Acquaintances and Friends Dying Too Young

[RAE]

Maybe the folks that post about the "OMY Syndrome" should read this thread (hopefully some of you have). Really makes you think about your mortality, and whether chasing those last few $$ before retiring is really worth it..........

 

[street]

Maybe the folks that post about the "OMY Syndrome" should read this thread (hopefully some of you have). Really makes you think about your mortality, and whether chasing those last few $$ before retiring is really worth it..........

Isn't that the truth!

I called my neighbor a few nights ago and his son had a heart attack earlier in the week. They flew him out and is doing better and he is 42 years old and in great shape. You just never know.

 

[Dtail]

Maybe the folks that post about the "OMY Syndrome" should read this thread (hopefully some of you have). Really makes you think about your mortality, and whether chasing those last few $$ before retiring is really worth it..........

Exactly.

 

[kjpliny]

Time seems to be accelerating as I grow older. I think about death quite often. While it is disconcerting, it helps to remind me of how important the simple things are in life, de-stressing, and appreciating nature.

 

[street]

Just looked at the last 12 deaths at an area funeral home. The average years of life, of those 12 people came to 69.5 years of age. I did that same thing a couple months ago and the average was about the same age.

 

[Out of Steam]

My almost 97 YO father points out that he has no friends left of his generation. This is a sobering thought for him.

My father came from a group of immigrants who had difficult childhoods and lived hard as adults. His friends were essentially gone before he was 70, despite a good many of them being 8-10 years younger than him. It was very noticeable to me by the time he was 65, and I was in my mid-20s.

 

[Out of Steam]

About 5 years back my best friend went to the ER for fever, chills, and bad cough. At worst he thought it was pneumonia. 7 days later he died from esophageal cancer.

Esophogeal cancer has the reputation of leaving people functioning almost right up to death. My father had it, and was engaged in household chores until a couple of weeks before dying.

 

[Time2]

We are on two groups for "classmates of (yr)". Obits past 5 yrs has been unbelievable and we are in our early 50's! Definitely makes you wonder if your next.

I got hooked up on a Facebook High School memoriam page. I'm only 66 and I get notices quite regular. They post a picture of some old person! They should post pictures from the HS year book, I might recognize someone from 48 years ago, but not these old people.

 

[FreeBear]

I work occasionally at the local funeral home. What bothers me is the number of young and relatively young people who die, often from OD or liver failure due to excess alcohol consumption. Such a waste of potential. There was a young person (mid 20's) this week who was working on a phd who OD'd.

^ yes, and not even considering the OD's or suicide's. I have known many of them also, or their parents. So sad!!

Half the funerals we've gone to in the last decade have been for younger folks, 20 to thirty something. These involved complex cocktails of alcohol, drugs, and untreated psychiatric issues.

Maybe the folks that post about the "OMY Syndrome" should read this thread (hopefully some of you have). Really makes you think about your mortality, and whether chasing those last few $$ before retiring is really worth it..........

Yep, the equities markets are putting us in the "fun money" range, yet I'm still reluctant to Blow Dough. Virtually all our older friends have slowed down greatly in by their early to mid 70's. Only was active until almost 80. Several friends have died in their late 50's to mid 70.

DW and I concluded that we'd be lucky to get another decade of active living together before slowing down or worse. In contrast, our financial plan gives us at least 3 more decades. Got to get busy living!

 

[mz44]

As the late great Warren Zevon said, enjoy every sandwich.

Time seems to be accelerating as I grow older. I think about death quite often. While it is disconcerting, it helps to remind me of how important the simple things are in life, de-stressing, and appreciating nature.

 

[Nick12]

Heart disease affects many. I still can't believe the Heart Attack Grill is still operating in Las Vegas and is a popular place to eat.

 

[ncbill]

My father came from a group of immigrants who had difficult childhoods and lived hard as adults. His friends were essentially gone before he was 70, despite a good many of them being 8-10 years younger than him. It was very noticeable to me by the time he was 65, and I was in my mid-20s.

Same with my dad, now in his early 80s.

