So you want to live to age 100?

[Goonie]

Me too, though my standard for pain is less than 'considerable'......

Fortunately for me, I have a very high tolerance for pain! I had a severe back injury back in the early 90's, and had excruciating pain for months, that did not respond to pain-killers, muscle relaxants, cortisone shots, or anything else. After a few months months the level of pain lowered from excruciating down to nearly intolerable. After about 18 months the pain became simply an annoyance.

So, as long as I'm not in excruciating pain (and I still have my whits about me), I'd like to stick around here on the topside of the turf for as long as possible! Like I tell folks about life...."the good die young, but ornery critters like me live forever....so I'm shootin' for 120 just to p*ss people off!"

 

[vicente solano]

I know this is off-thread, but I don´t dare to/am afraid to start one with a title related to what I am going to say:
Does anyone of you think frequently about death/dyiing?
To tell the truth, I wouldn´t want to be the only one that has these thoughts, mostly at night, though for a just a few minutes....

 

[Nords]

... and some modicum of mobility, and yeah, being able to shower off daily and make it to the bathroom...

Heck, there were plenty of times when I couldn't do any of those things while I was working. I suspect I'll figure out how to make the appropriate retiree adjustments.

I figure this is one of those issues where the answer will become apparent when necessary.

Yep. Usually pain-related.

I know this is off-thread, but I don´t dare to/am afraid to start one with a title related to what I am going to say:
Does anyone of you think frequently about death/dyiing?
To tell the truth, I wouldn´t want to be the only one that has these thoughts, mostly at night, though for a just a few minutes....

I usually have those thoughts right after thinking "Damn, I knew I shouldn't have tried to do that..."

I can't remember a specific death/dying thread, but it usually comes up all the time in the Healthcare topics.
Early Retirement & Financial Independence Community - Search Results

 

[DangerMouse]

Truthfully Vincente I don't spend a moment of my day or night thinking about death or dying. Given my family history if I make it out of my 60s I will be doing well. If I follow in my father's footsteps I only have 10 years to go. But you know what, I have decided that is irrelevant to my life now, I want to enjoy whatever time I have, whether it be 4 days or 40 years, the truth is I have no control over when the grim reaper is going to tap me on the shoulder.

On the other hand we have a friend in his early 40s who is obsessive about being ill and dying young. That said his grandmother is 100+, both is parents are in their 70s and have just beaten a bout of cancer so there is nothing to say he won't live until 100.

 

[freebird5825]

Hmmmmm...living to age 100. A good thought for a rainy day.
The concept is causing me to think, a bad habit of mine if I listen to my friends' comments.
I'm only 1 year past the halfway point right now, so is my glass half full or empty? A favorite retort to older friends is "Old is 99" when they bemoan their own age. That always gets a smile.
My Mom's side of the family does not have longevity in the cards, so my chances of reaching 100 are pretty slim. The paternal medical history is an unknown due to a long ago parental divorce. Therefore, my doctor screens me for almost everything, so I have consistent preventative health care on my side.
I always use 85 as my estimated age for when the daisies get pushed.
I would say I would not want to reach 100 because the odds are pretty strong that my quality of life would be poor.

 

[Purron]

I know this is off-thread, but I don´t dare to/am afraid to start one with a title related to what I am going to say:
Does anyone of you think frequently about death/dyiing?
To tell the truth, I wouldn´t want to be the only one that has these thoughts, mostly at night, though for a just a few minutes....

I don't frequently dwell on death or dying. It has been on my mind more lately since my husband's mom just passed away, but generally I don't think of death often.

My family and I were by my mother in law's bedside the few days before she passed away. Before she slipped into the sleep she never woke from, she smiled and blew us a kiss. She was too weak to talk but made this gesture to let us know she loved us and wished us well. I believe she saw our worried faces and wanted to reassure us. She was that kind of lady - always wanting people to be happy and enjoy life.

Even though she was very elderly and ill, she never focused on death. She lived each moment to the fullest - even at the very end. She was a wise and wonderful woman.

 

[bbbamI]

She was and still is an inspiration Purron. Thank you for sharing her grace with us.....

 

[tmm99]

Have you noticed that many people who live to be 100 or 90+ are people who have a positive attitude about everything and generally love life? (I guess some people with great attitudes die young and some old grumpy farts get to be very old, but in general, that's what it seems to me.)

I love hearing stories of these curious old men/women who enjoy life!

