On Aging

Few think your time has value, when in fact it has never had quite so much.

This will likely be the easiest thing I’ve ever written, because I have firsthand knowledge. I won’t have to reference any authorities, because I am one. Although I’m not a physician or a physical therapist, what I can tell you is, for the most part, pretty much irrefutable.

One must remember that in this time and culture, few respect the elders among us. Never mind that everyone who manages to survive will reach old age, or that there will be voices of valuable experience among those who’ve already reached it. Old people disgust many, if not most people with only two or three decades of life under their belts. (A line from the tv series Breaking Bad - “some disgusting old person…”) We can, from most, expect no quarter. To them we are dead weight, in the way, and ignored, at best. Exceptions may be family. May.

So, the first adjustment is to not let that bother you. The luckier ones among them will each get their turn.

The second thing to know is that the younger set can be dangerous. I’m one of those who will quickly bristle and assert, “So can I.” However if you are unaware, it can get you before you have a chance to defend.

On the old twitter, a user posted a rant about “crazy old people” who are armed. He’d seen a neighbor hobble out with his trash, and that upset him. It wasn’t that the old guy had a weapon strapped to his hip, it was because he existed, and it was known that he owned a gun.

My suggestion will always be mace. I never leave home without it. I can probably still defend fairly well, but not if assaulted by a group of youths in a parking lot. If you have a sidearm and can reliably and safely carry concealed, so much the better. I do and can, but usually I don’t carry. Of course, I’m not in a city either.

Once, a few years ago, I arrived at my father’s home at 10:30 AM to take him to a doctor appointment. He was 96, and he wasn’t about to relinquish his independence. Adjustments he made or allowed, were very sparse.

But he’d failed to realize that he’d lost the ability to get up when he’d laid down. A sofa or a bed, no problem; you swing your legs over the side and sit up, then stand. But the evening before, he’d decided to use a putty knife to scrape grass from beneath his ztr mower, while on his back. He’d placed his cell phone on a workbench before starting, and had poo-pooed life alert devices.

Realizing he’d spent the night on a concrete floor, I of course called for an ambulance. I don’t know how many people asked me that day if I knew about life alert. What can I say? He had one after that, because I was not taking “no” for an answer. I still don’t own one myself, but I will. If you take a fall and no one knows, the outcome will definitely not be acceptable.

The worst thing about the body getting older, other than that it becomes more difficult to do many things, is general loss of strength. When younger, maintaining a reasonable degree of strength is effortless. As we age, that diminishes until it’s gone. This is largely preventable, and that’s the most important thing I have to pass along.

The downside is that staying active requires effort, and the upside is that once you’ve recovered, it becomes very much easier. Inactivity carries with it the absolute promise of early demise. Remaining active becomes the most crucial thing in the world, except that it alone, isn’t enough. Now, daily stretching exercises are needed. Now, if able, 10,000 steps per day will help very greatly. (There are many pedometer apps available for cell phones). Now, at least minor weight training, like a set of dumbells, is required, not simply advised. Otherwise, a continued decline will eliminate your mobility and function. It requires self-discipline that inevitably fails, at least occasionally, and occasional failure to exercise is all you can afford.

For men, the slide comes, at least partially, from a natural reduction in your body’s production of testosterone. If your doctor will allow you to supplement directly with testosterone, I recommend that. If not, there are numerous legal over-the-counter supplements that enhance the body’s ability to produce it. One of those I like is tongkat ali, but there are many others. I further would advise against anything containing soy. The soy product industry vehemently denies it, but soy is loaded with phytoestrogens and will, no matter what they claim, interfere with whatever testosterone you do have. In my non-medical opinion, soy eventually kills older men. Your doctor may disagree. Finding food products with no soy is difficult.

Lastly, sleep and nutrition are both critical. You really need enough sleep so that at least you aren’t tired all day, and nutrition so your body doesn’t consume muscle for energy, which it will do if you don’t eat regularly and reasonably well. Don’t take that lightly. The only thing I have to say about brain fog is, beet capsules. If you like, other supplements work too. Beets promote the body’s production of nitric oxide, which helps circulation and oxygenation and thus, brain function. Also the cost is minimal, compared to other supplements. I take more than the recommended amount because it’s just ground-up beets. Whoever heard of beet poisoning?

I could try and advise on social options, but I am different from most, in that attending social gatherings is more trouble than it’s worth to me. I have pets, and that gets expensive very quickly. But they are at least loving, and great company. Animals don’t care how old you are or what you look like, their hearts are too big for that. If you adopt one, please be sure you can afford care for it, first.

I’ll leave it at that, except to add that your future is in your hands. Few think your time has value, when in fact it has never had quite so much.

Be well.