While this is an unusual topic maybe, as one ages, some of you may be able to relate. Access to medical care is a significant component of all of our lives if we have aspirations to live to be older. As we accumulate medical screenings, routinely recommended, the appointments pile up. And, as we leave…
Tag: health
Coping with Caregiving: A Personal Journey for the New Year
Welcoming the new year has been special for me this particular year. I have had a few difficult years, 1997-98, and survived. This year, I have been thrust into a caretaker role for the first time since my three children grew up and entered professions that were self-sustaining. My husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer.…
Retirement Bliss: Adapting to Life in the Desert
Living in the desert brings many challenges, some too stressful, while life is getting better (hahaha). The heat in the summer is 100-124 degrees. This summer, the average has been about 109, easier to manage. We do outside activities in the early AM and run errands. Midday is time for paperwork, reading, puzzles, writing, online…
The Evolution of Medicare: Changes Over the Years
As a senior how much do you know about Medicare? Medicare, a national health insurance program for the elderly and disabled, was signed into law in 1965 by President Lyndon B. Johnson as part of the Social Security Act. The history dates back further, with earlier proposals and discussions surrounding national health insurance going back to the…
Why Surgery for Pinched Nerves May Not Be the Best Option
Aging brings with it a series of physical and mental challenges. Yesterday, my very best friend went to the last of three doctors, up the medical chain, to obtain relief from a pinched nerve. She was shocked when he prescribed Tramadol and refused her surgery, without explanation. I asked AI why? “It points out that…
Aging and Relationships: Embracing Harmony for Peaceful Coexistence
Aging brings a subtle but growing need for harmony in relationships. Relatives and friends are still who they are, but peaceful coexistence in life is the primary goal for me. It is easy to accumulate stressful moments and life-changing events instigated by the most important people in our lives. The challenge is what to store…
Gentle Chair Exercises: A Senior’s Guide to Daily Fitness
Sustaining a healthy lifestyle is more than just an idea, it has to be a routine. I walk about 1 1/2 miles early. I needed more to keep me going through the day. As a senior, mature individual, I know that floor yoga is not an option. Foot, arm, and neck surgeries limit my exercise…
Unforgettable Fine Dining: Escargots, Bibb Salad, and Filet Mignon with a Charming Escort
Growing up in a family that was first generation in the 50s and 60s provided a diet with little interesting food and was repetitive. My father was English/Irish. My mother was Sicilian. Believe me the mix was not made in heaven! After I went to college, I met a sort of Professor Henry Higgins, but…
Embracing Retirement: Overcoming Challenges and Rediscovering Passions
Retirement sometimes bring a strange mix of morning emotions. When I worked I woke at 4:45 every day with energy and a “can’t wait” approach to the day. I had long days, many challenges, and “work” friends I valued. Now, after 13 years of retirement, I awake and still wait for the “moment” of daily…
These Ole Bones
Since I feel like I am still 35 most of the time, today is a reality check….bringing me up short on the issues of aging. I have a pre-surgery physical this morning at 9:30am for a surgery in two weeks. Then, I have to rush home to take my husband for lumbar surgery at 2:15…
