So You Think You Have Problems?

Unfortunately, my acting career went “south”, too. I was 54 and the industry in Florida wanted mostly young, bikini babes. Not like NY. But I did get some extra work and got a spot online for a commercial that I got well paid for. I have to say, against all odds, I did have a successful 16 year acting career, and I was ready to move on to something new. I no longer had a quest for fame, or fortune (well enough to be debt free and live well), I just wanted to do God’s will – whatever that was to be.

When we had first moved to Florida, we stayed with my mother until we saved up enough to rent a small apartment that allowed dogs in Margate near my mother and sister. She didn’t drive that much anymore since she had a vertigo attack and lost hearing in one ear. So I helped my mother by taking her places she needed to go.

After 4 years, I got tired of renting, so I saved up $1000 to put down on a condo in Boynton Beach that also allowed us to have dogs. I couldn’t have afforded to buy a bathroom, let alone a house in Connecticut, because prices there were sky high. Lou wasn’t for ownership it at first, coming from a family of renters, but then he came to like the idea and the condo. It had a club house with things to do and a swimming pool! And more importantly, my neighbors were nice.

We also had to get a new therapist, Lois, to keep on getting our prescriptions. After 6 years with her, my Anafranil wasn’t working as well anymore, so she tried me on Luvox. Thank God, it’s working fantastically for me! I hardly think of my face now; I just wash it, sunscreen it with over-the-counter retinal cream and proudly wear no make-up (unless it’s for special occasions). In fact my face looks better, now, at age 59. But it wasn’t as easy for Lou. Lois tried him on many medications that weren’t as effective or nearly as long lasting as Lithium.

I later got a job as a theatre attendant. After 6 months, they lost an employee and I had them interview Lou, and they hired him. Unfortunately after 2 years, his medications failed and he went manic. Lou accidentally broke a bunch of rules in order to save our boss some work. Lou was fired and I quit. The whole incident was stupid but my boss said I could have my job back. But a couple of the women were petty and one was a week-end supervisor. That supervisor made our lives miserable our last day because she didn’t like Lou for what he’d done, and both women didn’t like me by association. I told my boss this and he’d said he’d speak to the women. He never got back to me so that was that.