Common Sins

Not fake news, just old truth. Joe Bob, somewhere over sixty, had strained his back. He had Aspirin at home, and knew it was pretty good stuff for back pain. He remember it was OK to take two every four hours, but after a while he thought, this isn't really working, so he began to double up on the dosing. After about two weeks, he noticed he was feeling weak......................until he finally had Betty Lou take him to the Emergency Room.

Severe anemia
How was that begun?
One guy was popping Aspirin
When his knee had come undone,
Taking it every four hours
For the past two weeks,
His Hemoglobin was four
He had acquired many leaks.

Maybe you need platelets
Or clotting factors,
Though sometimes blood products
Have their detractors,
Perhaps you have a religious
Belief, where you'll refuse,
A standard life-saving therapy
Guess we'll watch you bleed and ooze.

We medical persons
Shake our heads in wonder,
What happened to common sense
Regarding your Aspirin blunder,
How could you think it was OK
To take it so often, for so long,
No Doctor told you that
You wrote your own song.

Over-the-counter medicines
Gotta be safe, right?
Millions of people use them
All day and all night,
If one or two don't work
Take a couple more,
But if you should overdose?
Please unlock your door.