The Slice: Some drug problems result from inattention

The Slice asked about accidentally taking another family member’s pills.

Bill Mahaney was vacationing in Ocean City, Maryland, when he mistakenly took a strong diuretic his wife had been prescribed. This happened about 40 years ago, but his memories of the experience remain vivid.

Let’s just say his stroll to the beach that day took a turn when the effect of the drug hit him below the belt.

Oh, and by the way, here at The Slice pets are considered family members.

Carol Walters once mistook one of her cat’s pills for her own prescription. The feline, Poncho, was being treated for a urinary tract problem and Carol was taking a pain medication at the time. The capsules, which had spilled inside her purse, looked alike.

The mix-up made her do a lot of burping. But once she realized what had happened Carol was at least grateful that the confusion hadn’t made her want to use the litter box.

And a friend told about a time his wife absentmindedly tossed one of their poodle’s meds in her mouth along with some nuts.

“When she chomped down on it the fake beef flavoring flooded her taste buds. Since it was chewable, it dissolved quickly and was difficult to spit out. I think she had to eat copious amounts of chocolate to get rid of the aftertaste.”

When fast food stops being fast: “It is totally frustrating to wait in a long line while the people in front of you at the counter of a fast food restaurant try to decide what to order,” wrote Carol Voogd. “My husband and I have decided that per the ‘Seinfeld’ Soup Nazi episode, when you reach the front of the order line at a fast food restaurant, if you cannot place your order within 15 seconds ‘No food for you!’

“And you have to go to the back of the line and try again. The same goes for the drive-thru window.”

Re: Monday’s Slice: I spoke with a gentleman, Richard Mason, whose boat hasn’t been in the water for eight or nine years.

He has been working on it. You know how that goes. He has even rented a slip at a marina in Bayview, Idaho, a few times, but hasn’t actually put the boat in the water. This summer will be different though, he said.

Bon voyage, Richard.

Today’s Slice question: What’s your best “It happened in a Spokane laundromat” story?

Write The Slice at P. O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210; call (509) 459-5470; email pault@spokesman.com. The S-R occasionally receives mail addressed to staffers who have not worked here for 30 years.