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EPISODE 1061 ACUPUNCTURE

EPISODE 1061    ACUPUNCTURE


alan skeoch
june 2m 2024

I Never thought my new knee would come to this…acupuncture. But it has and
the leg is not straight… never be perfect.   
who among us 80 year olds is perfect?Few if any  so i am in good company,

I closed my eyes as she opened the packages of sterilized needles.

“Could you take  picture?{
“Sure.  You will have to follow exercises.”
“I have been following exercises since Dec. 12, 2023”
“Religiously”
“Well .. not quite.   I have to take time to breathe and  eat my bran flakes…

the bran flakes cause other things that get in the way of excercises.”

“Do your best”
“It has now been 7 months.  I can hobble.”
“There…needles a re in…now I will hook them up to the power gently”
“What?”

“What?”

That needle some distance up my pant leg is a little discocertrting.

Did you notice the guy in the corner of the room?

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– EPISODE 1059: } ESCAPE TO THE THE COTTAGE YOU WILL NEVER OW==ADAMSON HOUSE


EPISODE 1059: }   ESCAPE TO THE THE COTTAGE YOU WILL NEVER OWN (ADAMSON house and wilderness park in Mississauga)

alan skeoch
May 21, 2069

“Alan, get away from thatt computer “
“Why?”
“Join me for a walk around the Adamson House in Mississauga.”
“I am busy.”
“Too busy to smell the flowers….too busy to sit on a bench a
stare across the water of Lake Ontario…too busy to take a break?
“Help me get my socks on.Marjorie … time to stop typing.”


“Let’s pretend that we’re together, all alone”

(remember the  lyrics?)


“Alan, put down your camera>”
“No.  I want my readers to enjoy this touch of wilderness/“
“Alan, there are no readers…entirely imaginary audience…”
“Not so.  But even if you are right these pictures will give me
a rest and remind me of you.”


“Alan, a huge coote just crossed the path…healthy.  No mange.
Took no notice of  us.  You missed it. “


“The coyote is watching us…maybe a whole pack of them.”


“IF WE meet a pack of coyotes we can climb this tree to escape

NOTE TO READERS:  THIIS IS YOUR PARK …. TAKE HALF AN HOUR TO
WALK THESE TRAILS.   ADAMSON HOUSE,  

alan
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EPISODE 1005 DANDELIONS —RAW LATEX (RUBBER) AND GERMAN WAR INDUSTRY GERMANY 1941-194

EPISODE 1005   DANDELIONS —RAW LATEX (RUBBER) AND GERMAN WAR INDUSTRY

GERMANY 1941-1945

alanskeoch
January 8,, 2024


All dandelions ooze latex when picked,  Latex is rubber and
rubber was needed desperately by German war industry.

Why?

A Tank needs 826 pounds of raw rubber’
A gun carriage needs 409 pounds
A fighter plane needs146 pounds

In 1933 a type of dandelion was discovered in Asia that 
contained more latex than others,  Hitler ordered seed to 
be collected and planted in farm fields taken from Polish 
farmers in the early years of World War 
two. (1941?) This vast planting  was supervised by a jewish botanist whose last name was 
Bloch I seem to remember.

Where were these farms?  Planted in the fields surrounding Auswitz.

The experiment failed because the war outpaced the growing time.

see pictures below

ALAN SKEOCH









The Need:

Natural rubber sourced from the Para rubber tree faces a plethora of challenges including price instability, geopolitical trade complexities, deforestation restrictions, and disease vulnerabilities. A convenient solution lies in the rubber root dandelion which produces natural rubber comparable to that of the Para rubber tree. However, challenges like yield and impurity levels present obstacles to producing rubber at commercial scale.

The Technology: 

OSU faculty have developed an improved methodology that doubles latex yield and produces a purer rubber product. The extraction is also water based and can readily be incorporated into an industrial-scale latex extraction process, resulting in a highly efficient and sustainable process for obtaining rubber from the rubber dandelion.

