The getting old curse – How are you dealing with it?

[giddyup]

3 minutes ago, GarryP said:

I think it is important to be prepared. I too will look for the necessary tools in a few years. If you wait too long you may no longer in a position to help yourself and it is unfair to burden someone else with that, especially if they do not agree with euthanasia or it goes against their belief system. 

 

I want to be able to say, "Enough is enough. I have a good life and it is time for me to go." Hopefully that will be 20 or more years down the road. I am not depressed. In fact I am the happiest I have been for many, many years. Death does not frighten me. 

Dying slowly, painfully, in a state of total decrepitude or being unable to care for myself does. Being a burden on others does too.  

As Woody Allen said, "death doesn't frighten me, I just don't want to be there when it happens".

[steven100]

On 9/18/2019 at 2:21 PM, KhaoYai said:

Unfortunately this is one battle I won't win and I know that but I'm looking forward to many years ahead. However, after spending 2 years with my head in my hands thinking 'woe is me' - I decided that I was taking charge, I will control my future for as long as I can, not the b$$tard disease. Yes, there's always something, as you say but there is nothing you can do about it - you're getting older every minute.

 

What you can do is take charge of the life you have - at the moment your thoughts seem to be that you can't. You need to be in the right mood to do that and there are ways to do that. One of the best things you can do is to exercise. There is a medical reason but I can't remember what it is (age ????) but for some reason, when you take excercise your mental attitude improves.  I realise that when its 36 degrees, the last thing on your mind is exercise but that's where thinking positive comes in. You have to push yourself - its so easy to talk about exercising but never actually do it - you'll do it later right?

 

Get yourself up early and take some exercise before it gets hot.  Give it a try, believe me, it works.

 

Take control of your life and try to stop feeling like a victim.

hi Tom, I've just come back from outside and I'm passed as a parrot  !

I'm not feeling so good and i'm seriously think i'm getting weaker by the day.

I'm much younger than you but as I sit here on the sofa I can't help but think about my DEAD mama, papa, uncle's, auntie's and friends.  I am sad that they are all DEAD and underground.

What is the answer ?  I don't know ….  but I will leave you all very soon when the doors open and the bright light shines in my eye's. I'm not afraid … I am just waiting to be DEAD as all my relatives are.  

[giddyup]

5 minutes ago, steven100 said:

hi Tom, I've just come back from outside and I'm passed as a parrot  !

I'm not feeling so good and i'm seriously think i'm getting weaker by the day.

I'm much younger than you but as I sit here on the sofa I can't help but think about my DEAD mama, papa, uncle's, auntie's and friends.  I am sad that they are all DEAD and underground.

What is the answer ?  I don't know ….  but I will leave you all very soon when the doors open and the bright light shines in my eye's. I'm not afraid … I am just waiting to be DEAD as all my relatives are.  

Man! You sound like you need a good hug. I really hope life isn't as bad as you make it sound.

[steven100]

2 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Man! You sound like you need a good hug. I really hope life isn't as bad as you make it sound.

were all gunna be DEAD sometime …   right ??

[faraday]

I only hope that when I'm dieing, that I'm given sufficient Morphine to aid my transition.

My father had it for the short while he was terminal, & although he was 'away with the fairies' we had a couple of ripe father/son jokes.

But, it's not prescribed readily here - so I understand, except for Cancer end of life.

 

[Chazar]

On 9/17/2019 at 5:19 AM, simon43 said:

 

 

 

That's why it's important to lovingly look after your 'old chair', to make sure it stays looking like this:

 

Many older expats in Thailand haven't looked after themselves and look more like this!:

 

 

But some chairs are made of better materials termite  proof  such as stainless.

[Chazar]

5 minutes ago, steven100 said:

were all gunna be DEAD sometime …   right ??

Ill let u know later

[steven100]

3 minutes ago, faraday said:

I only hope that when I'm dieing, that I'm given sufficient Morphine to aid my transition.

My father had it for the short while he was terminal, & although he was 'away with the fairies' we had a couple of ripe father/son jokes.

But, it's not prescribed readily here - so I understand, except for Cancer end of life.

 

just get passed every day until your organs fail …. 

