Seniors in Denial

Keesha said:
My doctor is awesome. He’s a retired old guy of about 70 who biked across Newfoundland last May in FOUR days. He prescribed my cannabis before it became legal and really listens to what I have to say.

For the record, I won’t plan or opt for a nursing home either. Once others have to change me, feed me and wash me, there’s nothing worth living for any more. I’d rather die alone with dignity.
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Just wondered...is assisted suicide permitted in Canada? It is in a couple states in the US. Hub says if it gets that bad he want's a one way ticket to Oregon. Issue is, by the time it gets that bad, might not be able to make the trip...lol.
 

Ladybj said:
I totally agree - Sometimes the "cure" is worse or more frightening than the actual illness". THAT IS SOOOO TRUE. That is why a lot of people deal with their issues without meds or try natural remedies.. (if their illness is not life threatening or causing Chronic pain).

I think about how many Blood Pressure med recalls there are due to serious complications they can cause such as cancer, etc. And the side effects of some of these meds.. smh.. You go to the doc for stomach pain and end up taking 5 different meds.. Maybe one day the pharmaceutical companies and doctors will realize all meds does not fit all.
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Exactly. Doctors tend to treat patients as if they were all in the same text books they studied.
I learned many years ago - almost the hard way - when I followed the insulin advice of my first 2 diabetes doctors - & almost ended up in a coma or dead from hypoglycemia. Their advice may have applied to half of their patients, but not to me.
 

Keesha said:
You bet it is. 👍😎
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Liberty said:
Just wondered...is assisted suicide permitted in Canada? It is in a couple states in the US. Hub says if it gets that bad he want's a one way ticket to Oregon. Issue is, by the time it gets that bad, might not be able to make the trip...lol.
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True. That's why I have a "back up plan." Well...it's sorta messy & noisy, but I'd go outside & wrap up in plastic. I doubt someone would be in any condition to travel.
 
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Ladybj said:
I totally agree - Sometimes the "cure" is worse or more frightening than the actual illness". THAT IS SOOOO TRUE. That is why a lot of people deal with their issues without meds or try natural remedies.. (if their illness is not life threatening or causing Chronic pain).

I think about how many Blood Pressure med recalls there are due to serious complications they can cause such as cancer, etc. And the side effects of some of these meds.. smh.. You go to the doc for stomach pain and end up taking 5 different meds.. Maybe one day the pharmaceutical companies and doctors will realize all meds does not fit all.
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Not when the profit is so high.
 
Ladybj said:
Before retiring, I use to work for a Surgical group and there are so many people age 50 and over (some younger) that are on at least 5 different type meds. My adopted mother (that is what I call her - my biological mom passed on) is 80 and she is oh my goodness on about 15 different meds.
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The last time I saw a regular doctor was in early 2012 (I see my ENT 3 times a year). In the waiting room I saw several old people with plastic bags full of prescription bottles, they ask you to bring them in to check them. Right away after some blood tests he wanted to put me on 3 medicines. I refused and he said I was taking chances. I told him I knew that. Almost eight years later I am still drug free and still alive, maybe it's luck or maybe my body can fight it on its own. I always believe in the adage, "What doesn't kill you makes your stronger". Right or wrong, I am not a pill popper.
 
win231 said:
Exactly. Doctors tend to treat patients as if they were all in the same text books they studied.
I learned many years ago - almost the hard way - when I followed the insulin advice of my first 2 diabetes doctors - & almost ended up in a coma or dead from hypoglycemia. Their advice may have applied to half of their patients, but not to me.
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I haven't seen a doctor since 2007. I made serious changes in the way I live my life - especially how I eat (no sugar) - and I've never been healthier.
 
PVC said:
The last time I saw a regular doctor was in early 2012 (I see my ENT 3 times a year). In the waiting room I saw several old people with plastic bags full of prescription bottles, they ask you to bring them in to check them. Right away after some blood tests he wanted to put me on 3 medicines. I refused and he said I was taking chances. I told him I knew that. Almost eight years later I am still drug free and still alive, maybe it's luck or maybe my body can fight it on its own. I always believe in the adage, "What doesn't kill you makes your stronger". Right or wrong, I am not a pill popper.
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IMO, pharmaceutical companies (and doctors who accept their perks) have figured out something: Everybody dies, so why let it go to waste? We can prescribe a bunch of drugs & make a fortune before they're gone. At the same time, they'll think we're helping them & their mindset will be: "We're living longer & better because of drugs & doctors." (how many times have we heard that BS?)
 
Liberty said:
Now that is a bonified real alternative for you then. My mother in law spent almost 9 years flat on her back
in a nursing home. She died at 95. I say "why bother".
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That’s very sad Liberty. My parents are currently heading into the nursing home facilities. Unfortunately I didn’t have any power to help them.
Its certainly changed how I feel about aging and the system but I’ve learned so much from it in what not to do.
 
