Longevity by Ted Bacharach MD (retired)
We all want to remain well and avoid all ailments. In reward for doing all this we assume we will be well and able to live forever. No smoking, no over eating, exercise regularly, get plenty of rest and avoid exposure to any environment that is not healthy is not easy so the question is whether is longevity really a worthwhile goal? Having followed most of these admonitions I find I have suddenly arrived at age where I begin to wonder what should I have done to keep from deteriorating over too long a period of time. It seems my vision, hearing, equilibrium and memory have all been adversely affected. I suppose the best advice we can give anyone is: “Be careful what you wish for, it may not look or feel like what you expected.”
Nice job Doug! Keep up the fight. Medicine truly needs a Victor Laslow. Stay thirsty my friend!
A dear relative died of ovarian cancer last year. She was 78. When she was diagnosed about 4 years before (stage 3). I did a little popular research and saw that the 5 year survival rate was 20%. 1 out of 5 huh? Well, maybe she could be the one. 1 out of 5 are cured! Yes, that’s the way I “took” it. 3 years into treatment and at least 2 abdominal surgeries later I realized that “5 year survival” is not the same as 5 year quality of life (or chance of remission/cure). Neuropathy (from a drug trial in Tampa), massive rock-hard swelling in her lower extremities and of course the usual side-effects of “maintenance” chemo gradually just wore her out while the cancer ate her from within. Even she was saying “I don’t think I’m going to beat this..”. She wanted to but wasn’t unrealistic. Her experience showed me what I consider a black-side to the medical arts: victims of disease are often pawns in the money grab of health care (eg maintenance chemo) or guinea pigs for “finding a cure” (Informed consent aside).
Yes, be careful what you wish for: Longevity is a 2-edge sword. Its nice to dance at your grandchild’s wedding — if you’ve got the pain-free mobility to do it and can remember it afterward. Personally, if and when I’m faced with an end-of-life situation I will consider the end-of-treatment situation immediately thereafter. If medicine can’t solve it in a satisfactory manner, then I’m off to Oregon, Holland or Switzerland for one last terran journey. Can’t afford the trip? Then a short walk into my backyard on a deep-freeze January night will suit me just fine.