Commercial Applications: 

Producing rubber in this way has wide-ranging commercial applications in various industries, including but not limited to:

  • Automotive: durable tires, gaskets, and seals in the automotive sector.
  • Medical: gloves, tubing, and medical devices.
  • Industrial: components like belts, hoses, and conveyor systems.
  • Consumer Products: From footwear to household items and other consumer goods.


The term latex is often used as a synonym for rubber, but the term actually refers to any liquid medium that holds a suspension of tiny polymer particles. Latex is a natural plant substance, but it can also be manufactured by chemical processes.
Natural latex is a plant material found most famously in the rubber tree—but it is actually found in almost 10 percent of all plants. For example, opium is actually the dried latex from the opium poppy. Latex is not the same as sap but is a separate substance, created by the plant as protection against insects. Latex in plants is a complex mixture of proteins, alkaloids, starches, sugars, oils, tannins, resins, and gums that coagulates when exposed to the air. Plants use latex to seal themselves after injury, thereby protecting themselves against insects.
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APOLOGY WHAT A FOOL I WAS… ‘I AM NOT THE EARTH AND SKY”


APOLOGY   WHAT A FOOL I WAS… ‘I AM NOT THE EARTH AND SKY”

alan skeoch
May 19, 2024

pics taken by Paul and Bryce


I talked too much at our May 2024 meeting of the   Castlefield Institute and
would like to apologise for doing so.  My last five months have
  been awful.    I babbled on about health care and left little room for
others.   16 days experience while Bryce had spent most of his
life working in hospitals.                                                                                            

Marjorie arrived late due  to our terrible traffic density.  and we   perched on
Boulders in Marvi’ s front yard.   Then Marvi, Bryce, Paul got soft chairs for us.
Neighbours must have thought marvi had been evicted…and had gang connections.

I asked Bryce about his car which he loved  “Sold it.”  That short comment                            
is the reason for this apology   Bryce just got back from a world tour 
and suffered from a a bad bout of Covid 19…both of which were more in line with the ‘civil dicussions’ expected at our meetings.

 Others

Wilf was not asked about his recent  hospitalization .
Sam has arthritic shoulders
that are painful yet he took the time to visit me twice at Trillium bringing
cookies and gingerale.
John Myers had a book he wanted to discuss — our reason for meeting
John Wardle bought a cake for us to eat (without gratitude)

Milton Israel was absent…why?
Marvi when asked about her role as a caregiver for John Ricker made 

pic by Paul Russell *


the amusing comment that “he was stubborn’.   We missed that chance 
to discover an amusing facet of John Ricker’s personality,

Instead  I  interjected with drivel about adult diapers. 

Sorry

Which reminded me about a song from My Fair  Lady.

Eliza (singing):
What a fool I was, what dominated fool,
to think that you were the earth and the sky,
What a fool I was, What an elevated fool,
What a mutton-headed dote was I!
No, my reverberated friend,
you are not the beginning and the end.

Professor Higgins (speaking):
You impetant hussy there’s not an idea in your head or a word in your mouth that I haven’t put there.

Eliza (singing): 
There’ll be spring every year without you. England still will be here without you.
There’ll be fruit on the tree. 
And a shore by the sea. 
There’ll be crumpets and tea without you.

Art and music will thrive without you. Somehow Keats will survive without you.
And there still will be rain on that plain down in Spain, 
even that will remain without you.
I can do without you. 

You, dear friend, who taught so well,
You can go to Hartford, Hereford and Hampshire. 

They can still rule with land without you.
Windsor Castle will stand without you. 
And without much ado we can all muddle through without you.

