PAIN AND THE PONTIFF

Received a copy of the letter from my Rheumatology Consultant to my G.P. this morning. He’s putting me on a 3rd drug now, but not the anti-tnf - seems that is not exactly a good drug for someone with leukaemia. So I’m adding a quinine derivative. We’ll see. He mentioned in the letter that I still have evidence of active disease – ain’t that true! My hands remind me every day. Opening one of those “press the sides and turn” tops was easy before. I’m left-handed, and that’s my stronger hand – or was! Ha ha.
Now turning one of those caps has been added to my pet hates along with pull rings, and bubble packs! Plus I now have to have nerve conduction tests on my arms because of the altered sensation I’ve been experiencing in my hands and forearms. “We’re all getting old” was one remark made to me the other day. What a load of bullshit! My ageing has nothing to do with a disease that started 20 years ago. Fine if someone says “You’re looking good”, in a sort of pleased way; but what really pisses me off is people telling me “You look fine to me”, as though maybe I’m exaggerating. Worse than that is people who want to shake my hand! It seems so rude to not offer your hand in return, but the pain sometimes, even with a gentle grasp, makes me want to swear and swear good. My Rheumatologist NEVER offers to shake my hand – he knows.

So more waiting now for the nerve tests. Blood test Monday for the warfarin levels – Haematology outpatients Tuesday for the leukaemia. They suggested maybe I should have the hole in my heart closed, but hell – I’ve lived with it for 61 years and things have been fine since I went on to warfarin. Leave well enough alone’s my motto where that’s concerned.

See the Pope is in Brazil pontificating, (along with all his groupies of course) – well I suppose he would pontificate, him being the Pontiff. He told a crowd of thousands of young people that they should avoid the temptations of wealth! That’s bloody good coming from a man who is head of one of the richest organisations in the world – a bit like Marie Antoinette in reverse drag. Seeing as most of the young people listening to him pontificate were probably poor, he’s got a damned nerve! Maybe their concept of wealth is a bit more down-to-earth than his – you know – food on the table, a plate to eat off, running water, flush toilet. No doubt he’ll tell them God is testing them – that’s the usual argument they use to keep the peasants under control – him and all like him.

The wealth of the Roman Catholic Church is hard to measure. The Wall Street Journal claims “The Catholic church is the biggest financial power, wealth accumulator and property owner in existence. She is a greater possessor of material riches than any other single institution, corporation, bank, giant trust, government or state of the whole globe. The pope, as the visible ruler of this immense amassment of wealth, is consequently the richest individual of the twentieth century. No one can realistically assess how much he is worth in terms of billions of dollars”.
Doesn’t their bible say somewhere about not storing riches up on earth? Or do Popes have special dispensation and CAN take it with them when they go? “Do as I say, not as I do” is his motto. Considering the hundreds of years Popes have been working for the people on behalf of God, seems to me they haven’t really achieved much. Either they’ve not been doing their job properly, or God is mighty pissed at them.

See ya