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| Nothing says safety like a fire truck at the front door. |
I was doing my routine work outside when our neighbor apologized for his son starting a bonfire in the backyard with scrap wood. I told him about our concern for safety with such a large fire and a stiff breeze blowing - three boys having a merry time. The nearby wooden storage buildings could have become fuel, too. We had a friendly and detailed conversation, which is enough to say for now.
We always emphasized safety first as LI was growing up. So many bad things begin with a casual disregard for consequences. One was a decision by two of them to chop with an axe and a hatchet, taking alternate swings. I said to LI, "No, that's how my brother came home with a hatchet wound. When he saw it bleeding, he shook his hand and decorated the kitchen. When we painted the kitchen ceiling years later, the spots were still there."
We often talked about making safety first. "If it is second, it might as well be last." That prompted a comment, often made, when I pointed out unsafe practices, "That is making safety a distant last."
Now I am old enough to think, "How badly could I get hurt if this goes wrong?"
I was very young, alone in the car, when I found a way to get the car moving, without the engine on. The car began rolling down a gentle sloping drive. I still remember a neighbor rushing up, opening the door, and stopping the car.
Medicare Nurse
We had routine interviews by the Medicare nurse last year and this year. Three safety ideas were good:
- A smoke detector.
- A handle on the bathtub for getting in and out.
- A shower chair.
The nurse said, "We don't need a shower chair, but we already find it convenient." I ordered one for $30 and its construction was very good for stability. Mrs. I finds it useful, a great idea.
We have a hospital nurse program, which is very useful. Getting on the phone for the doctor means a 15 minute wait, and that is not a good channel for medical advice. If the hospital nurse thinks a problem merits attention, she can alert the physician for a quick appointment.
Mrs. I had spots on her arm, which looked like insect bites to some, poison ivy to others, but shingles to the pharmacist. The pharmacist was correct. This is a bizarre condition, a return of the Chicken Pox virus. After a week of treatment, Mrs. I called the nurse and learned that woman had it for a month and that her anti-viral meds were the only thing around to help. No, she was not a good candidate for the Terry Bradshaw shingles shot. We are using various itch remedies to help, but the condition is far more complicated than needing a pill or ointment.
