if you didn't know

P

patrick and linda

New member
IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW HOW OLD YOU ARE, HOW OLD WOULD YOU BE?
well it's raining out today and the boating season is close to end, here in the mid north east. so thought i'd share this story with you. a friend of 30+ years, gary, an avid body builder and picture of health, just concluded a two year battle with colon cancer. his age, well he's lied so much about his age i'm not sure he exactly recalls what it is, but i would say he's several years younger than me which would put him approx. 57 or 58. he avoided the colonoscopy for years however after much brow beating finally study for and took the test, which saved his life. well, he looks great now but still has the chemotherapy port-a-cath inserted in his chest. he says it's like working out with a screw driver stuck inside your chest. this is a great time of year to concentrate on our health, gain a grip on our weight, pledge to stop smoking or reduce our consumption of whatever, so that next boating season will be our best. anyone seeking words of encouragement need only to ask. two months ago i committed to train harder and actually compete in the march 2010 mr. northern ky. body building contest, masters, over 60. ok, i might be crazy, but that's exactly what i'm going to do. starting weight, two months ago was 214. today i'm 194. it's not hard when you make a committment to family and friends.
hope all is well in your neck of the woods, and equally hope your age is 39. today i will make my age 39 as well.
best regards
pat
 
"he avoided the colonoscopy for years"

If you're over 50 and never had one, getting a colonoscopy should be at the TOP of everyone's "bucket list".

Yeah the prep is a bit of an ordeal but the procedure itself is a walk in the park. I've had 4 over 11 years - but that frequency was the result of finding polups on the first three. Last one I was polup free so I got a pass for the next 5-10 years.

Believe me, after taking the test you'll get some peace of mind as will your loved ones. :thup
 
Couldn't agree more. During the past summer I was off my feet due to surgery and I picked up the 10-15 lbs I had worked so hard to keep off. I also lost any/all cardio I had at 48. Now I'll have to "start from scratch". But with my wife's support, I plan on doing it. Hopefully, my knees, feet etc will cooperate. :lol:

As far as basic medical checks/exams, there's no excuse for NOT doing them. The younger guys at work always comment negatively on prostate exams; too much macho/youth and not enough common sense/experience. My response: Yeah, it's uncomfortable and somewhat embarassing...but it sure BEATS THE ALTERNATIVE.
 
If we new all the stories about medical malpractice and the hubris of the medical practitioners who claim to know nearly everything and often treat patients like medical experiments, I think we would be less trusting in their care.

If I hear you advocating for taking personal responsibility for our health (weight, habits, diet, etc), I would say Hallelujah. If I also hear you advocating for quality of life rather than maximum length-- where we try to be present and drink drops of joy from each precious moment we have-- I would say right on!

Death will happen to all of us. Its inevitability helps us to keep everything we do in perspective. Hopefully when it comes I will greet it as a natural part of the life process and be thankful for the time and friends I had.

My 2c
 
ccflyer":2eut6rby said:
If you're over 50 and never had one, getting a colonoscopy should be at the TOP of everyone's "bucket list".
Click to expand...

I'm 62 and had my first colonoscopy earlier this year. It wasn't so much that I avoided it as I just didn't make it a priority. But the question of what might be there always lurked just under the radar. Now that I have had it done, thankfully with a clean report, I will not be so lackadaisical about it in 5 or 10 years.

Warren
 
Last year I sublet a slip on Lake Washington from a gastroenterologist at UW Med Center. I asked why they couldn't improve on the gallon of crap you have to drink just prior to the colonoscopy. He just laughed and said they talk about that all the time. As mentioned above, the test itself is a piece of cake and saves many lives.
 
I have heard that there is an alternative to the "gallon of crap" :cry you have to drink now. Anyone know about that? How about you MDs in the crowd?

Charlie
 
I had a colonoscopy last year. Drank stuff and hung out near the head but it wasn't so bad tasting - Doc said it was 'new' flavor, and although not something I would choose at the restaurant, it sure wasn't crap. The actual test was nothing at all (since you have a local anesthetic) - doc said we were sharing jokes (I don't remember a thing) and it was a clean 'slate' (is that the proper term?)

