Another Day -- Another Dollar?

Saturday, May 9, 2009 - 10:15 AM As things go, this has been a good week.   My brother and I had a counseling session together and we got along nicely. Dale started out by talking with my brother and asking if he had a problem with clinical depression that might be hindering his establishing a relationship with me. My brother, Lee, said that he had gone through periods of depression on and off throughout his life.   I was listening to the give-and-take between Dale and Lee, when Lee turned to me and asked me if he had depression. I was reluctant to answer that question and told him so. Dale also asked me that same thing, and I said that I felt anything Lee had told me in confidence should remain that way. Lee told me that when we were in a counseling session, he wanted me to feel free to answer any questions concerning him. Therefore, I looked at him and told Lee that I felt he had been depressed a lot.   He then told Dale that he wanted to ask me a question. Lee asked how long I lived in Denver. I said a little over 10 years. Lee asked me how many times I had invited him to come to Denver to see me. That was an easy question. I said, "Never."   What I did not ask him was why would I want him to come see me when he did little but yell at me whenever we got together.   I soon realized that Lee was trying to get a point across to me. I believe that he was saying he thought that he should not be the only one to do some work in developing a relationship between us. I told Dale that I would have to invite Lee to come see me during the summer. Lee told him that he had several ideas on what I expected out of him, and he would work on them in the coming months.   Since that counseling session on Monday, we have been exchanging several e-mails each day. I think we are both finally on the same page. Lee has also said that he would like to come see me this coming Thursday, and has asked if I know of a park where we can sit under some trees while eating bagels. (Where am I supposed to find a place like that in this desert?) We are seeing Dale again on Monday, May 18.   The best news of the week was that my niece had her surgery, and came through it quite well. She had to wait for a day to get the results of her biopsy, but when she got it, she called me right away to let me know that it turned out to be benign. I was happy for her.   I saw my primary care physician yesterday. My blood pressure was, as usual, completely out of whack. It turned out to be 175/135. That was not good. I was given a prescription for a low dosage (5 mg) medication to help control my blood pressure   My doctor said that he was reluctant to give me any more than that because since I used a wheelchair he was concerned that when I took the medication I might pass out, fall over, and have a seizure   He said that he did not care whether I took the medication or not. I can try taking it, and if I do not like any of the side effects, then I can quit taking it without having to check with him   When I got up this morning, my blood pressure was taken again, and it was 150/100. Since it seems to be coming down slowly, I am not going to get the medication right away. I will give it a few days to see if my blood pressure gets back to normal.   The doctor said that I am having chronic UTIs because I use an internal catheter. He is going to let me try using one externally. If this works, there is a good chance that everything will clear up on its own. His social worker is arranging for me to get samples of the new kind of catheter. I am happy about that.   She is also trying to get a new hospital bed for me since part of the old one has quit working. I have had it for about 11 years, and it was used by someone else before me. (It is almost as ancient as I am.)   I showed my doctor a lot of bruising on my right arm, which apparently was caused by a hospital nurse trying to draw some blood from my arm. (That was done at the hospital that I would like to see burn down.) After examining it, my doctor told me that I had a blood clot in the arm, but that I should not worry about it because it is too small to do anything even if it should go into my lungs or heart. (He should know by now that I worry about everything.)   This weekend, I am determined to do little other than to rest (in order to get my blood pressure lowered), watch some videos, and stay away from my sister who has managed to get on my nerves this week!!!