[Chazar]

8 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Man! You sound like you need a good hug. I really hope life isn't as bad as you make it sound.

lend  him that  hobby  horse i made for you

[giddyup]

9 minutes ago, steven100 said:

were all gunna be DEAD sometime …   right ??

Sure, but you aren't yet are you?

[faraday]

8 minutes ago, steven100 said:

just get passed every day until your organs fail …. 

Dunno what you mean blud....????

 

I have one organ that's near failure though....????

[thaibeachlovers]

19 hours ago, GarryP said:

I think it is important to be prepared. I too will look for the necessary tools in a few years. If you wait too long you may no longer in a position to help yourself and it is unfair to burden someone else with that, especially if they do not agree with euthanasia or it goes against their belief system. 

 

I want to be able to say, "Enough is enough. I have a good life and it is time for me to go." Hopefully that will be 20 or more years down the road. I am not depressed. In fact I am the happiest I have been for many, many years. Death does not frighten me. 

Dying slowly, painfully, in a state of total decrepitude or being unable to care for myself does. Being a burden on others does too.  

The nursing home most of us will end up in ( in western countries ), if we survive that long, will probably be understaffed and unable to look after you properly. Nursing homes are now run in many cases by corporations that care more about shareholders than the victims they house. I know nursing home staff, and what they tell me scares the <deleted> out of me. I carry the means to exit rapidly to avoid it ( as a last resort ). 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

19 hours ago, faraday said:

I only hope that when I'm dieing, that I'm given sufficient Morphine to aid my transition.

My father had it for the short while he was terminal, & although he was 'away with the fairies' we had a couple of ripe father/son jokes.

But, it's not prescribed readily here - so I understand, except for Cancer end of life.

 

The Thais don't like giving it, which was probably the decider in me deciding to exit Thailand permanently.

[RJRS1301]

31 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

The nursing home most of us will end up in ( in western countries ), if we survive that long, will probably be understaffed and unable to look after you properly. Nursing homes are now run in many cases by corporations that care more about shareholders than the victims they house. I know nursing home staff, and what they tell me scares the <deleted> out of me. I carry the means to exit rapidly to avoid it ( as a last resort ). 

 

Being able to take it, and access it may be a problem or in some instances even knowing "the time is right"

Remember many things have a "use by date" and loose efficacy as well

 

[faraday]

1 hour ago, RJRS1301 said:

Being able to take it, and access it may be a problem or in some instances even knowing "the time is right"

Remember many things have a "use by date" and loose efficacy as well

 

I remember my mother telling me years ago, that if she "got really ill" then I should leave some tablets out for her.

When she did get ill she was already in a nursing home recieving morphine. I would not have found it easy if the scenario she described had occurred though.

 

Btw, most medication doesn't lose potency. ????

 

Nursing homes in the UK are violently expensive, & most of the 'nurses' are just assistants - although I'm not demeaning them, & perhaps they don't have the dedication that NHS trained staff do...

[rumak]

21 hours ago, giddyup said:

21 hours ago, steven100 said:

hi Tom, I've just come back from outside and I'm passed as a parrot  !

I'm not feeling so good and i'm seriously think i'm getting weaker by the day.

I'm much younger than you but as I sit here on the sofa I can't help but think about my DEAD mama, papa, uncle's, auntie's and friends.  I am sad that they are all DEAD and underground.

What is the answer ?  I don't know ….  but I will leave you all very soon when the doors open and the bright light shines in my eye's. I'm not afraid … I am just waiting to be DEAD as all my relatives are.  

Man! You sound like you need a good hug. I really hope life isn't as bad as you make it sound.

Well, his post made me feel a lot better.   thanks steve

[ChipButty]

[steven100]

39 minutes ago, rumak said:

Well, his post made me feel a lot better.   thanks steve

Aww …..  your so kind   !  

 

 

[Tony125]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/voices/8-lessons-young-men-can-learn-training-with-men-over-60/ar-AAHDfxM?li=BBnba9O

 

 

Or just go to YouTube and type Exercise for Seniors in search bar

[WaveHunter]

On 9/20/2019 at 3:03 PM, Tony125 said:

...A friend (also a runner) told me to take Glucosamine and Chondroitin every day to repair damage/wear and tear to my knee. It took 2 months but pain went away. Now I take it a few times a week for maintenance. It also worked for 6 out of 8 friends I suggested take it. Supplements don't always work for everyone but you can try and see.

