Does anyone REALLY plan on old age? I know that I certainly did NOT! Actually I never thought that I would live this long. Oh, I know there are people who carefully plan for income during their "Golden Years" (what a laugh that is !) Again, I did not. But I am reminded of a dear friend of mine who worked for Orange County for most of his adult life. He was working toward a very generous retirement plan. He died two weeks before he was eligible.
But I am not just speaking about financial. Does any one know or plan on what happens to their body? I suppose plastic surgery might help to delay the inevitable, but it will happen anyway. The skin starts to sag. It hangs like crepe. Your joints hurt,your hips and knees give out. When I look in the mirror (which I do rarely) I have no idea who the person is staring back at me. Many times I have had people ask if I was sad or angry and I have to reply, "No, that is just the way my face hangs. I can't help it". Of course you also gain weight as you age. Being active and going to a gym will help maintain your weight, but what about the waist line? I weight about the same as I did in high school, but my waist (or what used to be a waist) is ten inches larger. I am told that the body stores fat around the organs (particularity in men) to protect them. Protect them from what? Certainly not from being attacked.
Now, I will say that I have enjoyed a remarkable good health all my life. I tell people that I have never really been sick, but I have had five operations. After a doctor tried to repair a hernia of mine, he told me that my stomach wall looked like Swiss cheese from all the operations. Three times they have entered through my navel. People speak of "innies and outies". Well I have a "noney". There is no sign of it at all,, just a scar. My good health has nothing to do with good living, for I have abused my body for over 70 years. I do however believe in self medication and therefore I stock an entire pharmacy of drugs for almost any ailment.
I have everything from vitamin supplements to stool softeners (which are not really needed here in Mexico)
I was reminded of my health recently. One morning I awoke with a pain in my leg. It was difficult for me to walk. Now, I am so unconscious when I first get up (before a pot of good strong coffee) that when someone asks me how I am feeling, I have to tell them, " it is too early to tell". Anyway this morning I knew something was wrong. Then my ankle began to swell and I recognized the symptoms of a blood clot. Two years ago while I was in France I had a blood clot. I saw a series of doctors and had a sonogram, but as I recall they did not make much of a fuss about it. Of course it was all in French, so I could have missed some important part. It was a Saturday so I waited until Monday morning to visit our local hospital (a trip I have made before).
My Mexican doctor (a lovely lady who speaks perfect English) was very upset. She said I could die from it and either I agreed to a series of shots and stay in bed for a week, or I would wind up in the hospital. The shots are rather expensive for Mexico, so she suggested that I buy them at the local pharmacy and bring them back, as the hospital would charge me at least double the price. Yes, you can buy a syringe full of drugs over the counter here. The shot went directly into my stomach which was very painful. She told me to go home and go to bed and No gym and No sex ((Oh, but we don't go there anyway).
On Thursday, I play bridge. My doctor said that there was no way I could sit in a chair for five hours. We
play duplicate bridge with partners. I knew that my partner would not be able to get a substitute so that would mean that three people could not play. I decided to slip on the support hose that I had made in France. They are funny looking anyway, but when you wear only one with cargo shorts, .. well it is quite a sight.. But in Mexico no one pays attention to the bizarre. A few people asked questions, my appearance did not cause much of a stir.
By Friday my doctor was amazed to say that the clot had dissolved. No more shots, but I have to take a daily pill to keep it from coming back. Every doctor I have ever had has remarked about my body"s ability to recover (good genes, I guess). Such occurrences do remind one of the fragility of a body as old as mine. Will I change my life style, NO !! I have gotten this far doing (and drinking) whatever I want, so why change now? I don't worry about much about my health, (maybe that is the secret).
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