Professor Higgins:
You brazen hussy, 

Eliza (singing):
Wihtout pulling it the tide comes in, 
without your twirling it the Earth can spin,
Without your pulling it, the tide comes in 
Without your twirling it, the earth can spin 
Without your pushing them, the clouds roll by, 
If they can do without you, ducky, so can I 
I shall not feel alone without you 
I can stand on my own without you 
So go back in your shell 
I can do bloody well 
Without…

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EPISODE 1056 ANDREW TARNOWSKI — A STEP AT A TIME


“Alan, Your may not walk normally ever again. “
“No hope?’
“Hope remains.  I have seen clients triumph but it takes a lot of determination 
“I am 85 years old… is that a factor.”
“Maybe…maybe not…depends upon your determination Alan”

EPISODE  1055     ANDREW TARNOWSKI — A STEP AT A  TIME


alan skeoch
may 9, 2034

Today I managed to dress myself including my socks. The last time I did that was December 12, 2023.
Socks remained the final frontier.   I had lots of complications.  And I also had  Several
caregivers  but Marjorie was preeminent.  Not an easy thing caregiving.

Our hospital, Trillium of Mississauga,   sent word to the VHA that I was being released and would need help.  

“VHA Home HealthCare (VHA) is a not-for-profit charitable organization that offers 24/7 health care and support services to people of all ages and cultural backgrounds. Founded in 1925 as the Visiting Homemakers Association, VHA’s goal is to provide clients with spectacular service when, where and how they want it to support their independence.”   VHA



HERE IS WHAT HAPPENED THE DAY AFTER MY RELEASE

1)  A  lady arrived to help  Marjorie with anything…diishes, getting dressed, making a bed   
she arrived early with words “what can I do?”

2) A nurse arrived to take my blood pressure and, I assume, to take a look at
the living conditions.  Our house had been rearranged totally.

3) George arrived tp give me a shower.    Both of us jammed into our shower stalll where he undressed
me , turned on the shower after he stepped out then rubbed me down showing me how to 
put underwear and pants on at the same time    Over the top care on my first dayl

4) Andrew Tarnowski arrived to supervise my exercises and put me on track to a systemtic
steady recovery.  I cannot say enough about Andrew TARNOWSKI.  Very professional.  No hurdle missed.
Close attention to detail.  My fear of falling again was forgotten.  He knew every muscle in 
my body and patiently stretched some muscles to the pain threshold.  My self confidence
returned in stages.  “You are not ready for a cane yet Alan…you need a good walker
and will do so for some time.   Do not rush things.”

Andrew came every day for two weeks.   He demonstrated each new step as if he was
instructing a ballet dancer.  I began to hold my head up as my pacing became automatic.

ANDREW  TARNOWSKI



Our dialofgue went something like this when we first met   Andrew is a physical therarpist who was 
assigned to my case the’VHA charity.  I had never heard of the VHA  — 
but I sure learned a lot about it from Andrew .

NOTE:  there are two Andrews in this story.   Our youngest son, Andrew and my physiolotherapist  

“Take a step or two,, Alan“
“I can’t….need (our son)  Andrew to hold me up;”
“Sorry …cannot do it.”{ hobble)
“That’s OK, do not try anymore  Now I know what has to be done.”
(Andrew concluded my case would be difficult. Physical therapy works best
closest to the operation. My knee operation was Dec. 2023.  I  met Andrew 
early in April 2024…five months later.   Why  so late?  Many reasons latest of which
was falling five  times in one week.  I would be a tough case for Andrew.)

Any hope?”
“Some ,I suppose.   Depends on your determination. 


“first let’s take a look at the house.  Seniors often resist the changes thst are
necessayl’”

alan skeoch
may 9, 2034

Today I managed to dress myself including my socks. The last time I did that was December 12, 2023.
Socks remained the final frontier.   I had lots of complications.  And I also had  caregivesr.   but Marjorie was preeminent.  Not an easy thing caregivig .


HERE IS WHAT HAPPENED THE DAY AFTER MY REEASE

1)  A  lady arrived to help  Marjorie with anything…diishesk getting dressed, making a bell   
she arrived early with words “what can I do?”

2) A nurse arrived to take my blood pressure and, I assume, to take a look at
the living conditions.  Ourhouse had been rearranged totally.

