There are no doctor appointments on my calendar for the next six weeks. Alarming. Truly alarming.
Does it
frighten you when no doctor on your list of specialists has made a date to see
you?
Frankly, I
get giddy. Does this mean the aches; pains and surprises of aging have come to
an end? Of course not. We all have arthritis, some in places we wish it wasn’t.
But there is so much more to fear - if we allow fear into this doctor-free
time. Fear of the unknown is powerful. I’ve considered several what-ifs.
What if I
fall? A likely scenario even though my daughter removed every rug in my home
that I could possibly stumble over. It’s very bare here. Trouble is I’ve been
tripping over my own feet since I’ve been ten years old.
But falls
are a number one concern according to the experts. One out of every four older
adults will experience a fall according to the CDC. Falling once doubles your
chances of falling again. Not happy stats!
Falls
afflict twenty-five per cent of those sixty-five years and older. Age related
muscle weakness, balance problems and sometimes medication side-effects are some
of the reasons cited by the organizations that keep track of such statistics. (The
afore mentioned CDC & the National Council on Aging.)
What if I
catch a virus? I’m up to date on my vaccines, use Azelastine on a regular basis
for my sinus allergies and have many mask back-ups left over from Covid
pandemic. For two years I didn’t have any colds thanks to those masks! They’re
as necessary for travel now as packing my bags.
I could get
beamed by a hickory nut. These are hard-shelled lethal little bombs which fall
willy-nilly from hickory trees during the fall. I’m thinking they could easily
cause a concussion. Or you could break both ankles or worse by slipping on
these tough nuts. However, the squirrels love them. They depend on hickory nuts
to get them through the winter. (Keeping it positive here.)
Among the
many what ifs that might happen? Well, I might throw my back out for the
umpteenth time but this time in exercise class.
I could get
hit by a bus or an impaired driver. But these accidental afflictions do not
usually mean long-term setbacks.
On the
other hand, dementia, cancer, long-term heart disease, stroke and lower
respiratory disease are the chronic illnesses that may set in before our
eighty-fifth birthday. By my count at this point I only have one of these and
it does not hinder my daily life. Yet. Back to the stats - ninety-three per
cent of us have at least one chronic condition and eighty per cent of us have
two or more. (CDC, National Council on Aging sources.)
High blood
pressure, arthritis and high cholesterol are the most common conditions seniors
and super-agers suffer from and can usually be kept under control with
medication. Kindness and empathy from our peers and family help us to endure many
of these age related maladies.
Our number
might not come up in the statistics but we need to practice kindness and grace
with our friends who might be.
Lastly, I
could have my internal organs shut down due to overuse…long years of use. (Passing,
also known as by natural causes.)
So, yes,
anything can happen during the dull lull between appointments, but I am a
positive person and tell myself I deserve this little respite between doctors
and medical surprises. I choose not live each day fearing some calamity will
befall me at any moment. Instead, I’m sure it’s a time to crush as much good living
as possible into each day.
And to
remember at all times the old saying, Never
regret growing old; it is a privilege denied many.
