Managing the medications

I have a weekly routine which occasionally gets a bit off schedule which in turn leads me to be putting my pills in those little seven-day pill holders before I have my coffee in the morning.

It seems to me that as we age, the more pills we take – just for our general welfare and to keep us alive. And more or less with it.

I was wondering the other morning, as I had all the bottles out on the dining room table – they require that much space now – how it reached this point?

I take five prescription pills in the morning, sometimes seven – it depends on how things are going. I take two non-prescription ones as well. And then I take three more just in case. You have to take some of these with food, you understand, but others it doesn’t matter but it’s best to get them in early.

And then there’s lunchtime. I take one prescription pill and four nonprescription ones. I want you to understand that all these pills are ones the doctor told me to take. Why would I take anything they didn’t recommend?

Just this past week, I had another one added to suppertime – have to take that one with food too.

And now we move into the evening. There are two prescription ones with water and an hour later there is one prescription pill and two non-prescription ones.

And that’s it.

I am very fond of the all the folks at Bridgetown Pharmasave and have been going to see them every now and then when my resident guy is busy doing more important things. I call up, give them the number on the little bottle and it’s ready and waiting.

There are a few things I’ve noticed as I’ve gotten older. The most important thing is – don’t drop the pill!

The wretched things blend into the carpet. Then you have to bend over in a most awkward way – no description necessary – and try to pick the little suckers up. When we had a dog, I lived in great fear that she would think that it was sort of like popcorn. If it fell on the floor, it belonged to her. Heaven knows what some of those meds would do to a dog.

And then comes the day when the usual collection of pills for that particular time of day is missing one.

I have two little egg cups that I use to keep everything straight. The loss of that little sort-of beige pill that I take at lunchtime can cause great consternation. Did I mistakenly take it at breakfast? Did I miss putting it in last night or yesterday morning – you know that morning before coffee?

I have to go back to the beginning – all the while mumbling to myself and saying things like, “Where the hell would it have gone?” and “Do you suppose I took two by mistake?” The resident guy ignores these mumblings which is a good thing because who knows what I might say next.

In spite of all that, pills are a very good thing in my case – they are keeping me going and I am grateful.