PVC said:
The last time I saw a regular doctor was in early 2012 (I see my ENT 3 times a year). In the waiting room I saw several old people with plastic bags full of prescription bottles, they ask you to bring them in to check them. Right away after some blood tests he wanted to put me on 3 medicines. I refused and he said I was taking chances. I told him I knew that. Almost eight years later I am still drug free and still alive, maybe it's luck or maybe my body can fight it on its own. I always believe in the adage, "What doesn't kill you makes your stronger". Right or wrong, I am not a pill popper.
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Right on. I’m not a pill popper either.
There were always plenty of alternative medicines that worked before conventional/ modern medicine evolved.
 
PVC said:
The last time I saw a regular doctor was in early 2012 (I see my ENT 3 times a year). In the waiting room I saw several old people with plastic bags full of prescription bottles, they ask you to bring them in to check them. Right away after some blood tests he wanted to put me on 3 medicines. I refused and he said I was taking chances. I told him I knew that. Almost eight years later I am still drug free and still alive, maybe it's luck or maybe my body can fight it on its own. I always believe in the adage, "What doesn't kill you makes your stronger". Right or wrong, I am not a pill popper.
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LOVE IT!!!! We have to be our own healthcare advocate.

Not to go into specifics but my doc tried to put me on a certain med and after reading the side effects and what it did to others.. I passed on it. That med was SUPER expensive. I did not have to pay for it but I could not believe the cost. Had I taken it, I know for a fact I will probably be on about 4 other meds trying to fix the side effects and even worst, in pretty bad shape health wise.
 
Jaylee said:
I haven't seen a doctor since 2007. I made serious changes in the way I live my life - especially how I eat (no sugar) - and I've never been healthier.
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Same here Jaylee... I try to eat pretty healthy. I take my flaxseed oil, vitamin d3, no red meat, mostly chicken and fish, salads, etc. I know I will not live forever, but I want to enjoy and be as healthy as I can while I am still alive. I do not and will not be stricken in a hospital bed or any bed during the last phase of my life which could last for years.
 
We retired at age 53 in1989... Some scares... cancer for me...had a lot to do with the decision... then 3 years later, a stroke for jeanie...

That was 31 years ago... Now, married for 61 years, and very happy. We planned for the later years. In 2004, while we were still snowbirding Illinois/Florida, we made the plan for the later years, and moved into our "Liberty Village" CCRC, here in IL.

We live in a "Villa" a 1600 s.f. regular home, that we own... built for seniors. Liberty Village is a Continuous Care Retirement Community . 79 Villas, then 69 independent living apartments, 60 assisted living apartments, a "bounce back" center for recovery from illness... Then a 65 unit nursing home, and then... a 60 unit "memory lane" Alzheimer unit.

I have stage 4 Alzheimers that is very slow onset. We both feel that whatever happens, we're covered, and won't be a burden to our kids. We have support in our "Campus", for a social life, and have lived here now for 15 years... a normal happy life. @ age 84, we look forward to the next 10 years (or so).

We are at peace for whatever might happen.

https://libertyvillageofperu.com/
 
Tom Young said:
We retired at age 53 in1989... Some scares... cancer for me...had a lot to do with the decision... then 3 years later, a stroke for jeanie...

That was 31 years ago... Now, married for 61 years, and very happy. We planned for the later years. In 2004, while we were still snowbirding Illinois/Florida, we made the plan for the later years, and moved into our "Liberty Village" CCRC, here in IL.

We live in a "Villa" a 1600 s.f. regular home, that we own... built for seniors. Liberty Village is a Continuous Care Retirement Community . 79 Villas, then 69 independent living apartments, 60 assisted living apartments, a "bounce back" center for recovery from illness... Then a 65 unit nursing home, and then... a 60 unit "memory lane" Alzheimer unit.

I have stage 4 Alzheimers that is very slow onset. We both feel that whatever happens, we're covered, and won't be a burden to our kids. We have support in our "Campus", for a social life, and have lived here now for 15 years... a normal happy life. @ age 84, we look forward to the next 10 years (or so).

We are at peace for whatever might happen.

https://libertyvillageofperu.com/
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Your post touched my heart. You guys planned your life very well. Sorry to hear about the Alzheimers... So glad to hear you are at Peace.. that is PRICELESS!!!! Here's to 10+ more years🍾
 
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Tom Young said:
We retired at age 53 in1989... Some scares... cancer for me...had a lot to do with the decision... then 3 years later, a stroke for jeanie...

That was 31 years ago... Now, married for 61 years, and very happy. We planned for the later years. In 2004, while we were still snowbirding Illinois/Florida, we made the plan for the later years, and moved into our "Liberty Village" CCRC, here in IL.

