The Cold Sore Truth
Although statistics vary, around 70 percent of all American adults have oral herpes (cold sores), but not everyone manifests the symptoms. Many people are unaware of the virus or think it is no big deal, but the herpes virus is highly contagious. Cold sores and fever blister comes from the herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1) virus, but, make no mistake, simplex type 2 (HSV-2) can also cause cold sores, so it is important to be careful!
Personally, I have been struggling with cold sores since I was eighteen. I know exactly which "wrong boy" I kissed, but that is neither here nor there. One of my close girlfriends also suffers from cold sores, and over the years we have swapped countless remedies for the detestable things. I think of them as creatures that sneak up on me, usually without warning, and often when it's most inconvenient. I treat them as I would any unwelcome visitor, and I battle them with everything I have.
The Slow Walk to Heaven - Battling Alzheimer's
It's never easy letting go of our loved ones, even when they have been struggling for years with a debilitating condition-even if we say it was a "blessing" it is still never easy saying goodbye.
Marilyn, my mother-in-law, was only seventy-five, but she'd had Alzheimer's for almost three years now, and it progressed very rapidly. I'm told that one in 10 people age 65 and older has Alzheimer's dementia. That's 10% of the population over 65.
My husband, Peter visited his mother at the nursing home every Sunday, and he often came home with a few funny stories to share. We both knew they weren't really funny... but sometimes we couldn't help but chuckle.
App - Rehension Contention
"Mum, I don't know why you don't just get the app on your phone," my daughter Heather, said to me, as I handed the Starbucks Barista my gold card.
"Because I like human interaction much better," I said. "I don't like that they keep trying to shove more and more technology down our throats."
"Suit yourself. But I'm telling you, it's so much more convenient, and you don't even have to wait in line anymore!"
That conversation rang in my ears one morning as I was running late to my writing class. I'd been anticipating treating myself to a chai latte with soy for days, knowing I was coming back to my old stomping grounds in Boston. I missed the days when Heather worked at the Starbucks on Berkeley and Boylston Streets--when they would start making my drink as soon as they saw me walk through the door.