DOC PRESCRIBES ACCELERATED PHYSICAL THERAPY FOR MY WEAK LEGS & MORE
I had a recent appointment with our family doctor to discuss my weak legs. Son Barry believed that my weak legs were caused by a lack of exercise and the doctor agreed with him and prescribed an accelerated or "crash course" of Physical Therapy with six sessions in two weeks.

The doctor also put into action an osteoporosis program. I will have dates of all that is prescribed in a few day which will include a repeat for me of the DEXA, a scan that shows the current condition of my osteoporosis. I will also have an IV treatment to protect my bones.

I had Physical Therapy five years ago after falling and breaking my right shoulder. And,I continued the balance exercises until the first of this year when I was plagued with several illnesses and didn't feel like exercising.

I will have a busy few weeks coming up but will try to keep you informed about activity.

See you next time.

Olivene Godfrey

A SPRING-LIKE SUNDAY OUTING BREAKS UP WINTER DOLDRUMS

By OLIVENE GODFREY

Even the weather, which was unseasonably warm and sunny, cooperated with the plans son Barry and I had made for a Sunday outing. Barry drove us to Dalton and it was the first time I had been outside the house except for doctor appointments in about two months. We arrived at Western Sizzlin shortly after they opened and the bountiful buffet was fresh and delicious. I didn't eat nearly as much of the delectable food as most of the diners. But, I did eat more than I normally do at home. As I write this,Tuesday afternoon, I am only beginning to recover from pigging out on Sunday.

After we ate lunch, we went to a nearby K Mart to shop for towels which were on sale. Barry had brought my wheelchair or I wouldn't have been able to walk as much as we did. We bought several large, luxurious towels similar to some we had bought a couple of years a go at Sears. We also bought a few hand towels and some other items.

Then, we went home and I was so tired, I spent most of the afternoon resting in my recliner. Barry had eaten a lot more than I did but he stayed busy all afternoon with chores inside and outside of the house. And, he was hungry again at supper time. I didn't feel like I would ever eat again. About eight that night, I did eat a small bowl of chicken soup. Soon, I went to bed and fell into a deep slumber. The following day, Monday, I had a dental appointment. I still didn't feel well and I have been having balance problems. I have an appointment later this week to see my doctor about physical therapy like I had five years ago when I broke my shoulder and arm. I did my balance exorcizes faithfully until I started feeling ill a couple of months ago. On Monday, Barry came home from work to drive me to the dentist's clinic in Chatsworth. He helped me walk inside and signed in for me. Then, he went back to work which is nearby the dental office. I was sitting on a comfortable loveseat but after Barry left I started worrying that I would have trouble standing up as the seat was so soft.

The hygienist called my name. I tried to stand up but I couldn't and I began to feel panic stricken. Then from somewhere a nice man was reaching for my arm and helping me stand up. He offered to walk me to the hygienist but she was there then and helped me. I thanked the man for his help and I felt good that there are still kind people in this world. I hadn't been to the dentist in a year as I was having so many health problems. I brush and floss my teeth often which is probably why I only had two small cavities. The dentist can, somehow, fill them without removing the crowns on them. They all know at the clinic that I don't want to have extensive dental work and expenses at my age. But, I decided to have the fillings as I don't want to get a toothache which usually happens to me on weekends. I have an appointment in March to have the filings done.

See you next time.

A WINTER WONDERLAND HERE IN THE AMERICAN DEEP SOUTH

By OLIVENE GODFREY

Here in the Deep South, we aren't accustomed to bad winters like the one we're having now. The snow started falling last Friday afternoon and then more snow on Saturday morning. When I got out of bed Saturday morning the temp was 20 degrees. Barry had to work and was unable to buy groceries but he came home early that afternoon. On Saturday. we had about an inch and a half of snow that covered everything and looked like a Winter Wonderland. The views from our windows were like picture post cards and Barry made some pictures of the pretty farm that adjoins our property, with its picturesque barn and large pond with the mountains just beyond. Brilliant sunshine came out blinding us against the white snow.

Barry bought groceries and it's a good thing we stocked up as more snow is forecast for late tonight, Sunday, and tomorrow.
We're having snow showers off and on as I write this on Sunday afternoon.

My earliest memory of snow and cold weather was the Christmas when I was six or seven and Santa Claus had brought me a new "girl's bike". I had asked for it although I had never been on one before. We were living in a Chattanooga community with chert roads. That year, the weather was very cold with snow still on the ground. But, my Daddy and I bundled up and took the new bike out to the road where he held onto the back of the bike while I pedaled. And then I looked back and Daddy wasn't holding onto the bike and I was having a solo ride which thrilled and scared me.

Another cold winter I remember was when I was barely 19, and was working in a Chattanooga downtown office. I lived in a girl's residence near the office and I walked to work every day and didn't mind it as I had walked everywhere I went during World War II. In those days, girls and women didn't wear slacks to work. So, clad in nylons and high heels, my legs and feet were so cold they ached when I reached the office. I was the "baby" in the office, so the older workers had me sit beside the steam heat radiator while I warmed my legs and feet.

