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Scared to Get Sick! 
And Just Leave Me Alone!

Obviously, I have been watching too much TV this past year, I order too many things online, and I am becoming more paranoid and reclusive even though masks are off (well, maybe they shouldn’t be with variants of COVID hitting the U.S.).  

Over the past year of COVID-19, I ended up watching some commercials on shows not taped. Frankly, I am getting paranoid about drugs in general – both OTC and prescription. See if these don’t sound familiar to you. Here is a short list of side effects often associated with drugs:

Abdominal pain
Blurred vision
Constipation
Diarrhea
Dizziness
Headaches
Loss of appetite
Memory loss
Palpitations
Problems with coordination
Ringing in the ears
Skin rashes or hives
Swelling of hands or feet
Syncope (loss of consciousness or fainting) [from VeryWellHealth, Feb. 15, 2021}

Specific drugs have their own lists. I thought I would look at Lipitor, a common prescription for the older set:
· constipation,
· diarrhea,
· nausea,
· fatigue,
· gas,
· heartburn,
· headache, and
· mild muscle pain (rxlist.com, July 8, 2021)

Suddenly, I want NO drugs in my system. I have been taking spironolactone for 20 years – since cancer and hair loss. Talking to my dermatologist SOON!
diarrhea and abdominal cramping
nausea and vomiting
high potassium levels
leg cramps
headache
dizziness
drowsiness
itching
irregular menstrual cycles or bleeding after menopause

and then the more serious effects include:

• Allergic reactions. Symptoms can include:
• skin rash
• hives
• fever
• trouble breathing
• swelling of your lips, mouth, tongue, or throat

Electrolyte and/or fluid problems. Symptoms can include:

• mouth dryness
• extreme thirst
• extreme weakness and tiredness
• fast heart rate and dizziness
• not being able to urinate

Dangerously high potassium levels. Symptoms can include:

• muscle weakness
• not being able to move your legs and arms
• extreme tiredness
• tingling or numb feeling in your hands or feet
• slow heart rate

Breast enlargement (gynecomastia). Symptoms can include:
growth of breast tissue in males and females

Severe skin reactions. Symptoms can include:
redness, blistering, peeling or loosening of your skin, including inside of your mouth (medicineplus.gov July 8, 2021)

And along with this worry, I now daily read the obituaries. This, too, causes angst. Too many people we know are gone! I don’t much like old age.

AND along with these worries, I find I am just plain tired of social media. I check Facebook about once a week! Several years ago, it was daily. I used to have a great fear of FOMO = fear of missing out. COVID-19 has made me realize I don’t much care about many things I may be missing. What an old reclusive curmudgeon I have become.

Okay, while I am on a rant today. I did look at my email. Since I got up this morning (it is now 4 p.m.) I have had 36 emails. NOT A SINGLE ONE of them is personal. They are all advertisements dressed up as “we just wanted to let you know” or “you are the lucky ….” Delete all is a fine option. Just because I ordered something from you at Christmas does not mean I need or want to hear from you today. GO AWAY. I will let you know when I WANT YOU….

Thanks for listening. I think maybe I am still a relatively nice person, but I like working at home, I like working on my own schedule, I like being healthy and I want to stay that way. Please quit scaring me from taking an Aleve or two for my arthritic back and my spironolactone so I won’t look like Benjamin Franklin sooner than later.

Stay well, and wear masks when necessary, from a semi-savvy

                    Glenne