Navigating senior years.

Donstar · January 13, 2025

21 hours ago, KARNUT said:

This true but be prepared for a bunch of tests. Example. A couple of years ago the allergy season was brutal. I was experiencing lots of sinus and chest pressure. I wanted a little more than Tylenol to treat it. Being on blood pressure medication I wanted make sure I used the recommended medication. I said chest pressure. Chest pressure is a trigger word. I still work vigorously and am in great shape for my age. Being my GP for over 30 years he knows me. Ignoring my allergy questions. Six months worth of tests started. Scanning and treadmill you name it. I suspect being part of the Methodist treatment group that trigger word was a money maker. My deductible was 50 each test so I spent at least 500$. I have plenty of time on my hands so no big deal. I’m actually in better shape than I thought. Doing anything in 100 degree heat you find out really quick. I just spent 2 days shoveling snow. About 6 months later back at my GP for analysis my allergies long gone. I got my answer.

Yes, sometimes you think you're at death's door and the doctor says you're ok. Other times an incidental comment may lead to major testing with life changing consequences. More than once in this past year I've come home with a prescription or test requisition for reasons other than why I went to see the doctor! My older brother and sister both died around my current age from causes that should have been detected early. This makes me even more motivated to tell all to my Doctor whenever I have a health concern. (I typically write down my concerns on a piece of paper and check it before leaving his office.)

KARNUT · January 13, 2025

56 minutes ago, Donstar said:

Yes, sometimes you think you're at death's door and the doctor says you're ok. Other times an incidental comment may lead to major testing with life changing consequences. More than once in this past year I've come home with a prescription or test requisition for reasons other than why I went to see the doctor! My older brother and sister both died around my current age from causes that should have been detected early. This makes me even more motivated to tell all to my Doctor whenever I have a health concern. (I typically write down my concerns on a piece of paper and check it before leaving his office.)

There’s been diabetes in my family and gallbladder issues. Three years ago I had a pain in my side. I told the doctor got tested. Pulled muscle was the issue. Getting checked up yearly I witnessed the creep towards pre diabetes. I modified my diet and lost 30lbs so far. High blood pressure at 19 forced my towards yearly checkups. Walking pneumonia got me to the doctor. Probably saved my life. My grandfather died of having high blood pressure at 55 before there was medication for it. I’m the only one who has high blood pressure in the family. I still have my hair. My brothers got his bald head.

txab · January 13, 2025

They can thank your mom and her side of the family for their lack of hair

KARNUT · January 13, 2025

7 minutes ago, txab said:

They can thank your mom and her side of the family for their lack of hair

It was my mother’s father.

customboss · January 13, 2025

2 hours ago, KARNUT said:

There’s been diabetes in my family and gallbladder issues. Three years ago I had a pain in my side. I told the doctor got tested. Pulled muscle was the issue. Getting checked up yearly I witnessed the creep towards pre diabetes. I modified my diet and lost 30lbs so far. High blood pressure at 19 forced my towards yearly checkups. Walking pneumonia got me to the doctor. Probably saved my life. My grandfather died of having high blood pressure at 55 before there was medication for it. I’m the only one who has high blood pressure in the family. I still have my hair. My brothers got his bald head.

Hair, me too and my brother used to be a heavy metal rocker with hair to his boots. Now he's bald and I am only male in family with hair. Ironic because most of my life I was zipped and high and tight haircuts. BP I have from anxiety from PTSD. Gall bladder removed in 2006 because flying you can't have an attack or you are grounded.

Wingnut · January 14, 2025

Was Googling for information completely unrelated to trucks, and one of the results led me here.

This damn forum LOL

Donstar · January 17, 2025

"Googling" is a great pastime. Boomers spent a lot of their adulthood without internet followed be years watching our dependence on the www grow into an everyday necessity. My computer and phone are valued tools and both serve as entertainment when they are not doing a task. I still have a friend or two who have no personal access to the internet. I appreciate that you can live a fulfilling life without but I believe personal devices enhance the journey.

KARNUT · January 17, 2025

My phone is in my hand all day. I don’t use a computer anymore. That and free YouTube there’s a wealth of information and entertainment. With my recent purchase of a smart tv I can cast to my TV from my phone. Traveling my phone is my GPS and with iHeart radio music and podcasts. Technology is mind blowing these days I’m always learning. Multitasking is so common if a person is bored. It’s because they have no ambition.

Donstar · January 20, 2025

Technology is definitely a senior's friend. Last Friday I awoke to a second morning of chest activity. I didn't want to go into the weekend without seeing my Doctor. Unfortunately he was unavailable that day so I went to an urgent care clinic. As soon as I presented my health care number at the front desk they had all of my current health history and the Doctor on call was able to proceed with my immediate needs as if he was my regular doctor. Within the hour, I had many tests c/w results for an informed diagnosis. My critical components were all fine and some lifestyle tweaks will eliminate the concerning chest activity. The diagnosis in itself was enough to make me feel better! Most boomers have known someone who didn't seek medical attention in time and died prematurely. Stoic and stupid are synonymous, imo, when ignoring unexpected health symptoms. It isn't embarrassing or weak or a waste of a Doctor's time to come home with a report of nothing wrong. I plan never to hear a doctor say something like, "If only you had come to me earlier..."

Grumpy Bear · January 20, 2025

Rex, our dog, tore an ACL this week. He's eight years old and quite active. Surgery coming this week. This young man is a joy to be around and quite a good teacher. His left rear leg is damaged and he hardly seems to notice. He hasn't a single thought of "what if" or worry about Thursday. Dog's can't contemplate the future. We can and that trait while very useful to us in shaping our lives is also a huge source of suffering over things for which we have no control or if we ever did, is now far too late to be of service in finding remedy.

