DEALING WITH ILLNESS!

Over the last few months, as regular readers will attest, I have been dealing with the effects of a long, enthusiastically lived life that involved - sometimes in equal parts - wine, good (or not so good) men and really good food. Once upon a long ago, I was an athlete and that, more than anything, may be what has kept me alive, despite myself!

In August and again this month, I have had the carotid arteries in my neck, both right and left and in that order, taken into an operating room (with me attached of course) and a roto-rooter job has been performed on them. My overall health is better than I deserve, but my poor beleagured arteries are showing the effects of too many quarter-pounders!

That my overindulgence has not killed me may be a testimony to my generally good health. I am as strong as an ox in most ways and am kept active thanks to Sam the Wonder Cat.

For what it's worth, I am immensely grateful to modern health care and to Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, Virginia for doing their part to care for me after the enormously talented (and rather cute) surgeon, Dr. Victor D'Addio cleaned up my self-made mess!

Would this excellent care been available to a woman of 67 years of age under the Obama health care scheme? I rather doubt it.

So crack open the pinot grigio kids. Thanks to privately held medical coverage, I'll live to bedevil our current administration at least another few days! Sam the Wonder Cat is very grateful. And I am very grateful for all the prayers that came my way. Their effect was definitely felt.