How Old

Did you ever stop and think about when you may have lived long enough. Below is what one of the Obamcare experts had to say on the subject.

"Obamacare architect Dr. Zeke Emanuel explained on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" why he believed 75 years was long enough for a person to live, saying that's about the time health began to decline." His words, not mine.

"I picked 75, when you think about the combination of physical decline, the rise of Alzheimer's, the loss of creativity."

As for me, I hit the 85 marker in May, 2014. If, I even think of this subject I just ask for at least one more day to try to get finished some of the "stuff" I have started and not completed.

13 Comments

75? It's NOT for Government to say!

by joelcr3 - 2014-09-27 02:09:35

When was it part of the Constitution to decide how long to live? He should be removed IMMEDIATLY!!!!!! People should live as long as we can give them devices and meds that keep them alive.

Good to hear from you Smitty !

by IAN MC - 2014-09-27 06:09:01

Your friend Dr Emanuel has missed the point of living ! I find it slightly concerning that a man responsible for devising healthcare in your country believes that life is not worth living after 75 !

There is an old Chinese saying which, roughly translated means :- " Life isn't measured by how many breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away "

I am looking forward to many many more such moments.
( and yes, I have passed 75 ) .

Moments that "take our breath away" refer to experiences which have a WOW factor and definitely don't include arrythmias !!!!

Cheers

Ian

????????????

by IAN MC - 2014-09-27 07:09:11

Why on earth would you expect us old duffers to understand anything that anyone writes ?

I have already forgotten the theme of this thread !

Ian

I've passed 75, also...

by donr - 2014-09-27 08:09:02

...& all those days beyond that milestone have been exciting! AND - definitely NOT for the faint of heart. I look around myself & see a myriad of projects unfinished that cry out for my further attention. Most important, I (WE - Wife made 6 this past Aug) have grandchildren who must have a connection to the past to establish us as a family & give them roots to stabilize them for the future.

Those of us who make it to these exalted years are not to lead physically, but to be a beacon for the current generations to show them where NOT to go, as well as where to go.

I was fortunate enough to have TWO grandfathers who made it to the exalted age of 84+. Were they kind, gentle, loving old men, famous, and who did great things that made history books? No, they were a pair of crochety old men who could be extremely unpleasant. But they raised good families of people who further raised good families. They were sober, thoughtful, dedicated men who worked hard at what they did and were well respected w/i their circles of friends & associates.

From them, we of my generation all inherited the most valuable of all legacies - the ability & desire to work hard at whatever we did & to strive to be the best at it.

Zeke Emmanuel is dead wrong about 75 being the limit. The Eskimos are alleged to have a practice of taking the old out & abandoning them on an ice floe for the polar bears to eat. I don't know about you, Smitty, or you, Ian, but if my family stranded me on an ice floe, I'd eat the first polar bear that came by - and they all darned well know it!

Here's to geriatric medicine - may it long make us well.

Don

Hi Smitty......

by Tattoo Man - 2014-09-27 08:09:13


.....................I am with Sparrow, glad to see you again....

I am definitely with IAN MC re the Chinese saying.

Doctor Zeke is clearly speaking fluently from his anus...he should meet my fantastic Father in Law, Charles who,..in his 91st year is well into his SECOND PHD here in the UK with the University of Northamptonshire.

This is a man who, together with my Mum in Law, think nothing of flying back from their home near Marbella, Spain for a weekend party here in the UK.

Dr Zeke....??

Jerk

Tattoo Man

Gee, Tat Man...

by donr - 2014-09-27 09:09:05

...you are more polite in describing Dr. Zeke than I am.

My description contains expletives that Blake would not allow. Ditto for his brother, Rahm, the Mayor of Chicago.

Don

Even the young

by MelodyMarch - 2014-09-27 10:09:10

and battery powered don't like this. One of my worst fears is the government getting in their head that if 75 is the limit they won't replace the old ticker battery in my case about 40 years down the road because it is not "prudent policy".

One would hope in 40 years we will be through this debate and the point would be moot, but somehow I don't think so. I know that I am planning on saving my pennies for that battery replacement I will need past 75 years, at which point I will flip the bird to the government and say "I'm paying cash, give me my battery so I can go back to my retirement.".

One set of my Grandparents lived well into their 80's and the others are working on it. My one grandfather even had SSS (same as me) in the stone age, never got a pacemaker and still made it to 88.

There is a lot of life to be lived past 75, as is evidenced on this board!!!

Carry on my battery powered friends, carry on!

82 years & Ticking !!

by donb - 2014-09-27 10:09:33

It sure is great to read our fellow "duffers" comments of normal life in our age. Just got back from visiting my grandson, Pilot with Skywest. He returned from a flight from Canada & got into the mess at O'Hara airport , his home base. As he lives in Rockfort, IL we chose to take a long ride home to avoid the traffic at O'Hara.
Needless to say, I had a good driver as I picked up a local "bug" a couple days ago, "Vertigo" which didn't help riding many hours. Checked my HR many times during the ride, had to hang on the car with every stop for a few minutes, then proceed at a slow walk at rest areas.
So, having my faithful pacemaker at least kept me confident I was doing OK. I did learn my neighbors have had this bug also which we shared doing a dinner-out just before we left on our short trip.
So, I'm really enjoying a good high this morning reading above postings of my fellow "duffers" and yes, I did take my "Antivert" & and it works.
DonB

Are we....

by donr - 2014-09-27 11:09:38

.....the original "Gang that couldn't shoot straight"?

Frank is sorely missed.

Sparrow, this is scary!

Donr (The other Don)

Whatta coincidence!

by jaykay - 2014-09-28 06:09:19

Just last evening you came to mind and I also am one of the ones who needed your helpful advice more than once since getting a PM 2010....Cannot believe that I logged on and there was your post!!! One of God's coincidences? Thank you again for being on here when I really needed you. So good to see you again.

Remember ...

by donr - 2014-09-28 09:09:05

...."Logan's Run," the US film of about 1976? Starred Michael York, Jenny Agutter & Farrah Fawcett had a small part in it.

Same theme as Dr. Zeke, except the age limit was 35. Interesting social commentary on state established limits on longevity & society's reaction to them.

There have been many science fiction stories concerning this issue. Best one I recall I cannot give a name to, but concerned a society where people could live essentially forever. Nearly all committed suicide by using a "recreational tube" that they dropped down & sprung back out of before hitting bottom. When they got tire of living, they just forgot to stop before hitting bottom.

Robert Heinlein wrote an entire S-F series about longevity. His hero was appropriately named Lazarus Long. Lots of turgid discussions about the ethics, morals & social problems of the near immortals living among mortals.

Humanity is not yet ready for society to place limits on how long one should live.

Donr

Hi Cabg Patch.........

by Tattoo Man - 2014-09-28 12:09:47


..........in the interests of fairness, could you expand on your posting ??

I for one have not actually read more than I've seen here.

Best wishes

Tattoo Man

want to know why?

by jessie - 2014-10-03 03:10:38

a lot of us old timers or alzheimers don't post . it is exactly that no one has the right to express a different opinion on this forum.so now you have it.jessie

You know you're wired when...

Airport security gives you free massages.

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