MY GERIATRIC PHYSICIAN
The old rusty Nail
AN E-JOURNAL FOR OLD PEOPLE
Russell Burton, an Old Person
Now, the title might be a bit misleading for it could mean
that my physician is old. Well, that is
not the case for indeed she is much younger than one who could be considered
old. So when you read the title correctly you must conclude that I have a
physician who specializes in old people.
The University of Texas Health Science Center located in San Antonio , TX has a Geriatric Center
Of course those kinds of physicians have graduated from some
medical school which at times gives them a god like ability to diagnose your
condition by just looking at you. Okay,
I am being a bit factitious still it would be nice for your personal physician
to get to know you a bit. First they
might learn something about you or your history that would have some bearing on
your problem. And, I do presume that
you’re going to a physician because you have a problem and you think it might
have some medical basis.
I have had three visits now with my geriatric physician
group. My first visit was about an hour
long – yes an hour long. She started out
my giving me six things to remember then about ten minutes later she asked me
to repeat them. And, I got five of them
immediately about 15 seconds later then I remembered the other one. Not too bad, but then my brain is holding up
alright as I write my monthly BLOGS and am I glad for a body without a brain is
a most horrible thing.
During our hour chat she got to know me as she reviewed my
meds which I was taking for my high blood pressure, GERD, and my blood
thinner. The blood thinner is for an
arterial stint that I had inserted a little over a year ago. She seems to think we can stop the blood
thinner and that would be a wonderful thing to happen. With this med I always have some severe
bruising especially of my arms. And of
course when I cut myself, even very small lacerations it is hard to stop the
bleeding.
My third visit was also enjoyable but different. I was first greeted by a resident who took my
history, etc. You know this is a
teaching hospital so patients must be patient as you are part of the learning
experience. He was very young, I thought
early college age but of course at my age most everybody is younger so it
becomes difficult to gauge their age precisely.
In 2013 while I was attending the Chautauqua Institute summer program
the young man guarding the parking gate told me that he would probably not be
there next year for he had just graduated from college. I would have bet money that he had just
graduated from high school.
I noted to my resident that one blood pressure drug was
causing me to had short dry coughing spells that could be annoying. He suggested that we might try another blood
pressure drug. Thoughtful but in comes
the real doctor who suggested that we just reduce in half the drug I was
taking. And take it in the evening instead of the morning. I’m sure the
resident was prepared to have his instructions changed as it surely has
happened before and will happen again until he escapes what he at times thinks
is the ‘meddling oversight’.
As the patient I am thankful for the meddling oversight! Of
course he is still learning about old people for his primary training in
medicine was based on information on ‘normal-aged’ people. Older people can have different norms.
I explained to the real doctor that I wrote a BLOG on being
old and gave here one of my articles. As
I did, I explained that no one knows what it is like to old until you are
old. Now, she countered that my
explaining that she had a severe accident that interfered with her mobility for
several years and with great pain. But,
that is not being old. Of course she has
listened to many old people with aches and pains thinking that some of those
pains would instill some knowledge about being old.
Well, it is much more than getting hurt. As I have tried to explain to someone who
reads these articles on old age is that being old is another world that can not
be explained. It must be learned and
that can only happen by being old! There
is no short cut or substitute!
Old age is a great dictator giving you no choice but to keep
physically and mentally fit as possible.
One does not have any logical choice!
Young people have many choices about life but old people have few good
choices. Of course they can neglect what
they must do to live a somewhat normal old life but only at their own peril.
It has been shown many times that the human mind does not
care about the distant future. It only
is concerned about what is about to happen.
I wrote about that in an earlier article as the basis for not being
concerned about the horrors coming at us full steam with climate change. It is by far the most important problem we
have but it is placed down the list of living priorities because the human mind
will not grasp its importance because it is probably a century before we see
the catastrophic changes which are surely to arrive then if not sooner.
It is clear that immediate problems are very important and
in fact for less sophisticated animals it is by far most important. The vast majority of animals have a short
life span and with having to find food and water each day, escape life
threatening danger, plus other serious problems, so short-term problem solving
is in our DNA. Long-term problems which
now can be dealt with are very recent and primarily a human event, so of course
it is not in our DNA.
So, like growing old and even quitting cigarette smoking the
consequences are far into the future but when they arrive it is usually too
late. I know about smoking for I had a
three pack a day habit that was nearly impossible to quit, but I did it. Now, I look at some of my friends who are
still alive and still smoking (many of them died early) or quit much too late
and am so glad that I could see the grim future in time.
But for old age it is much different than smoking to deal
with. Unlike cigarette smoking you can’t
quit old age and be healthy. And, it is difficult to prepare for the future for
it is unknown as to which of the major problems of old age will a person
develop. Still, care must be taken to
approach old age with some activities which we know will be helpful. Of course, those are simple physical and
mental exercises which can be started in old age, unlike quitting the smoking
habit when it is usually too late.
But of course trying to grow old with dignity I believe must
be started early on in the aging process.
I started jogging when I was in my fifties and lifting weights at the
gym in my late sixties. The jogging has
been reduced to walking for about an hour three times a week. My weight lifting I do twice a week and
lifting much lighter than the ones I use to work with.
Before my weight lifting, I do my stretches on a
machine. After this exercise, I walk
upstairs without holding on to the railing and do a five minute balancing
exercise on a ‘T-board’. The day
following weight lifting I do my 30 minutes of aerobics on a stationary bike
when I get my heart rate over 100 bpm.
So, did I begin working on my physical prowess as I resist
my old age on time? No one knows but I
am glad that I did start when I was much younger for I know it has helped me
grow old with some kind of dignity!
As for staying young in mind, try writing a BLOG each
month. And, of course read regularly and
don’t forget the Sudoku.
On my last visit she told me that I was very healthy so I
should see her but twice a year. Then
she went on to explain the poor condition many people are at my age. I guess to be considered healthy at my age
the bar is not too high. And, I am off the blood thinner.
So I end pleased that I have my own Geriatric Physician who
understands old people for old people have different physiologies and many
different diseases one of which is old age.
