As you have aged and gotten more or less accustomed to increasing health issues both in type and severity, do you think about the ending of it all? Often? Would you consider ending it purposely? Thought about it, maybe? I have. Considering brass tacks, I'm chicken. But my existence is not yet highly threatened healthwise, so long as the heart failure present does not worsen, and kidney dialysis continues viable. Unable to stick to my old routines troubles me the most. Eating has become my sole pleasure. My wife fears being unable to make ends meet when I croak, due to lost income. Yet, she knows she will persevere. I know it too. I wonder where others stand? Frank
@Frank Sanoica - you worry me with your depression. Aging is not for the weak of heart. Yes, it becomes hard at times, with all the aliments and dwindling funds. I intend on hanging around best as I can in order to see how the hell this world carries on. I probably am a chicken also, but that is fine with me. I could not end it all on my own, and put my hubby, and kids through that torment. Do your best Frank to see each day differently. If Bibbi Wright can endure all she has gone thru for almost 48 years, dammit we can carry on a bit longer ourselves. Besides we all would miss you so much.
I have the advantage of going to a gym that is frequented by a lot of seniors, some of which are much older than I. Whilst I observe, each one has their own disadvantage(s) or malady that prevents them from doing everything they would like to do to and the level of proficiency that they would like to do it but they keep on keepin’ on. There are three men who lost all or parts of lower limbs due to diabetes, one other comes in wearing an oxygen machine and two are in wheel chairs. The locker room is even more revealing because I know of 2 men who have scars running down their spine and at least a half dozen with that all too telling scar running down the center of their chest. One weight lifter friend of mine is 84-85 or so and has A-fib and heart failure, still squats 350 just because he refuses to give up. What I’m driving at is that I get a lot of encouragement by watching them in that if anything major should happen to me, there’s no viable reason to sit down. If they do not make excuses, neither should I. I want to be like Caleb after crossing the Jordan. Paraphrased, he said that even though I am 81, I will go and take that land.
@Frank Sanoica and @Gloria Mitchell Thanks Gloria. I intend to stick around as long as I can. I mean what else could happen?
I think most people have considered ending it after hearing that someone took their own life and asking themselves if they could do that. I say that it would depend on the circumstances. Using logic without human emotion attached, if my life is 95% over and the last 5% promises to suck, it might be worth considering. But we are not Mr. Spock of Star Trek who functions only on logic. I'll probably just stick around until time takes its toll, pissing and moaning all the way. Life is interesting.
I know most people as they age they get more drugs from the doctor that means the doctor is not curing you but making a costumer for the drug company. It is about time to wake up take your own health into your control and as you do you will get a better out look on live. I am not the oldest on the forum at 79 but I am with out any medication or pain. This was a big change from 15 years ago when I was going to specialist for medical problems that they could not cure. I cured myself and many others after that.
@Frank Sanoica -- no, I can't say I have considered suicide. I always figured I'd be one of those who'd make an unsuccessful attempt and end up 10X worse off than before. Not to mention that being dead is forever and I'm not ready to commit. When I have an oncologist's appointment, the nurse always asks 1) if I have fallen lately, and 2) am I depressed or have suicidal thoughts. Well, I can't imagine anyone with cancer NOT being "depressed," but why on earth would we be going through the hell of treatment if we were going to kill ourselves?? So ridiculous.
Martin, no offense but I sincerely doubt you could cure yourself or anyone else with kidney failure... or cancer for that matter. You are lucky; end of story.
A person might not be able to cure kidney failure with changing diet, but mine has been improving. I have been in kidney failure for several years now, and was down into the mid-30’s on the GFR, but with the change in lifestyle and diet, mine has gone up into the mid-50’s. It has to be over 60 GFR to be out of kidney failure, so not there yet; but the doctors told me that it could NEVER get better. Also, they said the same thing about the heart failure, which was down to 23%EF, and is now improved so much that I am no longer considered to be in heart failure the last echocardiogram they did for my heart. So, for me, at least, taking care of my health and improving my diet to a mostly plant-based diet , has helped me tremendously.
kidney failure... or cancer will not be cured by the people who make a fortune out of the illness. Most kidney are healthy even the one they claim are bad it is only the afferent arteries get plugged up and need to be cleaned out and the kidney are fine. Cancer is a PH problem mostly cause by environment this is not a disease caused by virus or bacteria. So your life style is the answer. I know lots of people who beat cancer and even a person who beat pancreatic cancer. Those diseases do not scare me.
I understand where you are coming from, I think Frank. I've thought of the ending of my days and I think of them more often. Most often I seem to be sitting around waiting to die. This is not depression. This is reality. I'm working on eighty-nine years old. I can't do anything. I've got copd, heart problems, most days I don't have the energy to get up out of my chair. I don't want to do anything, don't feel like doing anything. I await the inevitable. The best I can hope for is a painless death.My brain still functions about as well as it every has except for memory problems which are not yet dementia but old age forgetfulness. Martin, you've been down there too long. Some of that witchcraft and voodoo, and healing women and self empowerment you can't take too seriously. Suppose your mental facilities might have better had you stayed in Canada.
Too dark a subject to wade through personal details on, and it's always in the theoretical, but let's just say that I'll not underestimate my survival instinct. And I'll never refer to it as a "cowardly act."
@Lon Tanner I believe the rules USED TO BE that a surviving spouse is awarded 1/2 of the deceased's S/S plus their own remaining. Frank