When I talk to my ninety six year old father and observe him; one would never know his cancer has invaded much of his body now. He's not thinking about it or dreading its inevitable outcome. He isn't regretful nor remorseful nor fearful. He's just dad. It's not that he can't feel pain, he just doesn't mind it. When the doctors say they would like to do this or that he laughs at them; " I'm 96, you going to make me 20 again?" He takes Tylenol OTC for his discomfort. Sleeps about 14 hours a day. Enjoys his food and his TV and visit from those of us who treat him like he's just dad. Will joint him on a walk. Not someone to be pitied or hovered over. He'll show ya the door. He smiles at your notice of your own aging process. "Yep, that used to send me to the Doc in a tizzy. Those marks and wrinkles are just what happens. Save your money and your mental health and LOOK at old people".

He has an oncologist and a heart doctor and a GP. He heeds his bodies warning signals and sees his care takers regularly. He just doesn't obsess over it. Frankly, I'm jealous. But I'm also paying close attention to every word he says and every change in his being. He says to me the last visit, "Think I'll hang up my keys. My leg is getting lazy to the pedal". My God I admire this guy. He has always known when enough is enough. When he needed help and when he didn't.

Life, currently, is 100% fatal and man cannot FIX the root cause of our death. (Romans 5:12). I believe my fathers ability to meet this inevitably with such calm is rooted in his faith is God's promises who has provided a means to remove that causation and his eternal purpose for mankind. (Isaiah 65:17).

Edited January 20, 2025 by Grumpy Bear

KARNUT · January 20, 2025

44 minutes ago, Donstar said:

Technology is definitely a senior's friend. Last Friday I awoke to a second morning of chest activity. I didn't want to go into the weekend without seeing my Doctor. Unfortunately he was unavailable that day so I went to an urgent care clinic. As soon as I presented my health care number at the front desk they had all of my current health history and the Doctor on call was able to proceed with my immediate needs as if he was my regular doctor. Within the hour, I had many tests c/w results for an informed diagnosis. My critical components were all fine and some lifestyle tweaks will eliminate the concerning chest activity. The diagnosis in itself was enough to make me feel better! Most boomers have known someone who didn't seek medical attention in time and died prematurely. Stoic and stupid are synonymous, imo, when ignoring unexpected health symptoms. It isn't embarrassing or weak or a waste of a Doctor's time to come home with a report of nothing wrong. I plan never to hear a doctor say something like, "If only you had come to me earlier..."

As you probably know a certain meal can cause a temporary reaction even bloating that feels like chest pains. I first experienced extreme chest pains after drinking a soda and laid down to sleep. I was just in my 50s. I used to drink Diet Coke like water. It was not unusual for me to guzzle coke before bed. I was up all night sweating scared. I was out of town on a job by myself in a motel. I had training the next morning I decided it had to be gas. Sure enough as I was getting ready in the morning a big burp eliminated the pain. That was the beginning of occasional indigestion and the end of 12 cans of Diet Coke a day. It was the beginning of me realizing I was getting old and maybe needing to change my ways. You realize the really good feeling days are getting less pain and uncertainty is common. A learning experience. All the abuses you put on your body come back to haunt you. I’m not complaining I have a blessed life and just roll with it. When I wake in the morning I’m like wow I made it through another night. Then it’s ok who needs the rub on pain relief to day? No one ok, let’s do some work today.

Donstar · January 21, 2025

Best wises for Rex's speedy recovery! Our 14 year old dog, Star, is enjoying her senior years thanks to good health care. She is insulin dependent and has minimal vision. She doesn't take the initiative to seek medical attention and rarely complains. We have to bribe her to go to the doctor and we always get a huge bill at the end of her visit! She is happy, comfortable and her companionship is priceless!

Don&Star

Donstar · January 23, 2025

This week I dabbled into solar power. I bought a portable solar panel to charge the battery backup that I recently bought for power outages. We had a sunny day on Wednesday and I successfully collected energy from the sunlight to be used another day! This certainly isn't new technology but still is remarkable. Now I can correctly call my battery backup a portable generator! It certainly is a lot quieter than my old gas generator and I can use it indoors! Technology !

KARNUT · January 23, 2025

4 minutes ago, Donstar said:

This week I dabbled into solar power. I bought a portable solar panel to charge the battery backup that I recently bought for power outages. We had a sunny day on Wednesday and I successfully collected energy from the sunlight to be used another day! This certainly isn't new technology but still is remarkable. Now I can correctly call my battery backup a portable generator! It certainly is a lot quieter than my old gas generator and I can use it indoors! Technology !

When I researched backup for my house I really wanted to go solar. If I was younger with even the current technology. I would have went with a power wall backup and panels. Portable with panels don’t have recovery that you would need for long term like with a hurricane. I did buy a small portable battery backup. The portable gas generator with plug in at my fuse panel is big enough to power my house. Including a window unit AC total cost was 3500$. We did have a hurricane this summer and it worked flawlessly for the 15Hrs I was without power. I have in a corner of my detached garage with an exhaust extension that goes outside. All I had to do was run a cord I had made to the fuse panel and throw a switch.

Donstar · January 24, 2025

Sounds like you have a good setup, Karnut. It is hard, or very expensive, to come up with a perfect emergency solution. We seldom have power outages and we have managed fine with our current emergency kit. We know this may not always be the case. We had an overnight outage in the fall and we decided that we had to do something about my recently acquired CPAP machine. For the cost of the battery backups built specifically for these machines we were able to buy an 800W battery backup that would power my CPAP and also power my coffee maker in the morning! I do know that it will be a challenge to keep up with demand for multiple days of a power outage with my portable 100w panel but it's a step up in my level of emergency preparedness!