Thoughts on Good Health

Going to my doctor for my annual checkup after I turned 60 turned into an ordeal. I was surprised to find that I’ve shrunk half an inch. At 60, I faced the rituals of this new decade of my life. My doctors want to check everything inside and out. It’s like my warranty has run out and I have to have everything checked over to see how it’s running. I had baseline tests done so that in the future, they can see how much I’ve deteriorated.
Each decade we pass another medical threshold and new procedures are recommended to track our health issues. Not everyone has them done, either because they don’t want to or they can’t afford it. Medically speaking, I’m a chicken, but I usually take a deep breath and get all those tests done. So many diseases and conditions can be cured or dealt with if found early. That’s reason enough for me to go through all the discomfort and humiliation.
As I’ve often heard, growing old in not for sissies, and it’s very true. Still, I’m grateful to be alive and healthy. The obituaries of people my age and younger remind me that life can change or be gone in an instant. My amazing hairstylist, Jan, told me today of one of her clients who was 95 years old and still living at home. Her family sent Jan a message to cancel the upcoming appointment. They said the woman had been laughing and joking with family that morning and enjoying chocolate from a local shop. She laid down after lunch to take a nap and passed while she slept. What a wonderful way to go.
After all was said and done, I’m in good health. My main issue is my weight, a life-long battle. Or war. I wave the white flag too often and give in to temptation. Good health is worth the effort. I hope I’ll live for a long time, eat chocolate, laugh and joke with my family, and then pass in my sleep. I wish that for all of us.