Old age and medications

[grasshopper]

My Mom still takes her medications . She is 95 but she hands back any diagnostic test requests her Physician hands her. No more Mammogram and definetely no more Colonoscopy !

Sounds just like my Mom at 87, she does still take her statins.

 

[TromboneAl]

I don't get the not telling the doctor bit. If you don't want to take your pills fine. Tell the doc, "I'm not taking any more pills, and if you don't like it, you can lump it."

And there's the chance that the doc will have a good argument "Fine, but you'll be dead in a week." or "Fine, good luck with crapping."

 

[donheff]

I don't get the not telling the doctor bit. If you don't want to take your pills fine. Tell the doc, "I'm not taking any more pills, and if you don't like it, you can lump it."

And there's the chance that the doc will have a good argument "Fine, but you'll be dead in a week." or "Fine, good luck with crapping."

+1. DW and I dropped statins recently and plan to discuss it with our docs at our next physical. I am interested in hearing what she has to say (and in the impact on our blood work) but I will take her input as only one part of the equation. I have been ignoring the doc's advice to eat vegetables for 60+ years.

 

[haha]

My DW and I have this issue on going with her DA. How should her "sleep just doesn't come" issues be dealt with?

These acronyms are maybe out of control. What in the world is a DA, other than district attorney which I don't think was meant. And as to "dear", judging by the direct comments poeple on here make about their feelings toward their relatives, they are not all "dear".

If it is aunt, how much longer does it take to type "aunt" as compared to DA?

Regarding sleep, I second the idea that it may often be exercise related. I find that since I passed 65 or 67 or so, I must get at least 1.5-2.5 hours of aerobic type exercise- not heavy just pretty steady for an hour or so at a time, or I may wake up in early morning and have trouble going back to sleep. If I do get it, I may sleep through, or may wake up to pee sometime or other but go back to sleep and finish out the 8 hours or so.

It takes committment to get this much activity, but it pays off, at least for me.

Ha

 

[Zero]

These acronyms are maybe out of control. What in the world is a DA, other than district attorney which I don't think was meant. And as to "dear", judging by the direct comments poeple on here make about their feelings toward their relatives, they are not all "dear".

If it is aunt, how much longer does it take to type "aunt" as compared to DA?

Regarding sleep, I second the idea that it may often be exercise related. I find that since I passed 65 or 67 or so, I must get at least 1.5-2.5 hours of aerobic type exercise- not heavy just pretty steady for an hour or so at a time, or I may wake up in early morning and have trouble going back to sleep. If I do get it, I may sleep through, or may wake up to pee sometime or other but go back to sleep and finish out the 8 hours or so.

It takes committment to get this much activity, but it pays off, at least for me.

Ha

Yes, it was indeed Dead Aunt, and it's becoming more and more hip to use acrons in order to fit within the twitter space.

 

[Nemo2]

Yes, it was indeed Dead Aunt, and it's becoming more and more hip to use acrons in order to fit within the twitter space.

And you and your wife have an ongoing issue with said Dead Aunt?

 

[Zero]

And you and your wife have an ongoing issue with said Dead Aunt?

ooops, DEAR aunt, and yeah, she cannot seem to sleep more than 2-3 hours. But, yeah, beats the alternative, I guess.

 

[jclarksnakes]

I think so many drugs are prescribed to counter the side effects of the original drugs taken for a problem. my brother had a heart attack 20 years ago and was put on some drugs, he then went to the doctors with this or that complaint about how he was feeling. he was taking 17 different medications two years ago, when he was diagnosed with cancer of the asophagus and was removed from all medication before being operated on. since the surgery, he is on three medications and doing fine. I think there should be a point where the doctor says, lets wean you from the medications and see how you feel.

+1

 

[BigE]

Reminds me of my MIL who passed away 2 years ago, she was given 2-3 months to live with no chance of doing much better (stage 4 pancreatic cancer), and almost immediately declared "I am not going to bother flossing anymore". She only made it 6 weeks.

Sorry for your loss. That's a funny story in the setting of a bad disease. Thanks for sharing that.

 

[TromboneAl]

These acronyms are maybe out of control. What in the world is a DA, other than district attorney which I don't think was meant. And as to "dear", judging by the direct comments poeple on here make about their feelings toward their relatives, they are not all "dear".

If it is aunt, how much longer does it take to type "aunt" as compared to DA?

Regarding sleep, I second the idea that it may often be exercise related. I find that since I passed 65 or 67 or so, I must get at least 1.5-2.5 hours of aerobic type exercise- not heavy just pretty steady for an hour or so at a time, or I may wake up in early morning and have trouble going back to sleep. If I do get it, I may sleep through, or may wake up to pee sometime or other but go back to sleep and finish out the 8 hours or so.

It takes committment to get this much activity, but it pays off, at least for me.

Ha

The exercise doesn't always work this well for me. Sometimes I'll think "I will sleep really well after this long bike ride" but no.

By the way, you seem a little grumpy lately, Ha.

 

[rodi]

I look at my in-laws. They are both doctor phobic. My MIL pays through the nose to have a Cadillac supplemental insurance plan that she doesn't use. (She's not high income nor high net worth - so this is an odd choice.). We tried to get her to go to a clinic this last week because she's got some leg pain. She refused.

She's convinced anything can be fixed with a periodic 1/2 a baby aspirin and by drinking more water. That's her solution for the leg pain. She just looked at me when I talked to her about the doctor and went and got another glass of water and said I should let her try her way first before insisting on a doctor.

I'm not sure she's wrong. She's 85 and FIL is 89. Both have lived longer lives than their parents and are showing no signs of dying soon.

My dad was juggling 5 meds for blood pressure, arrhythmia, etc. And it was always complicated because some of the meds have to be carefully monitored (cumiden for example.) He had to go off all but the cumedin when he got a blood cancer and started treatment for that. It was the steroids that were part of his cancer treatment that caused his death. (Depleted immune system, sniffles->cold->pneumonia->septic pneumonia in less than 24 hours).

I like the no-flossing when you get a terminal dx. And I totally agree with the ending the mammograms and colonoscopies past a certain age.

 

[haha]

By the way, you seem a little grumpy lately, Ha.

Maybe my Asperger's is acting up?

 

[Lisa99]

For anyone with sleep issues you might consider cutting out caffeine completely. I used to be able to drink tea or soda all day with no effect on sleep. But in the last several years have found that if I drink any caffeine after about noon, I have trouble going to sleep. Eating chocolate in the evening causes problems as well.

My 72 year old MIL has a terrible time going to sleep and staying asleep. She drinks coffee all day and with dinner as well. I've told her to try cutting out caffeine for years, but she won't listen. She says there is no way coffee is why she can't sleep. Such a simple thing to try...oh well, to each their own.