In 1897, Felix Hoffmann, a German chemist working for the Bayer company, was able to modify salicylic acid to create acetylsalicylic acid, which was named aspirin.
I don’t know how far back I need to go to tell this story, but I think I have to go back to my early days at Cyber Medical Company. My paychecks from Cyber were written on an HSBC account, so I opened an account there, so I could have direct deposit of my paycheck.
Years later, after I retired, I was having a problem making my credit card payments and I hired a firm to renegotiate my credit card bills. Most of my credit card companies took the deal, and I wound up paying about 50% of the outstanding balances, which they accepted as payment in full, and cancelled my credit card with them. As I said, this worked with most, but not all of my credit card companies. One of them demanded that I immediately pay the full balance. Naturally, since I had just paid all the other companies 50% of what I owed them, I didn’t have any money left.
So, this company took me to small claims court and got a judgement against me. They went to HSBC and put a lien on my account there. HSBC told them that the money in my account came from Social Security direct deposits, and that it was untouchable. So, instead of getting 50% like everyone else they got nothing from me and an invitation to go screw themselves from HSBC Bank.
Needless to say, this made me the most loyal customer that HSBC ever had, and even when I moved to Pennsylvania and opened an account at the Fulton Bank, I kept HSBC as my primary bank.
Then, a year or two ago HSBC decided to stick exclusively with Business customers and not handle personal accounts anymore. They switched me over to Citizens Bank. I was not happy with Citizens Bank, so I closed the account. That left me with one bank account and only 1 debit card.
So, at the end of May I moved here to East King Street, and in the course of filling out all the change of address forms, I mistakenly sent my information to a scammer. I noticed the error immediately and called the Fulton Bank, “Don’t make that payment. It was fraudulent.”
Immediately, they cancelled my card, and told me they would send me a new card via Federal Express. This left me with a problem. Most of my accounts nowadays are autopay. When it’s time for me to pay, they access the credit card on file and use that to make the payment. Now, the credit card on file, my only credit card, was useless.
I was able to go online and notify all but one of the companies I deal with that the credit card was not to be used and that I would supply a new credit card number in the next few days.
The only one I couldn’t notify was Boost Mobile, who handles my Internet Mobile hotspot. Those of you who know me, know that I can’t live without the Internet. So this was a big problem. It seems that Boost had “migrated” my account to a new web page, but had forgotten to put my log-in information into that site. So, I couldn’t log on. I tried unsuccessfully over the course of 10 days to make the change by phone, but nobody could help me because my number had been “migrated” to a new system. Once my monthly 50 gigabytes ran out, they would try to charge the old credit card, and when that failed, I would lose my Internet service.
When this finally happened, I was furious at Boost Mobile and decided to switch companies to Xfinity. I called them and got an appointment for a technician to install my new line on Sunday June 11th at noon.
I think that’s enough background. Now, here’s the story. I’ve had an arthritic hip for the past 12 years, but it’s only mildly painful, so I just use a cane. Then, last Thursday, it became very painful, not just the left hip, but the entire upper left leg. The only way I was comfortable was sitting in my recliner or lying in bed. Everything else hurt like hell. If I put any weight at all on the leg, it hurt.
That’s when I should have gone to the emergency room, but I didn’t want to miss my Sunday appointment with Xfinity. (I told you that I can’t live without Internet service.)
I searched through all my medical supplies and found 8 leftover Ibuprofen tablets from a dental visit in 2019. They were supposed to have been tossed in 2020, but you know me. I found 7 leftover Acetaminophen capsules that should have been tossed in December of 2016. By now the pain was getting worse. Even when I sat in a chair or laid down, it still hurt. So, on Saturday at noon I took the first Ibuprofen tablet. According to the old label it should relieve pain for 6 hours. In 3 hours my pain came back and I took another. I did this every 3 hours until noon on Sunday when my pills ran out and the Xfinity technician showed up.
Well, the building where I now live was completely renovated, and when they did that, they tore out the old cable connections. So, he was unsure as to what the building owner would let him do. He would come back on Monday, speak with the property managers and follow their guidance.
My plan had been to go to the Emergency Room on Sunday after the Internet Service was restored. Now, I would have to wait 24 more hours, and the pain was increasing through the whole leg. So, I started in with the expired Acetaminophen capsules, and found that they brought me some relief for almost 3 hours. I couldn’t walk around, but I could sit in a chair or lay down. I took the last one at 1 a.m. and woke up in severe pain at 3 a.m. I had to last 10 more hours to make the Xfinity appointment before I went to the Emergency Room. I take a baby aspirin every day for my heart, and I know that they are about 1/4th the strength of regular aspirin tablets. So, at 3 a.m. I took 8 baby aspirins. I woke up in pain at 5 a.m and took 8 more. I woke up in pain at 7 a.m. and took 8 more.
Then a noise woke me. I live on a very busy street and it seems to be the favorite path for everyone who owns a motorcycle in Lancaster. I woke up to the sound of a roaring machine, and I got out of bed to see if it was time for my next 8 baby aspirins. To my surprise, there was no pain when I got out of bed. No hip pain. No leg pain. None, at all. I went back to bed to see how long it would take for the pain to return. Another motorcycle woke me up at 11 a.m. and I was still pain free.
My theory is that I wasn’t having a problem with my arthritic hip at all. I probably had a blood clot in my leg, and the 24 baby aspirins I took must have dissolved it.
It’s now almost 1 p.m., and I’ve been walking around my apartment pain free without even using my cane. So, that’s why this long story is dedicated to Felix Hoffmann, the inventor of aspirin. He just might have saved my life.
P.S. The Xfinity appointment was rescheduled for this coming Thursday, but Boost managed to use my new Debit Card over the phone to give me another month’s service. I’ll wait until the Xfinity service is working before I cancel the Boost service. I can’t live without Internet service.
Peace and Love, and all of the above.
Earl
earlthepearl137 