Stories on what it's like to go from age 70 to 80 (social security, state)
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Their weak spot is they don't always advocate well enough for themselves with doctors. Some of that is just generational imo with according the doctor more authority than they should.
I just had to comment on this.
I lost 3 family members to complications of prescribed drugs. None of them ever smoked, drank, or did "recreational" drugs. Nor did they have any accidents that caused debilitating injuries.
It is heart-breaking to see a perfectly healthy, sharp person fade because of toxic drugs. My maternal grandmother was going gangbusters into her mid-80s; she died of kidney failure at 86, from a prescribed painkiller for arthristis in her knees. Her knees weren't that bad. But, "the doctor said...".
Her husband, my maternal grandfather, died at 81 from wrongly-prescribed meds for a relatively mild type 2 diabetic condition, that did not require insulin. He didn't need any meds for that; it could have been controlled with diet. They gave him a "diet" alright - loaded with sugary stuff like orange juice.
At no time did anybody ever question what the doctors were doing or prescribing.
At age 69, I take no meds. I have a medic who understands that I don't want to. I would take a water pill if I developed high BP, but that's about it. Maybe something temporary like a decongestant if I got a respiratory infection. My wife knows what my wishes are. I'd rather go peacefully and naturally, than live a few weeks or months longer on drugs that will make me miserable. Just my humble opinion.
I lost my great grandma who died at 105 years old just 20 years ago. How many still have a living great grandma at 50?
Grandma Bessie was supposed to be born in South Dakota but was born in Minnesota because the family need to wait another year for the army to clear up the last remaining Indians around the period of Wounded Knee. At not yet one year of age the family moved to the family homestead just outside of Sturgis, South Dakota where Grandma Bessie spent nearly her entire life.
As far as anyone can tell Grandma Bessie never spent a day in a hospital.
Living in Sturgis she walked three blocks to the local "saloon" (that is what she called it) where she enjoyed a single glass of draft beer every day but Sunday of her adult life. At 5:00 everyone knew where grandma was.
Not politically correct she didn't like Indians and she wasn't shy about voicing her opinion.
Known for her rhubarb pie the day before she died she tended her garden with a hoe and rake.
The only thing wrong was she was a little hard of hearing and you had to speak up a bit.
She went to bed that night in the same two story house she had lived in for over 80 years.
Grandma Bessie's daughter, my grandmother who was in her mid 80's at the time, stayed with her and the next morning Grandma Bessie called for her to come into her room, sat straight up in her bad and announced "I'm dying!" whereupon she fell backward on her pillow and was gone in an instant.
My grandmother lived to 96 and was hell on wheels until the end -- active and no dementia/cloudy thinking or anything of the sort. She had "old age" diabetes and gallstone surgery at 88, but none of that slowed her down. She did not smoke or drink. She always had very low blood pressure and died in her sleep when it just kept falling and her heart slowed and then stopped.
My father is 86 and my mother 83. Dad is spry, still works in his woodshop but moves a lot slower now (bad knees/legs from rickets due to malnutrition when he was a child, otherwise he'd be doing great). He smoked until his 30's, my mother smoked until her 50's, but neither drank. My mother has had several TIA's and her memory is pretty much gone and she gets scared and confused and then tries to hide it. She's a ghost of her former self, but physically she is very healthy otherwise.
I lost 3 family members to complications of prescribed drugs. None of them ever smoked, drank, or did "recreational" drugs. Nor did they have any accidents that caused debilitating injuries.
It is heart-breaking to see a perfectly healthy, sharp person fade because of toxic drugs. My maternal grandmother was going gangbusters into her mid-80s; she died of kidney failure at 86, from a prescribed painkiller for arthristis in her knees. Her knees weren't that bad. But, "the doctor said...".
Her husband, my maternal grandfather, died at 81 from wrongly-prescribed meds for a relatively mild type 2 diabetic condition, that did not require insulin. He didn't need any meds for that; it could have been controlled with diet. They gave him a "diet" alright - loaded with sugary stuff like orange juice.
At no time did anybody ever question what the doctors were doing or prescribing.
At age 69, I take no meds. I have a medic who understands that I don't want to. I would take a water pill if I developed high BP, but that's about it. Maybe something temporary like a decongestant if I got a respiratory infection. My wife knows what my wishes are. I'd rather go peacefully and naturally, than live a few weeks or months longer on drugs that will make me miserable. Just my humble opinion.
I hear you.
I live by the motto you cant assume the doctor knows what he/she is doing and also just because the office doesn't call about blood tests the results are ok.
I agree keeping drugs to a minimum is best, but there's also a middle ground imo where a drug can give you years of extra life with minor trade offs in side effects, so its a balancing act.
The lesson for me is try to make sure you have a younger "advocate" to go with you to doctors on serious issues.
Interesting responses so far. I'm particularly interested in the decade between 70 and 80. I wonder if any studies have been done. The responses here are confirming for me that my ideal age to kick off is 83. I don't know why I instinctively chose that age, it just seems that it's good to go before 85 (for me).
If you declined in health and/or spirit in your 70s, was it gradual or brought on my something?
If you found new purpose and joy and activities, what was it brought on by? Determination or meeting someone who inspired you or....?
Interesting responses so far. I'm particularly interested in the decade between 70 and 80. I wonder if any studies have been done. The responses here are confirming for me that my ideal age to kick off is 83. I don't know why I instinctively chose that age, it just seems that it's good to go before 85 (for me).
If you declined in health and/or spirit in your 70s, was it gradual or brought on my something?
If you found new purpose and joy and activities, what was it brought on by? Determination or meeting someone who inspired you or....?
My great-gandfather always said he thought it would "be nice" to die on Easter Sunday.
No particular reason; he just thought that's what he would like.
He was in his 80's when one night in November there was a huge wind storm that felled a tree which landed on top of my grandmothers house, crashed through the roof & landed in his room, on his bed.
He had fallen asleep downstairs that night & after a frantic search upstairs everyone found him snoozing away on the couch.
5 months later, on Easter Sunday when everybody was getting ready for church, they found him in bed; he had passed away earlier that morning...
Nor'Eastah, I'd be interested in what arthritis drug you are referring to if you feel like posting it or happen to know.
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