I have been going through hell since sunday. Pain like you would not believe. Seemed to be gout. I had an attack several yeas ago. In the last 48 hours I have gone through gout, not gout, blood problem, not blood problem, back to gout, now not sure. In spite of it all, I presently have pain like you would not believe Walking next to impossible. Cane of no assistance. Stairs dangerous. I am heading for a fall!

I went on gout pills yesterday at noon. By dinner time, I was considerably better. This morning, worse. Woke to a totally enlarged foot starting to work its way into my ankle. My 7 month problem recently resolved.

God bless Dr. Norris. He is working closely with me. Even came to my home sunday night. Could I ask for more! He wanted to see if gout or a blood problem. Diagnosis goes back and forth.

We have examined any new foods I may recently have begun eating. I tried to eliminate sugar from my diet a few weeks ago. Discovered a cranberry juice brand with only 1 gram of sugar in a 64 ounce bottle. I have literally been drinking cranberry juice by the gallons. Order it from Amazon 4-6 64 ounce bottles at a time.

Guess what? Norris checked the labels on the bottle and ran them through his sources to see if the juice can be a gout problem. Yes, it can.

Problem is my body is not reacting properly to the gout pills. Norris says it may take a few more days to get the juice out of my body.

Note I did not do a blog yesterday. The pain was too much. I could not concentrate. Was not going to write this morning. However, the blog is part of my life and I missed doing it yesterday and did not want to miss again today.

Another Norfolk Southern Train has derailed in Ohio. Near Springfield. Fortunately, no hazardous waste materials on board.

I recall Johns-Manville and the asbestos deluge of cases back in the 1970’s and early 1980’s.

I was intimately involved in the second and third waves of asbestos cases on a nationwide basis.

For much of the 20th century, Johns-Manville was the global leader in manufacturing products containing asbestos.

In 1982 facing unprecedented liability for asbestos injury claims, it voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 protection under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. The Manville Trust was born as a result and is still operating. The monies used to pay asbestos injury claims.

I have taken the time to weave Johns-Manville history into the East Palestine personal injury claims which will follow. People should not want to put Norfolk Southern out of business. Need their monies and any other available funds to meet the serious injury damage claims that will be made.

Note railroad train derailment accidents are common. Very much so. The U.S. averages more that 1,700 a year. Works out to 4.8 derailments a day.

Tomorrow March 8 marks the beginning of Catholic Sisters Week. The celebration of Catholic women in religious orders.

Nuns were part of my upbringing and adult life.

From the second to the eighth grade, I attended Blessed Sacrament School. Run by Brown Franciscan nuns. Called Brown Franciscans because of the color of their habit and to distinguish them from Black Franciscan nuns who wore black habits and were later part of my adult life. The Brown Franciscans were kindly to those of us of Italian and Syrian extraction. We were few in the school.

High school was Utica Catholic Academy. Run by the Sisters of Charity. These good ladies wore tall white bonnets. Like wings.

For whatever reason, they were all older than my grammar school nuns.

Tough women.

One befriended me. Why, I have never been sure. My sense is she noticed my interest in history. She taught history. We got into things together not taught in the classroom. She expanded my thought process.

Whether I was going to college depended on money. My parents did not have money. Sister Gertrude made it her business to make sure I got to college.

Student wise, I was not bad. I was fifth in my class.

Sister Gertrude’s cousin was a Christian Brother. He was Athletic Director at Manhattan College in New York City. She arranged for him to sponsor me in effect and also got me a small scholarship along the way.

The things we never know. At least not my family or people. The McGinty family owned and operated a major Utica bank. The McGinty’s all attended Manhattan College. At one point, a McGinty was President of Manhattan College. Another small scholarship appeared through the bank.

Nuns were not an integral part of my life again till I was an established lawyer in Utica. Black Franciscans that I mentioned earlier.

One involvement was St. Elizabeth Hospital. Utica’s largest. Fourteen hundred employees. Operated by Black Franciscans. Sister Rose Vincent was the CEO. A top business woman. I met Sister Rose through my wife who annually co-chaired a major fund raising dance for the hospital. We became friends.

She and another nun Sister Johanna used to have dinner at our home occasionally. Certain of the nuns were fanatical Syracuse fans. Many the football and basketball game these ladies enjoyed in my box.

Sister Rose also would call me for advice when certain matters arose where she needed help.

Our relationship was close. An example involving two trips.

Sister Rose always was on my back that I worked too hard and needed to take more time off. One day, I received a telephone from her. She said next week you and your family (my wife, four children and parents) are leaving for Italy for a month. I have arranged for your tickets, a villa on the Mediterranean near Rome, two rented cars, etc. Of course, I had to repay her.

She had to convince me to go. A whole month! Never had I taken that much time off. Not even close to it.

Everyone involved, the family and office staff, knew.

I went. Why not!

That was telephone call number one. The second was the day I returned from Italy. Hello Louis, how are you, etc. Don’t unpack. You and I are leaving for Hawaii tomorrow for one week. I have an important business conference involving big dollars and want you there.

I forgot to mention. Sister Rose was number 3 in her Order world wide. A heavy hitter.

The trip was torture. Three different time zones my body had been through.

I have another story involving Sister Rose’s order that I will save for another day. I have gone too far already with today’s blog.

Syracuse plays Wake Forest tonight in their opening game of the ACC end of season tournament.

Enjoy your day!