Wednesday 10 December 2008

Perth's birds getting high on antidepressants


A PERTH woman is having her medication stolen by birds from the balcony of her Fair City home after a row with the local council left her without a fridge to keep it in.
Distraught Philomena Brymer (53), of Pomarium flats, has been told by medics she must keep her pills refrigerated but the only place cold enough is outside after a kitchen redesign, in her opinion, went wrong and has yet to be rectified. This could be true as there is one antidepressant PHENELZINE still used (very rarely) that needs to be stored in the fridge.
Birds have taken to swooping on the drugs, thinking they are food, leaving Ms Brymer without the help necessary for her depression and other illnesses. Okay now I cry BULLSHIT because phenelzine would be dispensed in a plastic bottle that would be pretty beak-proof.
Her troubles began when the council came to refit her kitchen as part of an upgrade project.
She said contractors did not leave proper space for a fridge/ freezer, putting it against a window, so she had it removed.
She said, “It was a fire hazard because it would have blocked my exit route if I couldn’t get out my door so I had to throw it out.
“My medication and vitamins (Ketovite needs to be stored in a fridge) have to be kept at the correct temperature but now I don’t have a fridge, through no fault of my own. HEY wait a second... YOU threw the fridge out !
“The only place I can keep it is on the balcony, because of the cold weather, but the birds are taking it away.
“The contractor said I have to talk to the council but the council have said it is the contractor’s fault, leaving me stuck in the middle and getting sicker—I’ve been to hospital three times.”
A council spokesman said efforts are being made to find Ms Brymer a new fridge but insisted the window obstruction would not have been a danger.
He added, “The tenant agreed the design of her kitchen with contractors ahead of the work.
“The tenant’s fridge freezer did slightly obscure a small gable-end window, but the main large window in the kitchen was totally unaffected.
“The fridge was nowhere near a doorway and did therefore not obstruct any fire escape door as claimed.
“For her own reasons the tenant then made the decision to throw away her fridge, presumably knowing she needed it to store her medication. Because of her difficulties we are now working to obtain a new fridge for the property.”
Basically, we are dealing with a woman who got a new kitchen and threw out the fridge freezer because one small window was slightly obscured... and somehow my local paper was desperate enough for a story that they went round and listened to her. I've seen her picture in the paper (not available on website)... and mad cat-lady from the Simpsons springs to mind.

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