Old age

[Stallard12]

I'll be 80 in January - Algy knows what I'm talking about.   However, I feel as fit as I have ever done, I'm out on my road bike most days, play eighteen holes of golf everyday pretty much year round, jitterbug for four hours at a country dance every Saturday night and yet I can't get away from doctors offices !   One decides that I haven't had a piss test for a long time, so he sends me for one.  Then he sees it and says "I'm suspicious about something, you'd better see a kidney specialist and I think you need to take these pills for your thyroid (made me feel like crap and I just dumped them in the toilet.).    The naphrologist (!) sends me for a catscan and extra blood work.  She asks me if I drink, I said "like a fish, I call Jim Beam, Jimmy."  I've been drinking whiskey and coke for a hundred years, she tells me - no coke, only 7 up.   She also makes me an appointment with a heart specialist !  me who can't raise my heart rate or heartbreat when I'm climbing  1 in 4 hill !

Well, I just mixed me a huge whiskey and COKE and that may explain this posting !.  Let me get another.one real quick.  I see the  Naph.... kidney doctor  next Monday and she'll be staring down both barrels cos I've had enough !   No more blood work, no more scans, no more biopsies etc etc. That's it.

As I said, I'm almost 80 years old, a world record in my Victorian age family, again, Algy will understand that.  I pretty sure I can make 85 on cruise control and I'll take that.  So no more doctors, I'm going to spend my time on cruises, casinos and disreputable women (that's my wife ).  

Have I made the right decision?

[Evil Sid]

Being a mere stripling of just about over the sixty mark i would say that you are doing better than i am by the sound of it. I only really see my doctor if i am ill ( and i mean ill and not just a runny nose)

I accept the fact that as i get older things will pack up or at least slow down and don't worry about it. in fact my biggest worry in life is living long enough to draw a state pension, whic the way they keep changing the qualification age will probably take me to a hundred and two.

never been a one for cruises, not that much into gambling so never been in a casino and as for disreputable women i seem to be at the back of the queue. (just recently found out that there were two brothels on the go within a couple of streets one of which was within sight of my front door. only found out because of the police raids on the places.)

if you are happy and enjoying yourself then you should not worry whether your decision is right or wrong. I would  be careful about calling your wife disreputable though, it could lead to pains in the chest, usually from elbows.

[Stallard12]

I'm sure you'll do just fine Sid.  Here, if you see your family doctor and he says " Uhmm, I wonder what that is, I don't think it's serious, but I'd better have you see Dr ..........     Then Dr ......  says I don't think it's anything, but we had better do a catscan.  The the catscan doctor says Dr .......   ........  should really be the one to read this.    Before you know it, there's nothing wrong with you, but you are seeing six doctors and sitting in their offices Monday, Wednesday and Friday every week, in fact you have to plan your vacations around these appointments AND THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH YOU Except old age.    That's what I have decided to change, I'm going to learn to say no.

[Evil Sid]

Thinking of writing a blues song about old age.

"I woke up this morning and nothing dropped off"

"i woke up this morning without even a cough"

"i breath in and out and know i'm alive"

"i guess that's another night i survived"

working on the rest of it between other odds and ends of partly finished stuff like garden bench making.

[Stallard12]

Whistle me the tune and I'll tell you if I like it.

[algy]

Stallard, absolutely you have made the right decision get out there and enjoy yourself. I am two years behind you at 78 but 'touch wood' keeping well and relatively active although I woke at 3am this morning with stomach pains, damn this diverticulitis hopefully it will pass within a few days it usually does then it can be months before it bothers me again, waste of time going to the quacks as I am a firm believer that once you turn 70 the medical profession lose interest in you as the government policy is after that age you are either expendable or a bloody nuisance or both.

[Stallard12]

Started yesterday Algy. My GP made me go to a nephrologist cos I had some protein in my urine.  She sent me for two separate cat scans and found out that what I had known for years was correct !   So I had missed four rounds of golf and four days of training rides on my bike.  When she started saying "Next month I'll take a look at.........".     I told her no, I'm through with tests, no more specialist that's it, I am fit and enjoy life, the fact that things are starting to drop off is just natural (like global warming), if I come back it will be in an ambulance.  She agreed with me, wished me luck and said call if you need me.  Two more to go.

[algy]

Correct attitude stallard, when you reach our age you get to know if something is not right with our bodies.

 

[Observer II]

The medical profession tend to have an obsession with longevity imo,  life should be about quality not quantity; and when you reach God's waiting room you should be at ease with your departure time. when it comes up.