3) George arrived tp give me a shower.    Both of us jammed into our sower still were he undressed
me , turned on the shower after he steppe out then rubbed me down showing me how to 
put underwear an pjs on st the same time    Over the top care on thst first dsyl

4) Andrew Tarnowski arrived to supervise my exercises and put me on track to a systemtic
steady recovery.  I cannot say enough about Andrew.  Very professional.  No hurdle missed.
Close attention to detail.  My fear of falling again was forgotten.  He knew every muscle in 
my body and patiently stretched some muscles to the pain threshold.  My self confidence
returned in stages.  “You are not ready for a cane yet Alan…you need a good walker
and will do so for some time.   Do not rush things.”

Andrew came every day for two weeks.   He demonstrated each new step as if he was
instructing a ballet dancer.  I began to hold my head up as my pacing became automatic.
 
“Clear some the clutter, push the dining room into a  pile ,install a hand rail from
first to second floor, instal hand three  hand rails in the shower room…forget about ever having
a  bath in thte uspstairs tub, iinstal two hand rails on house exterior.  Move a bed into 
the living room.   Make sure we can push the walker in a circle in the house.’


Then began the exercises.  All focused on my new knee.  Bending exercises that were initially
painful.   Andrew came each day forjrmore the two weeks.   On the third or fourth day he surprised
me.

“Put on a warm coat.  We are gping for a walk.”

I did not expect that until the end of Andrew’s visits.  His goal, however, was to get me out on
the street as fast as possible.

“Take a rest whenever you want.  Short walk to first Stop sign.  Maybe longer walks later.
Must get you out of the house.”
“Am I ready?
”. See if we can improve each day.”
That is the way Andrew worked.  A step at a time.  But make
sure the steps are taken   Scuffling steps with the walker at first..then no more scuffling
lifting feet.  Then short steps became bolder steps.   Then I began looking ahead
letting my steps became normal.    

Evey time I hesitated Andrew had me pause.  He would demonstrate like a ballet instructor,…a rubber man who could mimic my hobbles and then show me the way.  Nice.  One of his
steps was as smooth as a gazelle jumping across an African landscape.   He did this
without being a taskmaster.  :He made me want to improve…I looked forward to
his daily visits.

“Do you think a cane will be possible Andrew?’’
“Let’s give it a try…two canes first.  Like this.  Sartt here  in the kitchen and do same
circle you did with the walker.”
“Not wobbly.   Feel confident.”
“Do the double canes in the house.  Not out on the street yet.:’


“Andrew, each day you come  i seem to be making incremental steps.   Step at a time.
Heading for real walking.   But  I know I am not there yet.”  

MUSUC 

While I lay in my hospital bed at Trillium there was music softly playing al the time.
Barely decipherable words.   “I’m on my way”  Some years ago it
was the featured gospel song in the film Elmer Gantry sung by Burt Lancaster.  The song
was best done by Mahalia Jacksonl It is a wonderful
song.   

“I’m on my way”
“I’m  on my way…on my way…on my way.”

(chorus by many voices)

“He’s on his way.”
“He’s on his way””

“I’M on my way to Canen
On my way to the promised Land
On my way Home.”

“He’s on his way…on his way Home”

There are many choristers who have heiped me.. prominent among them is Andrew 
but many others.  Marjorie Stands highest among my  heroes as does Our son Andrew.  They have lifted me up. LIKE Maria, Eva and Susan at Queensway
Rehab centre who  worked   hard to straighten my leg.  And Doctor Paige and 
Doctor Grant at Trillium Hospital who tried to fathom why I had fallen.
And the Emergency wards at Toronto Western and Trlilium hospitals who
tried to find a diagnosis that made sense.  

Some chorus.

“I’m on my way.”
“He’s on his way.”

‘ON MY WAY HOME

alan skeoch
May 12,2024

 13 fans

Mahalia Jackson

Mahalia Jackson ( /məˈheɪljə/ mə-HAYL-yə; October 26, 1911 – January 27, 1972) was an American gospel singer. Possessing a powerful contralto voice, she was referred to as “The Queen of Gospel”. Jackson became one of the most influential gospel singers in the world and was heralded internationally as a singer and civil rights activist. She was described by entertainer Harry Belafonte as “the single most powerful black woman in the United States








It was spring time…and I was mobile.