As to the prostrate test, my female doc says, "Well, that's why you go to a female doc - our fingers are smaller."

Might just as well laugh at the inevitable, it's easier than crying.

And you don't want to put off preventative testing - the alternative could be a lot worse than squirming. We've given up two winters of potential cruising to have a bunch of tests (since my stroke), and another stent emplaced.

And right on - not to extend life, but to enjoy every possible minute we have right now.
 
Captains Cat":3b3u7xgn said:
I have heard that there is an alternative to the "gallon of crap" :cry you have to drink now. Anyone know about that? How about you MDs in the crowd?

Charlie
Click to expand...

Had one last week and was given some powder to mix with a bottle of Gatorade. Way better and less volumn than the "Go Lightly" of my first procedure. I don't recall the chemical name for the powder but then I probably will not be going to the market wanting to buy some more just for fun. :shock:
 
As I recall my last time I was given a choice - drink a smaller amount of a better tasting liquid but no solid foods over 48 hours or, drink the gallon of Golytely with a 24 hour fast. If they've reduced the quantity and improved the quality of the prep, that's good news.

On the plus side, on the way home you can treat yourself to a great lunch :wink:
 
my original post spoke of a friend who was in excellent health but found himself with a difficult medical problem. the intent of my post was to stimulate conversation for the benefit of improving our health by changing our eating habits and exercising on a systematic and routine basis, all in a effort to help us enjoy what boating has to offer. drop the anchor, pull the anchor, carry aboard stores, pick up the port-a-potty, not to mention the long walks to and from our vehicles.
i wonder if there is an interest in this second part of my post, and if so, how might we help each other accomplish our goals, of improving our strength and condition, as we grow older? is old and weak optional?
you might wonder how this post benefits me, well just sharing a goal will help me focus on accomplishing it, you guys are my peers and it is less likely that i fail as a result of that.
best regards
pat
 
Virtual colonoscopy is a non-invasive CT scan. Thataway can explain the technology used. 8>))
Still requires the prep. If they spot something you then get a do-over so might as well do one stop shopping in my book -- except here in Las Vegas where the cheap ass doctor had nurses reusing single use vials of anesthetic and gave Hep C and HIV to a whole bunch of patients.

Bill Uffelman
Formerly General Counsel for the Society of Nuclear Medicine
Las Vegas NV
 
The excuse they gave me for drinking the gallon was that living 60 miles from the doctor/facility was too far to get away using the pills that are now available. Mine of two years ago was not clean but not advanced so they removed whatever it was and I go back next year for a redo. Since that will be less than a year prior to retirement that may be the last one for me.
 
Bill Uffelman":1r3muytj said:
Virtual colonoscopy is a non-invasive CT scan. Thataway can explain the technology used. 8>))
Still requires the prep. If they spot something you then get a do-over so might as well do one stop shopping in my book -- except here in Las Vegas where the cheap ass doctor had nurses reusing single use vials of anesthetic and gave Hep C and HIV to a whole bunch of patients.

Bill Uffelman
Formerly General Counsel for the Society of Nuclear Medicine
Las Vegas NV
Click to expand...

Don't believe them if they tell you the virtual scan is painless. It isn't any fun feeling your intestines blow up like a ballon. Next time they are going to give me lots of chemicals!!! Good Chemicals!!!!! I would just as soon be asleep through this little indignity...

On the positive note about the virtual, they do see a lot more of the abdominal cavity, so they have a chance to spot anything else that might be occurring.
 
Pat I applaud your' spirit. I'm 44 and already have more aches and pains than I want to admit. I believe we all have to make a concious decision to age in the most healthfull way we can. Why live long if you can't live "good and long"? My boys are 5 & 6 right now, that is my inspiration. I would like to catch as much of their lives as I can and not be a burden to them.
 
i wonder if there is an interest in this second part of my post, and if so, how might we help each other accomplish our goals, of improving our strength and condition, as we grow older? is old and weak optional?
you might wonder how this post benefits me, well just sharing a goal will help me focus on accomplishing it, you guys are my peers and it is less likely that i fail as a result of that.