His male relatives (brother & father) were dead not long after turning 70, and all the friends who were Dad's age are long gone as well.

 

[Octogirl]

Loss of friends

This thread resonates for me.
44 year old co-worker died suddenly in April
A friend's son age 32 died from keto acidosis (new diabetes)
Another friend's son died from OD - so sad

 

[Music Lover]

Heart disease affects many. I still can't believe the Heart Attack Grill is still operating in Las Vegas and is a popular place to eat.

I can't believe that the vast majority of the population doesn't exercise, that's a far more serious problem than the occasional bad meal.

 

[RobbieB]

My wife died at 60
My best friend's brother at 53
My shooting buddy at 60

When ya gotta go ya gotta go. When the fates pull your string you fall over. Sucks.

Nah, I don't want to read the obits. Real life is bad enough.

 

[Time2]

My dad had a pretty bad heart attack at 43, and never worked again. A few years later had had a second one. They did quadruple bypass surgery and had a lot of trouble finding good veins in his legs for the graphs. He made it to 74, tough old bird! I'm 66, with no signs of heart trouble. I have my fingers crossed.

 

[street]

My wife died at 60
My best friend's brother at 53
My shooting buddy at 60

When ya gotta go ya gotta go. When the fates pull your string you fall over. Sucks.

Nah, I don't want to read the obits. Real life is bad enough.

True!
I actually signup for automatic email notices from a couple of Funeral Homes. Not a pleasant thing but I do like to show my respect for all of those, that I have known in my lifetime. I do sign there guest books and do a charitable given for many that I have known or if my family had known them also.

 

[harley]

Heart disease affects many. I still can't believe the Heart Attack Grill is still operating in Las Vegas and is a popular place to eat.

I can't believe that the vast majority of the population doesn't exercise, that's a far more serious problem than the occasional bad meal.

Control is an illusion. As Robbie said, "When the fates pull your string you fall over."

 

[Koolau]

Control is an illusion. As Robbie said, "When the fates pull your string you fall over."

Yeah, but some of us (apparently) leave a better body behind.

 

[big-papa]

I get a weekly newsletter from an alumni association dedicated to former employees of a company where I worked for 20+ years. It also includes a list of those who've passed since the last newsletter. Was my first job out of college, so I know a lot of these people.

Have to admit that sometimes I look online at my hometown newspaper and see the occasional familiar name

I recall my Dad listening to the obituaries that were announced on the local radio station every morning. He outlived just about everybody he knew when he passed at almost 92 years old...

 

[skyking1]

DW just got a voice mail from her brother's phone this morning, he passed away yesterday morning. He was in hospice for some time but did not tell her or want her to come down to see him.

 

[Amethyst]

In my opinion, medical science is keeping bodies going way too long. We haven't figured out how to keep the brain from wearing out first.

As a result, a lot of the people whose obituaries feature lengthy lifespans, spent the last 10 years or so as near-zombies. Unable to do anything they used to like to do, in the end not even knowing where they are. Not worth it.

 

[Music Lover]

Control is an illusion. As Robbie said, "When the fates pull your string you fall over."

Of course I can't control fate but I can control my strength and fitness level and that provides me with a higher quality of life. I'm only 58 but already have friends that don't have the energy to walk a round of golf or carry something up the stairs without struggling.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

In my opinion, medical science is keeping bodies going way too long. We haven't figured out how to keep the brain from wearing out first.

As a result, a lot of the people whose obituaries feature lengthy lifespans, spent the last 10 years or so as near-zombies. Unable to do anything they used to like to do, in the end not even knowing where they are. Not worth it.

Yep. When my Dad was getting towards the end of his life, he was diagnosed with MGUS which is "sorta" a precursor to multiple myeloma. Although he was 90 years old and suffering from end-stage COPD, he was referred out to an oncologist who suggested a bone marrow biopsy for "further tests"...

When I reminded the doc that he had end stage COPD, she said she knew that but wasn't treating that. Really? When we mentioned this to his primary doctor, she said that some oncologists would have chemo tubes running into the casket of the dead if they could.

 

[RobbieB]

Can't bill if you don't treat.