Notice the canes…also notice the new handle/bar on the wall













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EPSODE 1054 CHELSEA BUN — OUR FEREL CAT—OM THE REFRIGERATOR

EPSODE 1054     CHELSEA BUN — OUR FEREL CAT—OM THE REFRIGERATOR


alan skeoch
May 7, 2024


Some people do not like cats.  My good friend Russ Vanstone for instance.  We, however like
cats and kittens and so many other living things.  Marjorie and I even like most  humans with
the exception of the worst President 9f the USAl…ever…

This story is about Chelsea Bun,  our cat.  She is partly feral and finds places to wait 
and watch for a mouse.   Her favourite toy is a ruibber alligator that she carries here
and there in her mouth.

She loves to kiss our dog Woody … and to steal his bed.  She also loves us and
rubs against us …loves Marjorie’s lap.  Domesticated.

Her ferel side surfaces sometimes when she tries a swipe with scimitar claws.
Ferel.   I doubtt Russ could love her as we do.

alan (photo by Marjorie.

P.S. Thanks to Elizabeth from whose barn she came.  She liked the high
barn beams.   Best we could provide was our refrigerator.


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EPISOde 1053′ MARY FIX PARK IN SPRING RAIN SHOWER MAY 5. 1053



The Road Not Taken

(robert frost)




Wwhat a grand feeling it was to be once again in Mary Fix Park — 
a wilderness park where trees live and die where they stood or fell.
The park is located on an acreage where iwldernesss would be
least likely.  — the junction of QEW and Hurontaio — dense population yet also room
for wild creatures like the pair of coyotes who seem to
be able to raise a [up or two with little difficulty.  

Mary Fix Park has many Roads Not Taken.  Come walk with me.

 



Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.


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EPISODE 1052 SIXTEEN DAYS IN TRILIUM HOSPITAL, APRIL5 TO 20, 2024, WHAT WAS DISCOVERED?

EPISODE  1052   SIXTEEN DAYS IN TRILIUM HOSPITAL, APRIL5 TO 20, 2024, WHAT WAS DISCOVERED?


alan skeoch
May 5, 2024


MRI — MAGNETIC  RESONANCE IMAGING 

“IF YOU GET SCARED PRESS THIS RUBBER BALL AND WE WILL GET YOU OUT”
“I WILL JUST CLOSE MY EYES.




“Why did he fall?’”
“Why did he not recover from surgery in a normal manner?”
“What was wrong with him?”


I would like to thank the staff at Trillium Hospital, Mississauga, for their
time and effort spent trying to discover why I fell and could not get up in
early  April

Doctor Grant and Doctor Paige were in charge of my case and authorized
a host of tests to determine why I fell and lost control of my recovery from
knee surgery on d/ecember 12, 2023.  

WHAT WAS DONE?

1) Four doctors tried to determine why I fell.  Two used hammers to gently
see if there was   a physical problem.   They found nothing.
2) An MRI imaging machine was used twice.   One of the occasions lasted for 35 minutes
Nothing  was found.  I kept my eyes closed but remain mystified how powerful
magnets and mirrors can provide doctors with images of the internal body
of human being
3) A host of tiny wires were attached To my brain to determine if I had
heart trouble.  ECG – Electro Cardio Graph.  Nothing irregular was found.
4) Sixteen days of observation most of which were spent flat on my back 
in the geriatric ward where there were cases far more serious than mine.
Nothing was found.
5) Dr. Grant discussed the case in detail with my wife Majorie.
6) Dr. Paige authorized home care and released me from Trillium hospital
as an outpatient  A professional therapist was assigned to  supervise my recovery 7) Marjorie and our son Andrew rearranged our house — beds moved, railing installed,
five pull bars installed in shower and external doorway ,   House was was made safe.
Sending a man to bathe me seemed ‘over the top’ however.
7) Marjorie would take care of the rest.  No easy task,  Marjorie thought the problem
was a yeast infection which caused severe swelling in legs and groin.

alan

WORST PART OF HOSPITAL

Wearing adult diapers that were changed regularly by no  nonsense nurses.
Most embarrassing.