 

You said you hurt your rotator cuffs both shoulders trying to do push ups. Don't train if you don't know what your doing. Our bodies (if haven't been training) are less strong/flexable than when we were young but there are ways to train in a gym or otherwise to do exercises. ...

Great suggestions IMHO.  I'm also an aging athlete.  I'm a cyclist and I've had my fair number of bike crashes.  One really did a number on my right hip and pelvis.  Even though it happened years ago, I still suffer some pain and stiffness on occasion.

 

Even though there is mixed science based facts on efficacy of Glucosamine and Chondroitin, I take it regularly and I think it helps, and it certainly does not hurt.

 

In regard to a strategy of "staying young", I think the answer is simple; exercise, good nutrition, plenty of sleep, and avoid situation that cause emotional stress.

 

Stay physically active on a daily basis with a form of activity that you love to do.  Don't over do it, especially if you haven't exercised in awhile, but don't "under do it" either.  It needs to be an activity you really enjoy doing, or you're not going to do it consistently, and consistency is key...as in EVERY day!  Being a week-end warrior is not going to do much at all.

 

In order for exercise to really do you any good, it has to stress your body.  I think it's really amusing to see people in the gym riding a stationary bike at a cadence of 60 rpm or less while playing with their smart phone and not even breaking a sweat LOL!  You might as well just be sitting on your couch and watching TV!  I'm not saying you should instantly start working out hard if you've been a sedentary person.  You should build up to it, but for exercise to be beneficial, it has to create significant physical stress to the body.

 

I'm not a big fan of going to the gym and working out with weights but I do it anyway.  In my opinion (and I back this up with a lot of science based evidence), resistance training is very important as we get older.  The body naturally loses muscle mass as we age.  No amount of cardio is going to counter that. 

 

To avoid age-induced loss of lean body mass, you must do some form of resistance training as you age.  You don't have to train like a bodybuilder but you have to train hard enough to "tear down" muscle so that it rebuilds stronger than before.  It doesn't take that much out of your week to do this effectively.  An hour in the gym, a few times a week, isn't a big price to pay to stay healthy and vital as you get older.

 

Good nutrition is of course the other key element to healthy aging.  Up until you are in your early 30's, you can eat just about anything and get away with it.  That quickly changes as you enter into middle age. 

 

A lot of health issues that occur as we age can be directly attributed to long-term effects poor nutrition, and for many people, over-indulgence in carbohydrates is the leading culprit, especially those found in highly processed foods, and in particular, those that are made with high-fructose corn syrup!

 

‘Let thy food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food’   Even though it's doubtful that Hippocrates actually said this, it's still a good adage to live by.  Don't fall into the trap of letting your doctor prescribe medications to address health issues caused by poor nutrition.  Instead, correct your poor nutrition to fix the problem if you can!  Far too many people taking drugs like Statins, and drugs to address "pre-diabetets", when fixing your nutrition would be far more effective.

 

It doesn't mean you have to adopt some crazy sort of diet or become a convert to some extreme nutritional regime.  Your body is pretty good at telling what is good for it, and what is not. 

 

Just learn to listen to your body.  It's not rocket science, and there's no need to watch YouTube Gurus.  Many of them, like Dr. Berg, for instance, have a lot of factual information to share, but who has the time to constantly be following their advice.  They come out with a new video on an almost daily basis, and if you were to follow everything they advise, you'd be spending your life, 24/7, to do it.  Just learn to listen to your body.  It will tell you everything you need to know.

 

[brokenbone]

On 9/19/2019 at 6:02 PM, Lacessit said:

Money talks.

no, i went to a vet pet shop, they wouldnt even discuss it

[BritManToo]

On 9/19/2019 at 12:22 PM, RJRS1301 said:

Many of my close friends died in the 30s, 40s and fifties, I feel privileged to have made it, so making the best of it. Just miss them often.  

Mine too, I actually envy them.