 

[Alan]

Vicente,

I don't think much about death or dying, I believe I am young at 55 and am concerned more about staying fit and healthy to fully enjoy my retirement. If all the exercise and outdoor "playing" I do doesn't lead to a long life then so be it, I just want to focus on the here and now and enjoy life while I can.

 

[Khan]

I will be 60 this year. The thought of making it to 80 horrifies me. I watched Mother fall apart and she had someone to take care of her.

 

[WhoDaresWins]

I will be 60 this year. The thought of making it to 80 horrifies me. I watched Mother fall apart and she had someone to take care of her.

I don't believe that heredity is destiny. There are too many variables involved in the mix. And many of us(myself included) most likely won't have a lot(or any) family help as we age. I guess my son could manage my bill paying online for me if needed. And if I stay in this area, hopefully one or two of my friends could possibly be in better shape than I if I needed some help occasionally(like a lift to the doctors). Otherwise, I would hire someone for some help in the home. There are many agencies springing up with licensed and bonded workers. I might also consider a move to an apartment or an assisted living if needed. As I recall, you are an active lady(gardening and home maintenance?) and have lost weight and reduced stress in your life. You are intelligent, too, so I think you will figure things out as you go along and land on your feet as usual. I think our access to medical care is better than in previous generations and various drug mixes seem to be able to keep us going along with a healthier lifestyle than previous generations.

 

[DangerMouse]

I have to agree with WhoDaresWins, I don't expect to fall apart like my mother has. My mother was old at 30, she has an old and negative mindset and that contributes to her being in her 60s and appearing to be in her 80s.

I'm late 40s and really I have no aches and pains, which I do find amazing.

I think the important thing is to keep a positive attitude and to keep active. I don't plan on taking up hang gliding or snow boarding, but I have never found an activity I couldn't do because of my age.

 

[Alan]

I have to agree with WhoDaresWins, I don't expect to fall apart like my mother has. My mother was old at 30, she has an old and negative mindset and that contributes to her being in her 60s and appearing to be in her 80s.

I'm late 40s and really I have no aches and pains, which I do find amazing.

I think the important thing is to keep a positive attitude and to keep active. I don't plan on taking up hang gliding or snow boarding, but I have never found an activity I couldn't do because of my age.

I second those comments. Everyone says I am the image of my mother - I have the same looks and bone structure as her, but she was crippled and riddled with arthritis from her mid forties until she died aged 62. I'm so much better at my age than she was at hers that I'm confident that I can beat the genetic odds.

 

[ziggy29]

Death doesn't frighten me, but dying and decaying do.

 

[Nords]

... I'm confident that I can beat the genetic odds.

I think that genetics loads the gun and environment (our behavior as well as our living conditions) pulls the trigger.

As for overcoming our genetic odds, I favor Henry Ford: "Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right."

I also think that there are few things worse than taking a month off from working out and then resuming the "routine"...

 

[ksr]

I have to agree with WhoDaresWins, I don't expect to fall apart like my mother has. My mother was old at 30, she has an old and negative mindset and that contributes to her being in her 60s and appearing to be in her 80s.

I'm late 40s and really I have no aches and pains, which I do find amazing.

I think the important thing is to keep a positive attitude and to keep active. I don't plan on taking up hang gliding or snow boarding, but I have never found an activity I couldn't do because of my age.

I absolutely agree with this. I am about to turn 50 and feel as good as I did in my 30's. And whenever I do feel some minor aches and pains, I try to just ignore them and really don't let them impact what I want to do.

Whenever I have to fill out a health history form at a doctor's office, the doctors & nurses generally are surprised that I don't take any medications. I'm more surprised at their reactions - I didn't think they'd expect folks in their 40s to be taking medications.

I'm sure there are many factors to feeling young, but agree that a positive attitude is one of them.

 

[vicente solano]

Death doesn't frighten me, but dying and decaying do.

To be more precise, that´s what really worries me: the process.: pain, dependency. disablility, indignity.....

 

[W2R]

I don't believe that heredity is destiny. There are too many variables involved in the mix.

That is so true. Even those who have already been diagnosed with an hereditary condition may find that its rate of progression is not necessarily the same.

And many of us(myself included) most likely won't have a lot(or any) family help as we age. I guess my son could manage my bill paying online for me if needed. And if I stay in this area, hopefully one or two of my friends could possibly be in better shape than I if I needed some help occasionally(like a lift to the doctors). Otherwise, I would hire someone for some help in the home. There are many agencies springing up with licensed and bonded workers. I might also consider a move to an apartment or an assisted living if needed.