END RESULT

THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH ME.”
“Then why did you fall so often?”
“That will remain a mystery”
“Your task now is to begin therapy all over again.”

There are a lot of people who fall and  have no one to help them recover.
I am a lucky man.

THANKS

Tg nurses from Tibet and Figi and a ll places in between.   Additional thanks
to recreational therapists Natalie snd Pakizah who took me out in the
sunshine and awarded me a tiny chocolate bar when I won a game of
inpatient Bingol





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EPISODE 1050 FALLING (A[RIL 3, 2024) FELL FIVE TIMES ONE WEEK

EPISODE  1033    i’M ON MY WAY..PART RWO  : FALLING


alan skeoch
APRIL 24, 2024


FALLING (April 3k 2024)

Such a simple thing.   Falling into bed on an evening.
Not simple for me.  I missed the bed and hit the floor  Do not know
why my knees buckled.   One  knee was brand new.  The other knee
was battle worn I must admit but had served me well for 85 years
with no complaint.  
suddenly m y legs quit….refused to work,

“Get up Alan…please get up.  Can’t lift your 217 pounds.”
[217 became 201 in next 17 days)
 “Cannot lift myself…flat face to floor best I can do.”
“Call 911 now!”
“ Did…they want to know more about situationl”
“Tell them dire.  slide that plastic pillow under me…I will slide to the basement stairs
and let my legs hangover…maybe get purchase on something ….swimming
cross the floor with hands….made it ..now to get legs on stairs….failed ….slid down stairs
to cellar and hauled myself back up stairs  step at a time.   Took ages.   Medics arrived
and assessed situation then a burly man hoisted me 
erect.
“Embarassing!”
“Forget it….we do this every day

MY PLAN BEFORE 911 HELP ARRIVED

Stupid plan of mine… I figured I could get on my feet
by sliding to cellar stairs.  Needless to say 
the plan did not work and I ENDED UP IN THE CELLAR.





Great!  Then I fell again and needed rescue.  An hour later with 
different rescuers…..same good hands.

THEN CAME THE WORST FALL…COULD HAVE BEEN TERMINAL

  I fell into our small shower cubicle,  Both Legs telescoped.
Impossible result as my flesh snd bones were contorted into
the shower stall.  My operated leg folded worst….like a jackknife blade
folds into the jackknife jacket.  I was trapped.  Dire situation. 
Majorie wedged the walker into the stall.  No help.  Stay calm
until Andrew could drive here from his home.  

“Can you help?”
“Don’t move.”
“Fat chance of that…feel like a sardine in a fish can.”

Andrew  scooped me out.  The stitches in my new knee did
not pop out.   All seemed well.  Except for one question.

“Why did I ciollapse?  I was doing well in recovery.  Was able
to walk to Mary Fix park and back without a difficulty  Then suddenly my
strength was gone.   I was on the floor….helpless.  A sardine.

TRILLIUM HOSPITAL EMERGENCY


So we drove to Trillium … emergency   “We will have to keep him…”

Seems the hospital  was full but able to find a space in the the basemen hall
…in front of a row o lockers with my feet blocking entrance to some kind
of storage room.  My toes ticked every person seeking entry;

I spent three days and nights on a gurney tightly wedged.,,in adult
diapers…on my back.  A notice told nurses to keep me immobile
until a better place could be found.l

I was a lost soul.  No one ventured to speculate on what had gone wrong.
People passed me in the narrow hall.  Seemed forgotten  Like the ancient mariner
‘who stoperth one in three’.  I asked passers by to phone my wife  Most ignored 
me then one person, Jane, phoned Marjorie and things began to change  .

Three days in a hospital locker wall…in diapers for both #1 snd #2…alone..weak…
mysteriously ill…on a gurney.  Playing ‘footsie’ with staff seeking entrance ti’a mystery room.  

END PART TWO

p.s.  two of my helpers in happier times on floor C3 of Trillium
\\