal "style" for most of his life. However, his family doctor at annual check-up, and a second opinion from a heart specialist, dictated the current need of a pacemaker.

Astrologically there's an interesting correlation between Uranus/Jupiter's current transit over husband's natal cluster (Sun, Mercury, Saturn) in first degree Aries and last degrees Pisces. Astrologers would translate such a transit over personal planets as an indication of a change of some kind. And so it was!

The fitting of a pacemaker is a fairly common and routine procedure. Actual surgery lasted almost exactly an hour, with additional time for preparation and recovery, then 24 hours of monitoring hooked up to all manner of electronic devices. Classic Uranian stuff!

Husband's eldest daughter drove us the 90-ish miles to the specialist hospital on Monday evening, to be ready for a 7:00 AM start to the proceedings on Tuesday. We both stayed 2 nights at a nearby hotel; husband's eldest son drove over to be with us for most of the day of the operation. The waiting time, which could have seemed tedious for both patient and a single visitor alike, passed pleasantly in mutually supportive company. All four of us had probably been harbouring secret worries and doubts. Knowing first-hand from the surgeon that the procedure had gone well, with no serious hitches quickly relieved any lingering fears.

His carefully chosen tee-shirt for the trip bore the words Carpe Mañana (Seize Tomorrow). He has done just that - and many, many tomorrows, I trust.

Back home by late afternoon Wednesday, equipped with pacemaker manual, lists of instructions, and prescription for some whack-a-doodle painkillers (he refuses to take them), Himself declared, "I really didn't want to do this!"

"Why?" asked yours truly, dutifully. Her own hatred of medical matters, doctors and hospitals is legendary, her answer ought to have been a different single syllable: "DUH!!!"

"It makes me feel old", he replied.

"You'll never appear, or feel truly old though, with a whacky nature like yours. This pacemaker will just embellish your humour with better timing."

"You reckon? ......That's alright then."

Are we starting to feel Saturn in Virgo?

When Saturn moved from Leo to Virgo last September many words were written by astrologers explaining the significance of Saturn's new position. I like this concise summary by Molly Hall. She said:

"Work, routine, habits, health -- all these are the province of busybody Virgo. The pressure of having the Taskmaster here may make us more neurotic, hypochondriacal, fearful, etc. Thinking optimistically, Saturn in Virgo inspires healthy living, right livelihood and moderation."

Saturn is well settled into its new home now. Are we seeing any evidence of what astrologers expected? I think so.

Last week Elsa posted an article about the mayor of Oklahoma City calling for citizens to adjust to a healthier lifestyle and lose weight. Bill Maher, appearing on The Late Show with David Letterman last Thursday night, revealed that he had spent a lot of time during his recent spell off-screen reading and learning about healthy food regimes. Then there was the article published on several internet venues, "Why Not Give a Vegetarian Diet a Try for the New Year?"by Bruce Friedrich.

Has it affected me personally? Well, I bought a treadmill, started well using it every day, but have slipped back into laziness since just before Christmas when a nasty, long-lasting virus hit us both. I'll get back to it soon.

I'm not vegetarian in the true sense of the word, but I don't like meat. I'll eat it in meat sauce with pasta, and very occasionally to avoid discourtesy to a host or hostess. I couldn't live without cheese, eggs and dairy food though, so that excludes me from ever becoming vegan. Fortunately for me, HWK and I feel much the same about meat. He also needs to follow a strict low glycaemic diet, for health reasons. Our diet is reasonably healthy, I think we are already being Saturn-in-Virgo-d enough, either from taste or necessity. So, Mr. Saturn, you can move along, thank you very much!

As I typed, I kept thinking of this "vegetarian" painting, it's called "Vertumnus" (the ancient Roman god of vegetation and transformation). The portrait, made up entirely of plants and vegetables, was painted by Giuseppe Arcimboldo in 1590/1. The link is to my post about Arcimboldo, from early blogging days. The artist aimed to depict, in guise of Vertumnus, Emperor Rudolph II, who ruled, from Prague, over what is now the Czech Republic.

Aquarian (and other) confusions

Is something going on in the sky just now which might affect Sun Aquarians' health? I read that Dharmarucci, at Astrotabletalk, whose birthday is in the first half of February, has been fighting bugs lately, my husband's second daughter (26 January) started a severe course of treatment for a potenetially serious illness yesterday, and I (27 January) have little sinus wreckers with pointed sticks marching around the right side of my head, poking my ear, eye and gums and giving me a very nasty one-sided headache, and stuffed-up right nostril, combining to keep me awake for two nights. What planetary aspects might be generally involved here? Saturn, traditional ruler of Aquarius opposing Neptune? We'll each have very different charts, but maybe that's the common factor.

I currently have transiting Jupiter conjunct natal Venus - shouldn't I be in the midst of an extreme love affair? I mentioned this to HeWhoKnows. He says he'll see about it when he's finished his blogging.

Yesterday, as a distraction from my woes we channel surfed through the evening's TV. After a while I began to wonder what an alien landing here, or a time traveller from the future might make of these programmes. There was Larry King interviewing a trio of health gurus including Deepak Chopra. In an hour long show,they discussed how to make sure one can live longer. Flicking over to the History Channel, re-named by me The Karma-kazi Channel (spelling intended), we were treated to a programme about the Mayan prophecy of doom, this interlaced with a commercial advertising an upcoming programme telling of a potential asteroid hit to the Earth. Later, David Letterman interviewed Barrack Obama, they talked of a future under a Democratic administration.

Confused? Yes, siree-bob!

I guess you pay your money and take your choice of future scenarios. A world where we all live to 110 years of age, perky and bright, under an administration who loves its fellow-humans. Or one in which we shall all soon be specks of dust in the sands of time, as described wonderfully by Tom Lehrer,

"And we will all go together when we go.
Every Hottentot and every Eskimo.
When the air becomes Uranious,
We will all go simultaneous.
Yes, we all will go together
When we all go together,
Yes we all will go together when we go."

In the meantime, I hope that Sun Aquarians everywhere, if under the weather now, soon feel much better.