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Being Well: Let’s Talk About Diverticulitis
Being Well is a regular feature at LGBTSr highlighting health and wellness.
It started with sharp recurring pain in my abdomen and ended with a three-hour visit to the emergency room at 2:00 a.m. I waited four days for it to go away, thinking it was related to the acid reflux (GERD) I’ve been treating with medication the past three years. I’d had a virtual visit with my gastroenterologist on Monday to set up my next colonoscopy. He asked how my acid problem was doing and I said fine, because I hadn’t yet experienced any problems. Then, because life works this way, it hit me on Tuesday. Bloating, pain, and the bowel problems usually associated with those symptoms. Was it food poisoning? I wondered. I kept thinking back on what I’d eaten the past couple days. And then it went away … only to return every few hours.
Finally, on Saturday morning just after midnight, I woke up in excruciating pain. Was my esophagus rupturing? Was I having a heart attack? I called the 24-hour nurse line provided by my insurance company, spoke to a very helpful nurse, and it was decided I should go to the emergency room.
Three hours after arriving, and an hour after a CT scan, I was diagnosed with acute diverticulitis. Course of treatment: antibiotics, clear liquids only for two days, and a list of mitigating measures provided in the paperwork they gave me when I left. As it turned out, the doctor was the daughter of our forester, who takes care of our annual filing to keep our property designated as a tree farm. It’s a small world.
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Savvy Senior: How to Choose a Medicare Advantage Plan
By Jim Miller
Dear Savvy Senior,
I will be 65 and eligible for Medicare in a few months and am interested in getting a Medicare Advantage plan to cover my health care and medications. What tips can you provide to help me pick a plan?
Ready to Retire
Dear Ready,
Medicare Advantage plans have become very popular among retirees over the past 15 years, as nearly half of all new Medicare enrollees are signing up for Advantage plans, which accounts for about 42 percent of the entire Medicare market. Here are some tips and tools to help you pick a plan that fits your needs.
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Listen Up! My Interview on the Queer Writers of Crime Podcast with Host Brad Shreve
Hear ye, hear ye! Podcaster and mystery author Brad Shreve released our interview this morning. It was a pleasure talking with him about my books, characters, writing, and a bit of life in general. Fasten your headphones!
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Mark McNease Mysteries Podcast #36: Paper Hearts: A Marshall James Thriller Short Story
It’s another Mark McNease Mysteries podcast, and this time I’m back at the mic, too! My short story, ‘Paper Hearts: A Marshall James Thriller,’ was released in February as part of the anthology Cupid Shot Me: Valentine Tales of Love, Mystery & Suspense.’ I subsequently released it as a standalone short story, and now … the audiobook. Fasten your headphones and enjoy this story on your phone, in your car, at your desk, anywhere you can just click and listen. And stay tuned for the third full book in the Marshall James series, ‘Final Audition,’ coming this fall.
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The Weekly Readlines March 30
The Weekly Readlines (rhymes with headlines!) offers news you can use every week. You can view the archives here.
Quote for the Week: “The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in the insidious encroachments by men of zeal, well meaning but without understanding.” – Judge Louis Brandeis 
BIG CUP: THE WEEK’S TOP STORIES First the good news: the FDA approved a second COVID booster shot for people over 50. Count me in. Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson appears headed for confirmation, with a vote from the Senate Judiciary Committee set for April 4.
Will Smith made entertainment history in the worst way with a slap across Chris Rock’s face. Media frenzy and Facebook pontificating followed. Meanwhile, Ginni Thomas, the wife of a sitting Supreme Court Justice, was revealed to have enthusiastically pursued the overturning of an American election. Not only can you not make these things up, you wouldn’t want to.
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Featured Book: Unexpected Bravery: Women and Children of the Civil War, by A.J. Schenkman
This week’s Featured Book is a fascinating look into lives most of us don’t know anything about: women and children who enlisted to fight in the Civil War. Among them was Albert Cashier, a man we would now call transgender. Born female, Albert spent almost his entire life as a man, beginning in boyhood. His military bravery was so highly thought of that the people around him protected his secret even after many of them knew about it. And this is just one of over a dozen stories told through archival material, letters, and first-hand accounts, of people who may otherwise be forgotten. A completely satisfying read. You can listen to my recent One Thing or Another podcast with the author HERE.
About Women and Children of the Civil War
The American Civil War divided the United States from 1861-1865. During those years, over two million soldiers served in both the Union and Confederate Armies. What is little known is that not only the numerous children, some as young 12, enlisted on both sides, but also women who disguised themselves as men in an attempt to make a difference in the epic struggle to determine the future of the United States of America.
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The Weekly Readlines March 25: Ketanji Kills It, Putin’s War Crimes, and the Week in Headlines
The Weekly Readlines (rhymes with headlines!) offers news you can use once a week. You can view the archives here. And for your listening pleasure, this week’s podcast edition!