[WaveHunter]

12 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

When you're dead, you don't know you're dead, the pain is felt by others. Same when you're stupid.

Great quote ????

 

[BritManToo]

34 minutes ago, WaveHunter said:

In order for exercise to really do you any good, it has to stress your body.  I think it's really amusing to see people in the gym riding a stationary bike at a cadence of 60 rpm or less while playing with their smart phone and not even breaking a sweat LOL!  You might as well just be sitting on your couch and watching TV!  I'm not saying you should instantly start working out hard if you've been a sedentary person.  You should build up to it, but for exercise to be beneficial, it has to create significant physical stress to the body.

Disagree,

Any exercise burns calories and improves muscle tone.

If I just sit and watch TV all day, I get very large very quickly.

If I walk 6-7Km every day, I don't.

[WaveHunter]

30 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Disagree,

Any exercise burns calories and improves muscle tone.

If I just sit and watch TV all day, I get very large very quickly.

If I walk 6-7Km every day, I don't.

Any exercises that burns significant calories is in fact stressing the body.  Walking 6-7km per day certainly stresses the body in the way I'm referring to...and good for you for doing that.  Many people underestimate how good a simple long walk can be for you. 

 

What I was really referring to was people who delude themselves thinking they are working out effectively by sitting on a stationary bike playing with their smart phone or reading a magazine, and not even breaking a sweat while doing it.

 

Also, burning calories is not the only metric that's important.  Countering age-induced loss of lean body mass is far more important than many people realize. 

 

Loss of lean body mass greatly affects metabolism in a very negative way.  You are far more susceptible to gaining body fat, and falling victim to metabolic syndromes that go along with that if you let lean body mass decline as you age.

 

The only way to deal with that is resistance training, and that means stressing the body to the point of tearing down muscles so that they rebuild larger and stronger than they would without it.

 

Personally, I think resistance training is just as important as cardio is for long-term health; in fact, probably more important considering the sedentary lifestyle most people adopt as they get older.  A few hours a week in the gym isn't a big price to pay to avoid this.

 

[Tony125]

7 hours ago, WaveHunter said:

Great suggestions IMHO.  I'm also an aging athlete.  I'm a cyclist and I've had my fair number of bike crashes.  One really did a number on my right hip and pelvis.  Even though it happened years ago, I still suffer some pain and stiffness on occasion.

 

Even though there is mixed science based facts on efficacy of Glucosamine and Chondroitin, I take it regularly and I think it helps, and it certainly does not hurt.

 

In regard to a strategy of "staying young", I think the answer is simple; exercise, good nutrition, plenty of sleep, and avoid situation that cause emotional stress.

 

Stay physically active on a daily basis with a form of activity that you love to do.  Don't over do it, especially if you haven't exercised in awhile, but don't "under do it" either.  It needs to be an activity you really enjoy doing, or you're not going to do it consistently, and consistency is key...as in EVERY day!  Being a week-end warrior is not going to do much at all.

 

In order for exercise to really do you any good, it has to stress your body.  I think it's really amusing to see people in the gym riding a stationary bike at a cadence of 60 rpm or less while playing with their smart phone and not even breaking a sweat LOL!  You might as well just be sitting on your couch and watching TV!  I'm not saying you should instantly start working out hard if you've been a sedentary person.  You should build up to it, but for exercise to be beneficial, it has to create significant physical stress to the body.

 

I'm not a big fan of going to the gym and working out with weights but I do it anyway.  In my opinion (and I back this up with a lot of science based evidence), resistance training is very important as we get older.  The body naturally loses muscle mass as we age.  No amount of cardio is going to counter that. 

 

To avoid age-induced loss of lean body mass, you must do some form of resistance training as you age.  You don't have to train like a bodybuilder but you have to train hard enough to "tear down" muscle so that it rebuilds stronger than before.  It doesn't take that much out of your week to do this effectively.  An hour in the gym, a few times a week, isn't a big price to pay to stay healthy and vital as you get older.

 

Good nutrition is of course the other key element to healthy aging.  Up until you are in your early 30's, you can eat just about anything and get away with it.  That quickly changes as you enter into middle age. 

