The following was sent to me by an old friend so I thought I’d share with you.
A Beautiful Message About Growing Old

Crap.
I forgot what it was.

Getting older is certainly no picnic and it seems there are more and more doctor appointments as we start rapidly falling apart or so it seems. It’s also weird that a few years back Bill joined a Blue Cross Blue Shield health group policy at work and everyone dropped out but him because they said they couldn’t afford it. Now he is looking for individual coverage because they raised it 100 dollars a week, over 900 dollars a month is a bit much.

He decided against retiring at 62 even though he would love to and since he makes too much he can’t get insurance through the Veterans, but if he did retire then they would help him, but he says he couldn’t survive on the amount Social Security would pay him. If he works til 65 then he would get a lot more and still be able to work all he wants to and it wouldn’t effect his Social Security plus he would then be eligible for medicare.

He really needs the coverage for his eyes, Wednesday is another eye  laser procedure for Bill only this time it will be the left eye. Up til now the pressure in the right eye has been the worse and he has had at least 4 procedures that I know of and maybe 1 before me. He has a cataract forming on the left eye, but they said it wasn’t bad enough yet to remove so they will laser holes to reduce the pressure and then go from there.

He gets so disgusted and worried that someday he will lose his eyesight and be limited in the things he will be able to do. I’m quite sure that would also bother me so it’s easy to empathize. He really doesn’t look forward to much other than having the time , good weather and eyesight to enjoy his motorcycles. He misses the 2 wheeler and has been talking about getting a Harley Davidson Crossbones.

If I manage to master the gears on my cheap practice Suzuki then we will sell it and my Scooter and get a Honda Rebel which are great investments and don’t lose their value. I like the way the Rebel looks, it really appeals to me and it’s a small bike which will suit me just fine. I seriously would have doubts about anything bigger especially to start I would like a spring loaded seat like the Crossbones though.

Usually I feel very blessed that I have lived so long, but then sometimes I worry about getting even older and losing my abilities to think properly and function in a productive way, but mostly I just take it one day at a time and try my best to be grateful for everything in my life. I do of course worry about Alzheimer’s because I’ve known people and families that have suffered.

Alzheimer’s is often hard to detect during its early stages because the symptoms aren’t much different from those experienced by other seniors who don’t develop the disease. Everyone as they age seem to go through mild confusion and forgetfulness and we accept it as just getting older and something that just happens, but it can also mark the onset of Alzheimer’s.

The forgetfulness gets worse gradually, until it begins to alter daily routines and reminders have to be written down or verbally delivered by others. The next step is an acute inability to do anything without help or supervision and can ultimately render the sufferer helpless.

Even if the body is willing and in good shape, the mind is not. I have seen people just standing in a daze which they pretty much are simply not knowing what to do or what they are suppose to be doing. It’s very sad, but thank God for the AFA and other people that are doing research

In advanced Alzheimer’s Disease aggression is often seen and seems to be a common symptom. Violent and verbal outbreaks can occur because of the confusion and anxiety that the person suffers all the time because they are no longer themselves and it can be very difficult and they may seem like a totally different person from the way they use to be as the disease progresses into its later stages. It can take between three and fifteen years for a person to get to this stage though.

There is no cure for Alzheimer’s, but there are medical centers and foundations that need our donations to keep the research going to find a cure. There are some drugs that help offset the symptoms when found early. A couple of drugs that are used to delay the process are Exelon and Aricept, but they will only delay the degeneration for a time and when they stop working the process of the disease will continue. Learning to cope is essential in dealing with this disease.

I know we are living a lot longer and it seems like the quality of life has been improving. People seem to care more even though all we hear about are the bad things that happen everyday. Our young people as a whole seem so much smarter than when I was young. It’s truly amazing that families still have such close ties and bonds in the chaos that we hear about all the time.

It’s really great to see the strong fiber and morals that are all around us and the way our young people care about the world and the people in their life. Of course you run across a few that care about nothing but self, but the majority are great and we have a few around here that walk right down the middle of the street and dare you to move  your vehicles. Of course I never make eye contact because they remind me of hungry little wolves. So I patiently wait for them to saunter off.

Just because we only hear or see the bad deeds doesn’t mean that is the way for the majority and so I am grateful to see the world each morning I wake up even though I have to look in the mirror sometimes to remember who I am. I really am grateful for each passing year and experience.