Shit, it happened again. This time the right coronary artery was jammed to the tune of eighty five percent. Another stent, another bruise that looks like a bunch of purple and green grapes covers the inside of my right leg and radiates upwards towards my thigh and hips. A not so subtle reminder of just how fragile I’ve become. The bruise itself will surely fade over time but right now I feel like a poster child in the great debate over the so-called ObamaCare that’s raging throughout the country

I find this distressing.

I’m being put back on Plavix to the tune of $125.00 to $150.00 dollars per month. Apparently there’s no generic brand available here in the States that is allowed to compete with the fine folks at Bristol - Myers Squibb and their army of attorneys who have fought diligently to retain their patent rights and the subsequent profits that result from the sale of the drug.

I find this even more distressing.

While I was laid up Anna came to visit me in the hospital. It wasn’t like the last time. I could sense even more disappointment. See, I was supposed to accompany her to Cincinatti this weekend for her debut in the opening of the soccer season and we made a pretty big deal out of it. The doctors advise me that I shouldn’t spend too much time behind the wheel of the car while my femoral artery begins the healing process and since it’s about a four hour round trip they strongly suggested that I remain at home.

So now I’m forced to sit around and watch the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship in the comforts of my home while all the while I wish I was somewhere else. Spring has finally sprung here in Ohio this weekend with temperatures up near 70 and the snow finally gone. My garden calls to me from my backyard. Weeds need to be plucked and the soil is soft and just waiting to be turned but I’m told not to do any heavy lifting. Instead, I’ll be frozen in my Barcalounger waiting for the phone to ring and advise me of the results of her games. The NCAA’s make for a poor substitute.

Promises had been made, now they must be broken.

I find this the most disturbing of all.