Growing Old

The original purpose of my blog was to communicate with my children on what it’s like to age through my seventies.

It’s not pretty.

During the last twelve months I’ve had two wisdom teeth extractions (one year apart), cataract surgery, about ten skin cancers removed, a pacemaker installed, a steroid injection in my index finger, a spider bite lanced and drained three times, a drug prescribed for an enlarged prostate and two weeks of antibiotics for a GI problem.  It’s a good thing I’m retired.  Keeping healthy is a full-time job.

And the doctors tell me I’m lucky because my main systems work fine.  I don’t seem to have a problem with my circulatory system and my main organs.  My chemistries are naturally good.  I only take one prescription and that’s for my prostate.

What’s the point of having good health on my main system when my body is falling apart?  Maybe I should feel lucky, but, at the moment, I don’t.

I did get some good news a couple of days ago.  I had my first check-up of my pacemaker and it’s working fine.  And electrical impulses from my upper heart chamber to my lower chamber are now working perfectly.  The doctors reprogrammed the pacemaker so that it won’t fire unless the electrical issue returns.  They don’t think that will happen.  The batteries for the pacemaker are now predicted to last for ten years.  I’ll be senile by then,

Doctors didn’t agree on the cause of the heart blockage - some said old age and others said the spider bite.  Since the electrical issues with my heart have cleared up, I’m convinced the problem was caused by the spider bite.

This week’s schedule - surgery center tomorrow for removal of another skin cancer, the dermatologist on Wednesday so she can find more cancers for the surgery center and then my primary care doctor on Friday.

It’ll be a dismal week.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Where Did They Go?

We love to sit on our back deck and watch the birds, insects and animals.  While our backyard is tiny, a forty-foot berm, part of which Aloma has planted in shrubs and flowers, gives us privacy and attracts every type of fauna.  We’re watched deer and a fox go by on their way to who-knows-where.  A rabbit gives us fits when he eats our plants.  Ducks and an occasional turtle use our backyard to move between ponds.

Butterflies and bees love Aloma’s flowers.  Our Moon Flowers open at dusk and a Clearwing Moth comes to drink nectar.  They look just like hummingbirds until one enters a flower and then it’s obvious it’s a moth.  Chameleons seem to know us and don’t even hide when we’re around.

It is a virtual zoo.

But we like the birds the best.  During spring and summer they came in droves to our birdfeeder and birdbath.  Cardinals, mockingbirds, brown thrushes, goldfinches, doves, wrens, robins, bluebirds, purple finches and an occasional hawk all give us a show.  They enjoy our backyard and then bring their young to show them the birdfeeder and birdbath.

But by August they were gone.  We’ve only seen an occasional mockingbird and wren since then.  We wonder where they go.  Do they go to the mountains to get away from the dog days of summer or do they go to the seashore?  We don’t know.

But they will return any time now, stay through the winter and then raise another brood in the spring.

We hope they had a good vacation but look forward to their return.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

The Gift

On the way back from Emerald Isle, we stopped at The NC Farmer’s Market, one of our favorite destinations.  Aloma bought some fresh vegetables and looked at plants while I walked around looking at the vendors and watching people.  When she finished, we headed over to a favorite restaurant, The State Farmer’s Market Restaurant.

We were waiting for a table and four women in front of us were talking and having a grand time.  Aloma joined in their conversation like she knew them.  Then one of the women reached into her purse, brought out a tube, squirted something on her hands and then offered it to the other three women.  The other women held out their hands for their squirt and so did Aloma, not even knowing what it was.  The women explained it was a sanitizer.

Aloma asked a lot of questions including where she bought it.  The women held it out to Aloma and said it was a gift.  Aloma declined but the lady insisted so Aloma took it.

The four women were seated and then we were seated moments later.  We had our usual good meal including fresh North Carolina vegetables cooked country style.

As we got up to leave, Aloma went over to the table of the four ladies she met and talked with them some more.  If anyone had been watching, they would have assumed Aloma had known them for years.

What a gift Aloma has for meeting and talking with people.  And this time her gift ended up getting her a gift.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com