MEDICAL COMMENTARY

From my experience the past two weeks I am convinced that the major health problems are caused by too many prescription drugs, especially antibiotics. I resisted taking one prescribed for my urinary tract infection because I was convinced my immune system would take care of the problem as it had in the past, but I yielded to pressure from my medically oriented family members and started taking it. Immediately I felt some allergic reactions but because it is the time of the year I have allergies I ignored it. Well after taking two weeks of the stuff, Sunday when I drove back from San Antonio I felt welts and itches all over. Then when I went to bed after an hour I woke up with a swelling in the left side of my face. When I looked in the mirror the left side looked like a frog. I felt the swelling going to my tongue so I took two benadryls that I had for Mark and got a little sleep.

The next morning the swelling went down and I didn't take Kathy R's advice to go to the clinic in the morning. When I took my nap I felt my tongue beginning to swell and that worried me enough to go to the Cross Plains Clinic where Dr. Kincheloe decided I was allergic to the antibiotic, gave me a couple of steriod shots, a prescription for an antihistimine and Epipens in case I had swelling again in my throat. And he said to stop the antibiotic.

Since then I have felt a whole lot better. I had been eating Activia to try to keep my digestive system working against the antibiotic. I drank prune juice in place of my OJ yesterday morning and I am in a lot better shape today. I am finally back to normal eating and working. I walked twice to the mail box to mail letters and to get the mail and exercised with rock weights both times.

The mail brought copies of New Texas, the literary journal published by Laura Payne Butler at Sul Ross State University, that is dedicated to Lou and contains the poem by Susan Cummings Miller.

I also recieved this invitation from Ann Stuart, Chancellor of TWU:

Mark, Kathy, Sue and Ike, Kathy and Vanessa Wilcox will all be there and Kathy Wilcox has been asked to say a few words for the family. We will attend a luncheon and then listen to the Joyce Thompson lecture that Lou never missed.

I am looking forward to having company tomorrow when three new friends from Denton will visit for a couple of days. One is coming from Germany so it should be an interesting conversation.