Regarding your column entitled "What a Pill" (4/4/08): I have seven prescription medications that I take daily, plus a daily multivitamin, a daily Excedrin and fish oil. (I've taken the fish oil for quite a while, and you know what? My fish don't squeak.) The prescription medicines need to be taken morning and/or night. Like you, I have a screwy memory, which is part of the reason I take the medicines. I have three of those seven-day pill containers, and I use two of them faithfully. I fill them up on the weekend for the following week, so if I need a refill I can help make my pharmacist's Monday even more hectic by calling for one at the last minute.
To remember to take your pills, I have at least one strong suggestion: Get a cat and feed it in the morning and evening, when you're supposed to take your pills. (There are hypoallergenic cats around.) They will definitely remind you about the feedings, and the association should get you to take the pills as you are waking up from the yowling.
I goof up my own pill-taking only when I get sidetracked by waking up too early or too late. So I only miss the morning or evening pills about once a month. And since one of my cats needs medicine daily, I have my alarm set so I can take my pills at the same time. I just have to remember not to get them confused.
I also have a place to keep my pills so that I can see them. That way, I know if I've taken them or not. I don't have any pills to take at noon, but that would be no problem for me, because there's a noon siren both here, in Sauk City, and in Prairie du Sac. (But our noon isn't the same as their noon!) It's a little hard to miss a siren that basically blows directly at your apartment from a block away.
Some pills need to be taken at specific times. Lisinopril's one. It's recommended that you take it in the evening, along with cholesterol-lowering drugs. Then I discovered that my thyroid medicine, Synthroid, which I take for hypothyroidism (which I got courtesy of that wonderfully nasty mood stabilizer, Lithium), must be taken on an empty stomach. That demolished my nice schedule, but I now take the Synthroid in the early morning, when my cat wakes me up for some loving.
These work for me. Hope the suggestions help.
The Woman in the Pillbox Hat
Pillbox: I've said it once, I'll say it again: If there's anything more pleasurable than hearing about somebody else's dreams, it's hearing about their pill regimens.
Just read "Sexpertise," your column on what it means to be good in bed (3/14/08). Here are my thoughts: First, it takes a pair of people, not just a single person. Second, the sex should be driven by feelings rather than reason. (Actions should come from the heart rather than from reading a sex manual.) Third, the feelings of the pair are mutually reinforcing, communicating via bodies. Healthy bodies help, so eat well and get plenty of exercise. If you tend to be overly rational, a big dose of sleep deprivation may help you loosen up. Some people's sexual feelings are enhanced by certain emotions, such as trust, danger or grief. (I hear some get it on after funerals.) These observations are based on years of experience as half of both good pairs and bad.
An Old Wisconsin Coot
Coot: I've said it once, I'll say it again: If there's anything more pleasurable than hearing about somebody else's pill regimen, it's hearing about an old coot's sex life.
If life's a pill you keep forgetting to take, write to: MR. RIGHT, ISTHMUS, 101 KING ST., MADISON, WI 53703. OR CALL 251-1206, EXT. 152. OR EMAIL MRRIGHT@ISTHMUS.COM.
