A Supplement

Three-forty in the morning. Man with Alzheimer's can't pee. We take the man to the most distant hospital. History of urinary retention, can't pee, I say in my radio patch. The man is a bit of a kick. He talks about the place where he is staying: "A good place, you get three squares a day and they look after you when you are under the weather. Breakfast, scrambled, eggs, toast, some sausage, orange juice. I have major medical. People think you can rely on Social Security. You can't its only meant to be a supplement. I have a good pension."

I ask him if I could get into this place with just Social Security. "No, its only meant to be a supplement. Its a good place here. Three squares a day and they look after you when you are under the weather. Breakfast, scrambled, eggs, toast, some sausage, orange juice. I have major medical. People think you can rely on Social Security. You can't its only meant to be a supplement."

We have the same pleasant conversation about five times before we reach the hospital. I finally ask, "Well ,what do I do if I only have Social Security."

"Maybe find a dice game," he says. "Social Security is only meant to be a supplement. I'm lucky. Its a good place here. Three squares a day and they look after you when you are under the weather. Breakfast, scrambled, eggs, toast, some sausage, orange juice. I have major medical. People think you can rely on Social Security. You can't its only meant to be a supplement."

Depressed for lack of a good dice game, I don't get back to sleep until 5:15. My shift is over at six. I get up, give the narc keys to my relief, punch out, and then get back in bed and sleep until 8:30, before heading home.

This afternoon I am going to a reunion picnic for my Dominican trip, and then back to work at two for eight more hours.

***

Quiet afternoon and evening. Only did one call -- at a nursing home for high white blood count.

They were extremely short people this weekend, so since I slept most of the afternoon, I am doing the overnight again.