Hi, James!  Recently you wrote in a message to Ardith Hinton:

AH>  I wasn't aware of the latter

JB>  ...About my potential of being grumpy?


          You'd indicated that you don't suffer fools gladly when you're in pain
... and I see that you communicate in a direct manner, which I personally
prefer to the "nice" way some folks have of avoiding the real
issues!  What I meant was that you're making officialdom aware of what your
needs are, and by doing so you are also helping others.  Dallas & do
the same.  We noticed, for example, that a certain traffic light allowed
only seven seconds to cross a six-lane street.  It wasn't enough time...
either for Nora or for the numerous others in the area who use mobility
aids and/or walk with some difficulty... to cross safely.  When the problem
was brought to the attention of the right department, they fixed it.  In a
lot of cases people may not see what is amiss because it has no effect on
them
... but they're not unwilling to help if you can explain it clearly &
concisely. Who will rattle cages if *we* don't?  Those who are mentally
handicapped, or the guy who speaks haltingly with "sip-and-puff"
apparatus, or the little old ladies who wouldn't say boo to a goose?? 
Somehow I think it's highly unlikely....  :-)



JB>  Heck, get me on a topic, and I can tear paint off
JB>  walls. Jesus better help you if your in the way.


          Yup.  I hit the nail on the head so squarely at times that other
folks apparently feel I'm attacking them, but I imagine you can relate.... 
:-))



JB>  You should have seen me two years ago! I tried to
JB>  admit myself twice to an emergency room, until I
JB>  was admitted by a family member involuntarily.


          It may be necessary to call in reinforcements at times when one
is ill or in pain.  Nora often says to me "I tell them, but they won't
listen."  Dallas & I are more difficult to ignore.  Even if we all
work together, though, we find some people don't get the picture or lack
the power to help much... (sigh).



JB>  ADAC was not equipped to feed me even an A.S.A.
JB>  for pain control


          Perhaps as a defence against individuals who might say anything
to get drugs from them?  I'm reminded of a man whose young son stumbled en
route to his appointment at the oncology clinic.  The boy hit his head on a
curb & the father thought he might need stitches... so they went to the
emergency ward first.  The father was quite distressed by somebody's
overconscientious efforts to make sure he wasn't abusing the kid, as if he
didn't have enough problems already....  :-/



JB>  so I sequestered myself (More like barricaded
JB>  myself. Long story. ;-) and dropped the narcs
JB>  from the diet myself.


          Arghh!  Seems to me that would be a very tough row to hoe, but
you had little or no alternative.  Glad you were successful, anyway.... 
:-)



AH>  We could use a secretary & a maid too... [chuckle].

JB>  ...Oh ya, and a full time 'strong-back'! 


          Come to think of it, we could use one of them as well....  ;-)




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+