Pat,

I like your idea. People with an interest in living life fully shouldn't be unnecessarily brought down by health problems we have some control over. Seems like I'm getting old fast, but I try like crazy to outrun it, mostly because I like being nimble enough to continue to have fun. Your original question, "What if you didn't know how old you were" is a great way of thinking about age and getting out there and "just doing it." I'm a registered nurse, so I've seen what happens when people don't take care of themselves. Good for you and your goals! I'll be happy to support you in that pursuit; and I'll welcome your support in mine, as they continue to develop. :thup
 
Pat - my son and I decided (at the suggestion of our doctor) to change our eating habits. The doc briefly outlined a few goals, son and I debated, and then decided what we would do and shook on it. Well, when you shake with a son (or a friend) you don't renege. And so it has been now for over two years. Our blood pressure, cholesteol numbers and ratios are now A-1 - the doc uses us as his 'poster kids' and has written us up.

Yes sharing goals works in some cases. And your suggestion of sharing some goals for fitness and health with this group is a good one. Roger, on SeaDNA gave a challenge last year for The Biggest Loser and it had a good following for a time, but I think kinda fell apart at the end, if I remember correctly. Perhaps he can share some ideas from his challenge.
 
Bill - I can. First as you indicated, I did issue a C-Brat's biggest loser challenge. A number of people were interested for awhile but most couldn't sustain their interest (or motivation) for the better part of the year so perhaps a challenge is not the right approach. I think that maybe something closer to a "support group" is the right approach.

When I got started on my life/habit changing it was Dec 27th, 2007 and I weighed about 212-215lbs. Too darn fat for this 5'10" frame! I began by simply visiting a gym 6 days/week for 1 hour/day. At first, I was walking about 3 miles in my 1 hour - sometimes on a slight incline but always sweating. After awhile, it went up to 3.5, 4, 4.5.... 6 miles/day. I entered my first foot race (a marathon relay where I had to run 6.55 miles) in June of last year. Since then, I've run 3 half marathons, 3 marathon relays and the Ragnar relay (185 miles, split between 12 people). Between Dec. of 2007 and June of 2008, I lost about 30-35lbs. and I've managed to keep it off (I'm 182 now). My present goal is to drop another 15-20 lbs and complete my first full marathon in February. The lighter weight will definitely help.

To me, the biggest thing is making sure I sweat (and work hard) for about 6-8 hours/week. I have found another web site (mapmyrun.com) that also has a web forum. The group of runners there is my exercise "support group". I've found it useful to have a group who run/exercise regularly with whom I can communicate. I check in almost daily and report my exercise efforts as do a handful of regulars. It helps keep the motivation up. We could form such a group here under the that's life forum but most of the other users of the site would probably be bored by it.
 
ramos":9xsfdsmk said:
I'm 44...My boys are 5 & 6 right now, that is my inspiration. I would like to catch as much of their lives as I can and not be a burden to them.
Click to expand...

:shock: My 3 yr old granddauther tires the hell out of me, and that's only part-time. I don't know how you do it.

But that is the best motivation I can think of.
 
Hey rogerbum - maybe there a few of us still out there working on "biggest looser". I PM'ed you a good while back to say I was still in the running (for me that's just an expression). Since you brought it up again (thank you), I will throw in my #93 worth. I was holding off till I hit the #100 mark but since the topic came up - right now I'm down #93 with another #40 to go to reach my goal!!! This represents 2 yrs 2 mos of my"NO THANK YOU" plan and I'm still sticking to it!! Not only do I need new clothes - but I"M down 1 shoe size and took 2 links out of a steel watch band. Congratulations to the rest of the C-Brats who have stuck with life style changes...

The other Marcia
 
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