Quote for the Week: “Your heart’s strength is measured by how hard it holds on. Your self worth and faith is measured by finally letting go. However, your peace is measured by how long you don’t look back.” ― Shannon L. Alder BIG CUP: THE WEEK’S TOP STORIES First the good news: Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson survived the avalanche of dog whistles as Republicans tried to smear her with their “woke” and “critical race theory” crayons, employing words and concepts as tired and useless as they are. Absent another Supreme Court seat theft, she will be confirmed.
Ukraine continued to turn Putin’s wet dream into a bowel blockage. The trucker convoy got stalled by a single bicyclist in D.C. And Disney employees staged a walk out against Florida’s contribution to the Don’t Say Gay hate craze.
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Author Dave Hughes Offers Complimentary Short Story ‘Cruise Virgins’ for New Subscribers
I’ve been both a friend and fan of Dave Hughes for quite a few years now. He’s the founder of RetireFabulously.com, a recurring guest on my One Thing or Another Podcast, and now a fiction author with an upcoming release, Maybe Next Year:
“Bryan and Chris are high school juniors who have been inseparable best friends for three years. Now, they are discovering that their feelings for each other run much deeper than mere friendship.
Chris, whose open-minded family is completely supportive, is ready and able to live his life out and proud. For Bryan, whose father is the pastor of a very conservative mega-church in a Kansas City suburb, being gay simply isn’t an option. Bryan hopes that maybe next year when they leave Kansas to go to college together, he will be able to live more openly. In the meantime, they must learn how to navigate their conflicting family dynamics and boundaries if they are to fulfill their dream of spending the rest of their lives together.
Everything changes when Bryan is outed. His father will stop at nothing to force Bryan to “leave the homosexual lifestyle,” requiring Bryan and Chris to make some very difficult choices.”
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The Weekly Readlines March 4
The Weekly Readlines (rhymes with headlines!) offers news you can use every Saturday morning. You can view the archives here. And now you can listen to the podcast edition HERE! pleasure!
CLICK FOR THE PODCAST EDITION!
BIG CUP: THE WEEK’S TOP STORIES First the good news: President Biden united NATO and the West against Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, and high school students across Florida staged a walk out over the ever-so-hateful Don’t Say Gay bill.
Texas unleashed the state against trans kids and their parents, while millions of children were plunged into poverty with the expiration of the expanded child tax credit killed by Joe Manchin. Not to be outdone in the race to the bottom, the Wyoming Senate defunded the Gender Studies program at the state university, since women belong in the kitchen and the maternity ward.
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Steve Hayes’ Tired Old Queen at the Movies: Classic Movie Review – Sidney Poitier in ‘Paris Blues’ (VIDEO)
CLASSIC MOVIE REVIEW : All of us at STEVE HAYES: Tired Old Queen at the Movies honor the work and memory of the great SIDNEY POITIER. He joins Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward and Diahann Carroll in 1960’s swinging Paris in Martin Ritt’s romantic PARIS BLUES. Shot on location with a terrific score by Duke Ellington and an amazing appearance by Louis Armstrong. It’s sexy, nostalgic, and romantic – just like Paris.
PARIS BLUES, DVD https://amzn.to/3pm5qbb
“Great Summit / PARIS BLUES Tracks”: Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington CD https://amzn.to/3JVyL3S
PARIS BLUES original 1961 27×41 one sheet movie poster PAUL NEWMAN/SIDNEY POITIER/LOUIS ARMSTRONG https://amzn.to/3hkmQ3D
“The Measure of a Man : A Memoir” by Sidney Poitier https://amzn.to/3584pg8 “This Life” by Sidney Poitier https://amzn.to/3HlR6FK -
Savvy Senior: Can COVID-19 Cause Shingles?
By Jim Miller
Dear Savvy Senior,
How effective is the shingles vaccine and what is the CDC recommendation for getting it? My older brother and sister, both in their fifties, got COVID a few months back followed by shingles. Do you know if there is a connection between these viruses, and would the shingles vaccine have protected them?
Scared of Shingles
Dear Scared,
Great question! Many healthcare professionals across the country have been urging their older patients to get the shingles vaccine (in addition to the COVID-19 vaccinations) during the pandemic because getting COVID-19 can increase your chances of developing shingles. And the more severe case of COVID you get, the greater your risk for shingles.
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Subscriber Delivery Moves to Saturday!
As my retirement from full-time work fast approaches, my options grow. I’ve been sending out The Weekly Readlines and content updates on Wednesday morning because it’s been one of my days off. With more choices available soon, I’m moving the delivery to Saturdays. You can enjoy the news roundup, soon to include a podcast edition for those who like to listen, and any content updates. I’ll also be expanding the content, with a lot more time to do it! SUBSCRIBE HERE. See you Saturday – Mark