Welcome to Monologue Mania- one new free monologue a day- for a whole year-and still going!
                      first year - Feb. 13, 2014 - Feb. 13, 2015
I've continued with a monologue a day until the spirit moves me to stop, so if you have any ideas for a monologue you want me to write, please let me know at tigerteam1@gmail.com.
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Monologue Mania Day #485 A New Study by Janet S. Tiger June 12, 2015

A New Study

(for Caregivers Anonymous )

         (Woman comes over to the wheelchair, she is holding a newspaper, waving it at the others)

Remember when we were told to bring relevant articles that people in our group might find...interesting? Well, I've got one here.....

         (She reads, paraphrasing)

Studies over - get this - six years! -of over 8000 couples! - that's a lot - all 50 and up - show that CONCLUSIVELY - if one of the couple is sick......hold onto your hats, folks....the other one's quality of life.....is AFFECTED! AHHHHH! Amazing nd usually... this was the truly surprising part....usually NOT for the better!

Who would have guessed the results from this? Not I! I was under the mistaken impression that all caregivers are suffused with a sense of pride and accomplishment, and the joy of helping, just like Jesus! or Mother Theresa! Ok, maybe not....Jesus. From what I understand, Mother Theresa actually took care of people, Jesus CURED them, so, once they're cured, he doesn't have to take care of them!

        (She points at a couple of the group)

Oh, you guys be quiet - I am not making fun of Jesus! I pray every day just like you do, only this article was just too much! Speaking of too much -how much do you think they spent on this huge mystery of life? How many thousands - or since in was over SIX YEARS - how many MILLIONS of dollars did it take to figure out that when a spouse is sick, the other spouse FEELS CRAPPY, TOO!

      (She turns to go back to her seat, stops, looks back)

But they didn't ask the most important question - WHY DOES THE OTHER SPOUSE FEEL SO BAD?   (Laughs) Maybe we can get a grant to figure that one out - who's with me?

      (The others cheer. Lights down on her, end of scene)

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My husband just had laser eye surgery today in an attempt to save his vision,(we are praying we will hear the results are good during the followup appt on Tuesday) so perhaps that newspaper article which was the basis for today's monologue affected me a bit more than it would have on any other day! But it is a real article - http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/jun/12/marriage-sharing-pain-sickness/

In sickness and in health

All the news that's fit

By Scott LaFee, Special to the U-TnoonJune 12, 2015

Marriage is all about sharing, and one of the things shared is health. A new study shows that as couples get older, the health of one partner can have a significant effect on the other.

“When we think about quality of life for older adults and improving quality of life, it seems like targeting the individual is only part of the story,” said David Sbarra, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Arizona. “Our findings suggest that for older adults, a larger part of individual well-being is defined by our partner’s health and cognitive functioning as well.”

Sbarra and colleagues studied more than 8,000 married couples, all 50 years and older over a six-year period. They looked at markers for both physical and mental health. They found both genders were affected equally: If a husband was ailing, the wife’s quality of life was affected; if the wife was sick, the husband’s quality of life was affected.

The researchers say the findings have broad social significance, given the aging demographics of America and rising health care costs. “As we build public health interventions for our aging population when it comes to quality of life, we need to take a more dyadic approach, looking at both partners,” Sbarra said.

In other words, one spouse may be hurting, but the other spouse is also feeling the pain.

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Janet S. Tiger 858-736-6315

JanetSTigerMonologueMania.blogspot.com

www.JanetSTiger.weebly.com

Member Dramatists Guild since 1983

Playwright-in-Residence

Swedenborg Hall 2006-8