With bill paying via automatic bank deductions being so easy these days, I don't really pay my bills even now. I just check online to make sure that no unauthorized deductions were made, but this has not been a big problem. If/when I become extremely old, I will probably need to give someone power of attorney but that person doesn't need to be a relative.

I will probably hire a housekeeper and a gardener eventually; I already have someone to mow my lawn. I plan to gradually stop driving over the next 10-15 years. I am sure that Frank would take me anywhere I need to go, as long as he is alive and driving, but I will be able to manage without that if/when that becomes necessary. If I need a ride to the doctor's, I can call a cab. I hope/plan to live within walking distance of the grocery store, but could call a cab for that too if necessary. With cell phones, it would be easy to get around by cab and the cost is not so much when you consider the cost of car insurance and car payments.

Eventually I will probably sell my home and move into a continual care facility, so that I don't forget to take my medications and to have someone check on me now and then, so that I am not found wandering and lost, or hurt and unable to call for help, as old people sometimes are. No big deal. These facilities are not like the old time nursing homes any more, and can be an enjoyable place for the elderly to live. Besides, if you pick your facility well, you will have great meals available with lots of healthy fresh foods, and when a person is old that sure beats lugging them home from the grocery store and cooking. In my mother's facility she had a stove and refrigerator in her apartment, but after a few weeks she decided she liked the meals in the common dining hall better. Her facility had a beautiful lush garden, with paths and benches along the paths, shallow ponds, and bird feeders, so although this area was not huge she wasn't isolated from the beauty and tranquility of nature.

Adjusting to life as a very elderly person will not be easy or simple, and as we age some of us become more rigid about what we want and prefer things the way they are. But that adjustment can be accomplished and life as a very elderly person can be a joy. The sooner we start thinking about the changes we may have to make, the longer we have to adjust.

 

[W2R]

To be more precise, that´s what really worries me: the process.: pain, dependency. disablility, indignity.....

I never really worry about these things. I do think of the fact that (being 61) I have already lived most of my life and that my days are not unlimited any more, not that they ever were. I don't like knowing that I will die, and would love it if immortality were an option but it isn't. My mortality is always in the back of my mind, though I do not sit around getting depressed by it. This knowledge makes life much more precious and I want to enjoy every single day from here on out. I wish I could have retired earlier to get more out of that part of my life, but oh well.

 

[In-control]

I am just working hard to enjoy today, what ever my age. I don't know if I could last if my kids pasted before me though. I do use the goal of 100 to try to adjust my habits, eating better, working out etc... I feel great and that's really all I have control over.

 

[DangerMouse]

I started a step aerobic class at the community centre this month. A couple of the ladies in the class are 80+ and they are totally amazing. They do the step class twice a week, and there is also a dance aerobic class that they do twice a week. This women are obviously mentally with it, as they are able to remember the routines better than myself, and they do all parts of the routine with ease. I think many are mistaken in thinking that being 80 is the kiss of death.

What each of us has to remember is to a large extent we have some control over what our 80 will be. We know what we should and shouldn't eat, we know how much we need to exercise, we know the effects of negative thoughts, that a positive outlook improves our emotional attachments. We know we shouldn't smoke, nor should we be knocking back a couple of six packs a day. There are some things that we can not control healthwise, but if we do make an effort on those things we can control I believe I can at least expect to have a pretty decent 80 if I should make it that far.

 

[ls99]

Secret to long healthy life? Choose your parents well.

 

[NW-Bound]

To be more precise, that´s what really worries me: the process.: pain, dependency, disablility, indignity.....

It would be easier to not think about aging if we were detached from our parents. But as we live nearby, are involved in their care, and have spent so much time in hospitals, convalescent homes, nursing homes, it is not easy to put that out of mind. Medical profession people can turn their mind off when they walk out of their workplace, but we do not have that ability.

My wife is in the hospital right now. My father-in-law fell again in his nursing home, and the plate that was put in just last month to mend his cracked arm broke off. His bones are so weak, I understand that they will not be able to put in another one, but that existing loose plate has to come out. What happens next, we do not know.

 

[Letj]

I don't spend much time thinking of death; I had a paralizing fear of death as a young child but no more. I do, however, occasionally worry about dying while my children are still young. I would hate for them to grow up without my love and guiding hands.

 

[Purron]

It would be easier to not think about aging if we were detached from our parents. But as we live nearby, are involved in their care, and have spent so much time in hospitals, convalescent homes, nursing homes, it is not easy to put that out of mind.

DH and I have lived this reality. We don't regret the experience. Not at all. It's been a big part of our lives for a very long time and taught us so much.