Is there a doctor in the house?
Today I want to talk to you about what happens to our bodies as we age. Most of you already experience the aches and pains of tired joints each and every morning as you try to get up out of bed. I know I do. For you younger folks, beware...your day will come.
If you are lucky, you will live a long and healthy life with little or no illness; that is until the end arrives...it will arrive for all of us. Rumor has it that the statistic of those who will face a death-bed is hovering somewhere around 100%. Lets talk a little about what I know.
Since I am Red and Chris' driver and because they (mostly Red) have at least two or three Doctor appointments per week, I spend a lot of time sitting in doctors waiting rooms I get to see a wide variety of sick elderly people. Sometimes I feel sorry for myself when I realize that there are things I want to do that I no longer can, due to my age and physical condition. But sitting there in a waiting room watching folks who are in their 80's, 90's and beyond, I suddenly feel wonderful about myself. It recharges my batteries. I stand taller and breathe deeper. I can see it in the eyes of those elderly folks that they are not all enjoying life. Some are simply going along with whatever God has given them and others are tired and ready for it all to end. I held the door for a lady once as she was leaving the doctors facility. As she passed me she looked up. Instead of saying thank you, her voice cried out, "Don't get old. It really sucks!" Then she continued on her way, one slow step after another. She is one of the lucky ones. She can still get around on her own, with her walker of course.
Today I want to talk to you about what happens to our bodies as we age. Most of you already experience the aches and pains of tired joints each and every morning as you try to get up out of bed. I know I do. For you younger folks, beware...your day will come.
If you are lucky, you will live a long and healthy life with little or no illness; that is until the end arrives...it will arrive for all of us. Rumor has it that the statistic of those who will face a death-bed is hovering somewhere around 100%. Lets talk a little about what I know.
Since I am Red and Chris' driver and because they (mostly Red) have at least two or three Doctor appointments per week, I spend a lot of time sitting in doctors waiting rooms I get to see a wide variety of sick elderly people. Sometimes I feel sorry for myself when I realize that there are things I want to do that I no longer can, due to my age and physical condition. But sitting there in a waiting room watching folks who are in their 80's, 90's and beyond, I suddenly feel wonderful about myself. It recharges my batteries. I stand taller and breathe deeper. I can see it in the eyes of those elderly folks that they are not all enjoying life. Some are simply going along with whatever God has given them and others are tired and ready for it all to end. I held the door for a lady once as she was leaving the doctors facility. As she passed me she looked up. Instead of saying thank you, her voice cried out, "Don't get old. It really sucks!" Then she continued on her way, one slow step after another. She is one of the lucky ones. She can still get around on her own, with her walker of course.
Red and Chris (Kerry's mom and dad) have their own issues to deal with, besides the usual stuff that goes along with old age. Kerry's mom is suffering with Osteoporosis (thinning of bone tissue and loss of bone density), Scoliosis (abnormal curving of the spine) and of course Type 2 Diabetes and Atrial Fibrillation. Her spine is so badly curved she can no longer look ahead as she moves around. With her walker in hand she slowly moves one sliding step after another until she arrives at her final destination, which is usually one of three places; her recliner, her bathroom or the dinning room table for dinner. Now and then we throw a doctors appointment into the mix and that is Chris' world. We have an exercise bike near her recliner and she is very good about crawling onto it and slowly cycling (with no resistance) a few times a day. We encourage her to exercise as much as she can. She does little, but then again, every little bit helps. When she falls, and she does on occasion, we first assess her for injuries before getting her back up onto her feet. Going to the gym 6 days a week helps keep me in shape for those days when I have to pick up either Kerry's mom or dad off of the floor.
Speaking of Kerry's dad (Red), he has his own list of medical problems, including Mycosis Fungoides (a rare type of skin lymphoma (tumors of the blood) and Prostate Cancer (metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC)). When he was much younger he also experienced detached retinas. In those days they had primitive laser techniques available to reattach retinas. He also had Cataract surgery almost 50 years ago; back then they removed the lens and didn't replace them. He had to cope with limited eye sight (no peripheral vision) and coke bottle glasses ever since. Recently we found out that he is no longer responding to the hormone treatment for his Prostate cancer. We are now seeing a specialist who is helping us deal with what lays ahead. Red is taking it all very well. He once had a near death experience and after that event he said that he has no fear of death. He now knows what is waiting for him on the other side. He is somewhat excited about making that journey, although he still experiences fear on occasion. I promised him that I would be his transition buddy to help him pass over when that day arrives. We are assuming that this will be his last year with us. At 90 years old he has lived a long and amazing life. When his day comes we will not cry with sorrow. Instead we will sing with praise that he knows God and is finally at peace.
Richard
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