Who'd have thought.......

I amaze me! I'm the last person who'd 'volunteer' to be a 'human Guinea pig'. Well, I'm one. Yes. Me!

Now, before you get all bent out of shape....allow me to explain. Several years ago my late wife was in a Rehab hospital (D'Ouville) in Cambridge, MA. She had to be weined off of a respirator, having been given a trach. She was one of countless millions of tobacco addicts waiting for the "grim Reaper." I spent every possible moment at her side because (1.) I dearly loved her and (2.) I knew it was a matter of time when she'd leave me.

It was while I was at her bedside one day when one of her attending doctors asked if I'd consider being a part of a large study. It had to do with seeing if fish oil and vitamin D worked to prevent or reduce the risk of certain cancers....over five years. As much for my wife as for myself, I consented.

Much has happened over the past several years. Shortly after Maggie passed, I packed many of her belongings and sent them to her relatives in Ireland. I moved with the help of God, who knew I'd had my share of 'drama', and the help of a wonderful woman who lives as far from the place Maggie'd died as one could get and still be in the states. I signed up for part time work through the ABLE program, an excellent program to help place seniors in meaningful work situations. The pay is minimum wage but it helps and it keeps an old fart like me 'busy'. I work ten hours a week at an arts center and find it very rewarding. I recently married again and am enjoying that as well, not that I'm a dirty, old man, you understand. I just enjoy an occasional meal out, a walk in the park and someone to share a church pew with. I need not mention Izayah, my adopted ten year son who is expert in everything "Scooby-Do"...but not his homework. And then there's Miss Tacy, a little four-legged Hoover vacuum cleaner. Part Schitzou, part Bishon-Freeze, she thinks she rules the world.

Well, when I got in from the arts center today, there was a box the mailman had left at the door for me. It was from "Vital Study, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 900 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215. When I got the box inside and opened it, there was a 6 month supply of pills I'm supposed to take for the next five years.

I opened the card, went to the 15th of the month and took the two pills. Within an hour, I began to feel strange 'down there'. Well I'll be! Howard Johnson was as solid as a rock, to quote Ashford and Simpson. When I called in to Vital, I was told it was in all likelyhood a "temporary side effect." How nice, thought I. Who'd have thought......(smile, smile, smile).