How Tina Turner Changed My Life or... I Got the Beat. Yeah Baby!


   Like many Americans today, I take a menagerie of maintenance medications to ward off a variety of ailments- some age related, others female, still others inherited and one in particular- a chronic condition all my own.  Yup, lucky me. And, I'm pretty sure you are nodding your head and musing, "me too".  In addition, there's the anti-oxidants, calcium and vitamins A - Z and a handful of minerals and "miracle" supplements to hopefully ward off conditions lurking around the corner. Sometimes I think it might just be easier to toss a swig of salt over my shoulder and call it a day. Afterall, my grandparents lived to ripe old ages without this routine of "pill popping" we people of the twenty-first century live by.
    It was a warm summertime morning- I think it was probably July-  when the most fantastic revelation came upon me as I stood pouring milk into my shredded wheat sprinkled with Craisins and walnuts (I do watch Dr. Oz religiously, afterall). Yes, it truly was a serendipitous few moments that changed my entire existence.  For, as I felt the once familiar tap of a toe, then another upon the cool floor tile under my bare foot, I looked down with surprise as one then both my feet began to move to the beat of the background music playing out of the under cabinet radio I only occasionally turn on lately.  


   The magical, soulful sounds of Tina Turner filled my head until I was breathing in music, gulping it in as my hips and shoulders, arms and head caught the beat to "Proud Mary". I was a go- go girl with flying feet, a teenager, a young seductress in my head, my body slipping down to the rhythm, the melody, without a flaw. The music filled me, lifted me up in a way I had once, long ago danced, and moved effortlessly across the kitchen, joining Tina's rough voice with my own. The song changed and I glided right into it without missing a beat, then the next. Before I knew it, I was pushing dusty CDs into the player and haven't stopped yet. Where had this soulful dance been hiding, locked away inside?  How?  And then I knew.  


   One cog in the pill wheel had been removed. It's lone effect, or more likely, combined effect with all the other "keep me healthy" meds had several years ago flipped the "off" switch on musicality, my love and appreciation of music.  I indulged for days in my new found musical spirit, unable to get enough of the latest Katy Perry craze to show tunes to golden oldies before sitting down and contemplating the effects my medications have on me. Yup, ladies and gentlemen, docs and nurses, friends and foes, one little pill had blocked the light in my soul. And now I had it back. Thank you Tina Turner for helping me feel the beat!


   I'm so glad you joined me for the first edition of this blog and hope you'll continue reading and contributing comments on your experiences with Med Effects. Together, we can learn more about drug and supplement side effects and work to take control  -- Felicity V