 

A lot of health issues that occur as we age can be directly attributed to long-term effects poor nutrition, and for many people, over-indulgence in carbohydrates is the leading culprit, especially those found in highly processed foods, and in particular, those that are made with high-fructose corn syrup!

 

‘Let thy food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food’   Even though it's doubtful that Hippocrates actually said this, it's still a good adage to live by.  Don't fall into the trap of letting your doctor prescribe medications to address health issues caused by poor nutrition.  Instead, correct your poor nutrition to fix the problem if you can!  Far too many people taking drugs like Statins, and drugs to address "pre-diabetets", when fixing your nutrition would be far more effective.

 

It doesn't mean you have to adopt some crazy sort of diet or become a convert to some extreme nutritional regime.  Your body is pretty good at telling what is good for it, and what is not. 

 

Just learn to listen to your body.  It's not rocket science, and there's no need to watch YouTube Gurus.  Many of them, like Dr. Berg, for instance, have a lot of factual information to share, but who has the time to constantly be following their advice.  They come out with a new video on an almost daily basis, and if you were to follow everything they advise, you'd be spending your life, 24/7, to do it.  Just learn to listen to your body.  It will tell you everything you need to know.

 

I agree with your post. People don't realise that just taking suppliments won't cut it. Example you need to put stress on muscles/bones say to absorb calcium to make bones stronger. If just taking calcium without stress to bones they won't absorb the calcium. Losing muscle mass not only affects metabolism but your immune system as well.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/slowing-bone-loss-with-weight-bearing-exercise

The Benefits of Strength Training

• Reduce the symptoms of osteoarthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, back pain, and depression.
• Help you manage your weight.
• Improve your balance.
• Help you sleep better.
• Improve glucose control.
• Increase strength and muscle mass while raising metabolism.
• Promote more independence as you get older.
•  

[uhuh]

On 9/15/2019 at 11:02 PM, wisperone said:

I always take a full size aspirin before getting on the plane to thin the blood. If doing one of the 30+ hour flites, will take another or half before getting on the next leg of the journey. 

Full size aspirin doesn't thin the blood.  81mg or 100mg does, full size is 500mg and does not thin the blood. 

But anyway,  aspirin doesn't help against deep vein thrombosis (that's the risk on flights). You should take an subcutaneous injection of clexane or a similar low molecule weight heparin,  or you should take a tablet of xarelto or a similar oral anticoagulant.

[Nyezhov]

12 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Disagree,

Any exercise burns calories and improves muscle tone.

If I just sit and watch TV all day, I get very large very quickly.

If I walk 6-7Km every day, I don't.

True that, when I was in the states driving everywhere, I was a 38D, now that Im walking Ive dropped to an A cup.

[safarimike11]

On 9/15/2019 at 6:03 PM, giddyup said:

For a start I avoid mirrors at all costs, but I also try not to think about death being just around the corner, it's inevitable anyway and can only cause major depression if you become too fixated on it. At 77 I worry more about being sick and infirmed rather than actually dying.

Age now 64 - just. Arthritis started creeping in 2-3 years ago. I use 2 private hospitals (private insurance only covers me for in-patient, so I tend to remember the very few times a year I visit as an out-patient) and each one has an excellent orthopedic surgeon. I was having trouble with the flexibility of my shoulders 3 years ago and he suggested 2 different exercises: 1. One arm straight up, grab the elbow with the other hand and (bending the arm) push it down behind your back till it hurts; ditto other arm (50 repetitions in each every morning under a hot shower). 2. Bend one arm across your face, put your other hand on the elbow and push the arm back into your face till you feel pain in your shoulder (50 repetitions etc. as above). Took a few weeks, but shoulder flexibility returned. Needless to say, if I miss a day, I do double the next day.

[Tim K]

From an ancient chinese book, I-Ching
Hexagram 30, line 3.

 

Siu: The man reaches his declining years and recalls the transitoriness of life. Instead of enjoying the ordinary pleasures while they last, he groans in melancholy.

Wing: The best attitude to cultivate at this time in your life is a general acceptance of fate. To totally lose yourself in the happiness of the moment is as bad as to bemoan the passing of time. Such folly of the mind and the emotions leads to a loss of inner freedom. Misfortune.