We live in a "Villa" a 1600 s.f. regular home, that we own... built for seniors. Liberty Village is a Continuous Care Retirement Community . 79 Villas, then 69 independent living apartments, 60 assisted living apartments, a "bounce back" center for recovery from illness... Then a 65 unit nursing home, and then... a 60 unit "memory lane" Alzheimer unit.

I have stage 4 Alzheimers that is very slow onset. We both feel that whatever happens, we're covered, and won't be a burden to our kids. We have support in our "Campus", for a social life, and have lived here now for 15 years... a normal happy life. @ age 84, we look forward to the next 10 years (or so).

We are at peace for whatever might happen.

https://libertyvillageofperu.com/
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If I have a day when I feel down, I will read your post.. I am a bit teary eyed.. happy tears for you and your wife. Man no post has touched me like this one for various reasons.
 
Ladybj said:
LOVE IT!!!! We have to be our own healthcare advocate.

Not to go into specifics but my doc tried to put me on a certain med and after reading the side effects and what it did to others.. I passed on it. That med was SUPER expensive. I did not have to pay for it but I could not believe the cost. Had I taken it, I know for a fact I will probably be on about 4 other meds trying to fix the side effects and even worst, in pretty bad shape health wise.
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I think one of the reasons patents don't question the need for meds is because their insurance is paying for it.
 
win231 said:
I think one of the reasons patents don't question the need for meds is because their insurance is paying for it.
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True and the doctor say they need it...which they may/may not. It is just so sad to me that some elderly people are on so much medication and they probably don't need as much as they are prescribed.
 
win231 said:
Exactly. Doctors tend to treat patients as if they were all in the same text books they studied.
I learned many years ago - almost the hard way - when I followed the insulin advice of my first 2 diabetes doctors - & almost ended up in a coma or dead from hypoglycemia. Their advice may have applied to half of their patients, but not to me.
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That's why my confidence in the medical world on a scale of 1-10 is a -1. What may help one person, may not help the next.
 
Ladybj said:
True and the doctor say they need it...which they may/may not. It is just so sad to me that some elderly people are on so much medication and they probably don't need as much as they are prescribed.
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Something else that's also sad: When someone dies, & their death is related to prescription drugs, they rarely mention that.
One example: When Bob Hope was hospitalized, reporters were asking his doctor what caused the emergency. The doctor said, "It was a GI Bleed." But, he didn't mention that uncontrolled intestinal bleeding is a common side effect of blood thinners (which some doctors are now admitting have questionable benefit....besides the increased risk of falls when taking them)
My dad almost bled to death from daily aspirin. I took him to the ER several times. On the 3rd occasion, the ER doctor told me, "He's lucky; he was a couple minutes from bleeding out." I tossed his "Children's Aspirin" out, even though his doctor told me he should continue taking it "to prevent a stroke or heart attack." Yeah....thinning blood also raises the risk of a bleeding stroke - something else they don't tell you.
BUT, on the front of every box of Cheerios, it says "Cheerios Lowers Cholesterol." Anything to sell crap, including bogus health benefits.
Well, he somehow lived another 10 years without blood thinners.
 
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win231 said:
Something else that's also sad: When someone dies, & their death is related to prescription drugs, they rarely mention that.
One example: When Bob Hope was hospitalized, reporters were asking his doctor what caused the emergency. The doctor said, "It was a GI Bleed." But, he didn't mention that uncontrolled intestinal bleeding is a common side effect of blood thinners (which some doctors are now admitting have questionable benefit....besides the increased risk of falls when taking them)
My dad almost bled to death from daily aspirin. I took him to the ER several times. On the 3rd occasion, the ER doctor told me, "He's lucky; he was a couple minutes from bleeding out." I tossed his "Children's Aspirin" out, even though his doctor told me he should continue taking it "to prevent a stroke or heart attack."
Well, he somehow lived another 10 years without blood thinners.
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SHM... He almost bled to death and his doc informed him to keep taking them??...AGAIN SMH. I agree, we never hear when people die of prescription drugs..you know why, because that would hurt the pharmaceutical companies.
 
Ladybj said:
SHM... He almost bled to death and his doc informed him to keep taking them??...AGAIN SMH. I agree, we never hear when people die of prescription drugs..you know why, because that would hurt the pharmaceutical companies.
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Yes, & the doctor already has an answer when you ask the question, "If it almost killed him, why should he continue taking it?"
"Because the risk of a stroke or heart attack at his age is higher."
Well, we can't really expect the doctor to say, "Hey....do ya know anything about business?"
 
win231 said:
Yes, & the doctor already has an answer when you ask the question, "If it almost killed him, why should he continue taking it?"
"Because the risk of a stroke or heart attack at his age is higher."
Well, we can't really expect the doctor to say, "Hey....do ya know anything about business?"
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WOW!!! Exactly.
 

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