Years later, when my late husband Ralph and I had been married a long time and Barry was a young teenager, Ralph and I went to the Dalton mall one Christmas eve when the temp was 10 degrees above zero.
(But, as Barry says Ralph and I did some crazy things, like taking a small boat out in the middle of the Tennessee River to fish, oblivious to the dangers.)

And who were living here, can ever forget the Blizzard of '93 in northwest Georgia? At our house, we had two feet of snow and were without electric power, heat and water for several days. I had never seen anything like it and hope I never do again. But, every time, it snows, we shudder at the thought of a repeat of that blizzard.

See you next time.

TWO OF MY DOCS GIVE GLOWING TESTS REPORTS, SO, WHY DO I STILL FEEL SO AWFUL ?

By Olivene Godfrey

Last Friday, I felt bad all day and at 5 P.M. Barry decided to take my temperature. Keep in mind that my temp readings are usually a little low than normal. So, we both were startled when my temp was 100.9. Barry was recovering from an illness going around North Georgia that is sort of a combination of sinus and bronchitis. So, we both thought that was what was wrong with me. I knew from past experiences that if I waited for Monday to seek medical help, I might wind up in the hospital.

My family doctor's office closes at five but I called her office number and got her telephone answering service. Quickly, I told her the situation and the nice lady said my doctor was on call all weekend and she would put me through to her. I thanked her and a few seconds later I was talking to my doctor. I told her about my fever and reminded her of Barry's illness. She asked a few questions and then told me she would call in a prescription for antibiotics to my pharmacy and if I felt worse to call her.Barry went after the prescription and I started feeling better soon. By Sunday night, my fever was gone and I wasn't coughing much.

On Monday morning, I was feeling fine after Barry went to work but soon had an IBS attack. I also felt too weak to walk much. I needed some medicine that was in the kitchen at the other end of our house. I finally called Barry and I know his patience must have been wearing thin. He asked if I could call my neighbor and friend, Genevelyn, and I told him her phone number was on the refrigerator door and I hadn't memorized it yet. So, he made a quick trip home and got the medicine and other things I needed. Later, when I was able to get around the house, I found Genevelyn's name and address on white strips of paper all over the house. They were printed in large bold letters. I have memorized the number now.

We had an appointment later that day with my blood specialist in Calhoun. Somehow, I got dressed and we left a little early. We go to the doc's office for a booster shot for me once a month but I don't see the doctor every time. We had an appointment to see him on that day. He was all smiles as he told me I was responding remarkably well and was no longer anemic. But, I knew that to maintain that level with my type of anemia, I needed the booster shot each month. My late husband had pernicious anemia and had to have a B-12 shot once a month. The doctor said that he wouldn't need to see me for six months when I report at his clinic for the shots. He said I should be feeling great, just as my family doctor told me. She added that I should be dancing all over the place. During the drive home, Barry and I discussed how the doctors don't seem to believe me when I tell them I feel bad. I've had many tests over the years and many indicate that at 82, I am in remarkably good health. It adds to my distress, when I feel the doctor's seem to think it's all in my mind.

See you next time.

SCARY MUSCLE WEAKNESS EPISODES & DOC'S PRAISE OF VITAMIN D

By OLIVENE GODFREY

When I got out of bed last Friday morning, I still felt tired and I asked Barry to make some of his Starbucks coffee while I prepared my breakfast. I drank one cup of the coffee before eating and it was so delicious I drank another cup while I ate my meal. Afterwards, I buzzed around the house, trying to get all of my chores done before Barry and I had appointments with our family doctor at 2:20 P.M. Barry was sick with bronchitis and went to his shop for awhile. Suddenly, about ten A.M. I felt all of my energy drain away. I was frightened so I call Barry. He came home in a short time and we both rested awhile before going to our doctor's office during frigid weather and while it was sleeting and snowing. We told the doctor about my fatigue so she ordered a blood test which showed that I no longer had anemia. The doctor prescribed an antibiotic drug for Barry's bronchitis and he is feeling a lot better already

The results of my recent lab work and tests were fine, the doc said, and she prescribed a strong dosage of Vitamin D. to take twice a day. When we returned home, Barry said he thought my fatigue may have been caused by a a caffeine crash. I thought it might be, too, until Sunday when I had another fatigue spell. I think it may be caused by some of my medicines. I see the doctor again soon.

The research Barry did on muscle weakness and vitamin D is very interesting. Tests have shown that a large percentage of elderly people have decreased their rate of falling. I was especially interested in the personal experiences listed. One said that after taking large dosages of Vitamin D her IBS symptoms had all but disappeared. She said IBS used to rule her life as it does mine. Others said they had no more nightly leg cramps and no more restless leg syndrome which I also have. I pray that vitamin D will heal me.

See you next time.