How sharp do you think you'll be at 80+ ?

[W2R]

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Originally Posted by Lsbcal How will you be when you are over 80. We will assume you make it to that point.

Nobody in my family has ever had the slightest mental decline by the end of their 80's. For example, my mother (born in 1909) got her first computer in her 80's and used it to keep track of her investments in Excel for many years, send us daily e-mails, and so on. None of my friends' moms were doing that back in the early 1990's so I thought that was pretty cool. She also became even wiser every year as she aged. As for my father, he died at 70 so I'll never know, but he showed no mental decline by then anyway.

As for myself, I have noticed that while details may not be quite as easy to retrieve as they once were, I feel I have a much better grasp of overall concepts, relationships of ideas, and what is significant vs what is not, than I had when I was younger.

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Originally Posted by Lsbcal Also how healthy will you be ?

Probably about average. I will fight that inevitable decline every step of the way but at some point each of us will be overcome.

Quote:

Do not go gentle into that good night Dylan Thomas, 1914 - 1953 Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Though wise men at their end know dark is right, Because their words had forked no lightning they Do not go gentle into that good night. Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay, Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight, And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way, Do not go gentle into that good night. Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay, Rage, rage against the dying of the light. And you, my father, there on the sad height, Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray. Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

[W2R]

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Originally Posted by REWahoo How sharp do I think I'll be at 80? I suspect I will have outlived my teeth, probably have a bypass surgery, a hip replacement, new knees, be fighting prostate cancer and diabetes, be half blind, can't hear anything quieter than a jet engine, take 40 different medications that make me dizzy, winded, and subject to blackouts, have poor circulation, bouts with dementia, be unable to remember if I'm 85 or 92.

Isn't that about average at 80?
I'm pretty sure I will have new knees or else be confined to a wheelchair by age 80, and I am already fighting Type 2. Cataract surgery already helped the half blind issue last October and my second dental implant is currently underway. From the forum I already know that the best deal on hearing aids is at Costco, if I should ever need them. So hey, I've got a head start on all this. Fight, fight, against the dying of the light and all that.

[Lsbcal]

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Originally Posted by W2R Nobody in my family has ever had the slightest mental decline by the end of their 80's. For example, my mother (born in 1909) got her first computer in her 80's and used it to keep track of her investments in Excel for many years, send us daily e-mails, and so on. None of my friends' moms were doing that back in the early 1990's so I thought that was pretty cool. She also became even wiser every year as she aged. ...

Your Mom was quite a roll model. Impressive.

Nice poetry too. Thanks.

[Nodak]

Hard to say, there has never been any dementia in either side of my family and most of my relatives lived into their 90s and remained lucid; had one great aunt that made it 104. I'll just have to wait and see.

[REWahoo]

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Originally Posted by Lsbcal Your Mom was quite a roll model.

You think she worked for Pillsbury?

[rodi]

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Originally Posted by Lsbcal Your Mom was quite a roll model. Impressive.

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Originally Posted by REWahoo You think she worked for Pillsbury?

< rimshot >

[shortstop14]

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Originally Posted by Amethyst Hopefully, sharp enough to manage to kill myself if I'm diagnosed with dementia! I cannot imagine wanting to continue to live with a less than functional brain. Am not one of those "Oh, I can still enjoy eating ice cream and looking at the pretty flowers" types of people.

Have to agree with this. My mother has Alzheimer's at 80 and is in long-term care, and from what I see (with her, and a friend who died last year who suffered from dementia), that's one of the scariest roads I can imagine traveling. And I don't think assisted suicide in Washington will help, as you need to be diagnosed as terminal and be in mental condition to make the decision.

[highlow65]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amethyst Hopefully, sharp enough to manage to kill myself if I'm diagnosed with dementia! I cannot imagine wanting to continue to live with a less than functional brain. Am not one of those "Oh, I can still enjoy eating ice cream and looking at the pretty flowers" types of people.

I agree, each year I find I can live without a little more, but if I don't have a clue I wont be here.

[anethum]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amethyst Hopefully, sharp enough to manage to kill myself if I'm diagnosed with dementia! I cannot imagine wanting to continue to live with a less than functional brain. Am not one of those "Oh, I can still enjoy eating ice cream and looking at the pretty flowers" types of people.

Another vote for suicide. I hope I have the courage to do it if circumstances warrant.

