This is your President.....this is your President on drugs
A historian reveals that late President Kennedy was beset by more medical problems than anyone knew about. While such stoicism is admirable, there is something unsettling about knowing that the country was under the guidance of someone taking so many drugs.

The records were revealed by historian Robert Dallek, who is writing a biography, "An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963," to be published next year by Little, Brown.

Dallek was allowed to examine the documents last spring by a committee of three longtime Kennedy family associates, who for decades refused all requests to look at the records. He reviewed the documents with the assistance of physician Jeffrey A. Kelman, but was not allowed to make photocopies, the newspaper said.

Their findings appear in the December issue of The Atlantic.

As president, Kennedy was famous for having a bad back, and since his death, biographers have pieced together details of other illnesses, including persistent digestive problems and Addison's disease, a life-threatening lack of adrenal function, the newspaper said.

The records reveal that Kennedy variously took codeine, Demerol and methadone for pain; Ritalin, a stimulant; meprobamate and librium for anxiety; barbiturates for sleep; thyroid hormone; and injections of a blood derivative, gamma globulin, presumably to combat infections.

Even the adrenal thing is a bit scary. Having been through a spell of about 6 weeks in which my husband was being treated for a life-threatening overload of adrenal function, I know just how very special our adrenals are to us. The adrenal suppressing drugs (which I’ve probably mentioned before are also prescribed by vets for ‘angry’ dogs) turned the pater familias into something close to a zombie that I really was reluctant to leave in charge of the children while I went to the convenience store.

Maybe I’m paranoid, but the idea of a president jacked up on codeine, Demerol, Ritalin, librium, etc. is a tad scary. This is the President of the United States - habits that may have worked for Elvis (and they didn’t) are frightening in the leader of the free world. Maybe I’m over-reacting. But when I need to grab a few Tylenol 4’s or some Vicodin, I announce my intentions and turn all decision making over to Dad. What should the President do?

Ward, I’m Worried about the Beaver.......
After that St. Gertrude thing yesterday, I have a bad case of Leave it to Beaver on the Brain. Sometimes, in my special convoluted fashion, I refer to Eddie as the Beaver. (Sometimes we call him Teddy, which is also a diminutive of Theodore, which was Beaver’s real name - makes sense, right?)

Last night, after we said our bedtime prayers, Eddie said that he wanted to make sure he went to heaven so he could be with me. Well, I’m flattered that he thinks I’m on the right ‘track,’ but those seem to be heavy thoughts for a little boy. Then he said I shouldn’t worry about anyone wanting to shoot me because he’d take the bullet for me. I’m touched by such chivalry, but worried about why he’s thinking about all this. Maybe I need to protect him from the news more. Maybe I need to protect him from everything more.

Let’s Keep Our Sunny Side Up
In the interest of sounding optimistic, let me just say that the Little Tikes castle on our deck looks just lovely with a nice application of snow. That said, the snow is now free to melt.......