My dad was playing tennis regularly until he was 85. Vascular senility began around 90. He died last year at 94, the same age that his dad died (their life spans differed by just 8 days). My mom is now 94 and her short-term memory has been lousy for a couple of years but otherwise she functions fairly well. Several months after my dad died, she began exhibiting some serious senility symptoms herself. Meds have helped for the time being. She lives alone, doesn't want to move, and doesn't want a caregiver in the house with her. So I'm her main caregiver.

[Souschef]

I will be 78 this year, and can pass a flight physical for my pilot's license. I am looking forward to joining the Octogenarian Pilots Association in 2 years.
My Dad died at 92, and my mom just died last year at 102. They both had all their marbles until they died.
I wear glasses, and use a hearing aid, but the only meds I take are a thyroid pill.
I am hoping I got my mom's genes.

[Ian S]

Father died of a heart attack at 65. Mother is still going at almost 94 although her mobility is limited (gets around with a walker.) She's showing signs of forgetfulness but some of that may be that she's in a retirement facility with not a lot of interpersonal stimulation. Although I live a four hour flight away, I call her every day and discuss what's she's been doing and the latest in politics. Have her doing Soduku and crossword puzzles. We compare notes on the latter as I can usually get the same puzzle on line. I believe some mental stimulation is very helpful in her situation. So I'm reasonably optimistic that at 80 I'll be OK but not maybe moving as I once did. Hope not to have heart issues but so far so good. I'm far more active physically than either of my parents.

[Bestwifeever]

I wonder if I'll be able to play the piano when I'm 80....

Going by my parents I should have been underground for 25 to 30 years by the time I'm 80. One grandfather died at 60 of a heart attack, one of a stroke following diabetes in mid 70s. One grandmother was very healthy physically but had classic dementia--repeating the same story over and over, not remembering anyone, etc., but my she was the happiest and nicest person til the very end in her mid 80s (not sure what cause of death was). Other grandmother lived til mid 80s too, physically frail but mentally. Also not sure what her cause of death was.

One relative (by marriage, not blood to me) just turned 80 and I can see some progressive neurological decline--she cannot find the words to be able to utter a sentence, but her husband and other family are right there for her, and they did not talk to us about her condition. We do not see them very often, maybe once a year at most, and I expect the decline will be more pronounced the next time. Sobering to see this up close, especially with the exceptionally healthy lifestyle she has led up til now.

[Lsbcal]

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Originally Posted by Souschef I will be 78 this year, and can pass a flight physical for my pilot's license. ...

Wow, you are an inspiration. I'm not about to go flying though but maybe just a bit of jogging.

[hnzw_rui]

Perhaps sharper than I am now. According to the longevity calculator, I'll just be all bones by then (life expectancy 73).

[travelover]

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Originally Posted by Bestwifeever I wonder if I'll be able to play the piano when I'm 80.....

Can you play now? That would be a good start.

[Bestwifeever]

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Originally Posted by travelover Can you play now? That would be a good start.

I guess I won't be able to perform on the flying trapeze either.

[irishgal]

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Originally Posted by Nemo2 If I'm any dumber at 80 than I am now at 73+, I figure I'll be terminally bewildered.

Hysterical! Thanks for the laugh.


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

[irishgal]

My mom somehow beat stage four lung cancer but died one week ago at 86. Had she not smoked I think she would have lived for a long time.

Dad is 86 and just passed his FAA physical so he can still fly his little plane.

Grandparents all lived until late 90's.

Yet I have a suspicion that I will go around 75. Not sure why, I'm uber healthy, no meds, no ailments.

[redduck]

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Originally Posted by Amethyst ...Am not one of those "Oh, I can still enjoy eating ice cream and looking at the pretty flowers" types of people.

The problem is that you may become one of those types of people over a period of time and not realize that it is happening. (It might be happening as you read this post).

[marko]

Sixteen years to go. Mom is 86 (going on 18) and sharp as a tack; like talking to a 40 year old. Her dad was equally sharp until his passing at 92 and HIS father died at 104 from an accident--he was stepping over a 3 foot fence and fell.

Unfortunately I take more after my dad who passed at age 57.

No problems with forgetfulness as of yet and still remember things from my very early childhood (crawling because I couldn't yet walk etc)...now, remembering what I had for lunch today is another matter.