Ordinary People Can Live an Extraordinary Life

 What's the secret to longevity?   My 102 year old mom is asked that question all the time, and she usually says, "I don't know.  I didn't do anything special."  This is often the answer given by the many supercentenarians in America.

Onie Ponder, age 110, is one such supercentenarian.  She is thought to be the oldest living person in Florida, and the 86th oldest in the U.S.  When you think of it, she's lived a rather unremarkable life.

She attended boarding school as a young child, went on to attend the University of Florida, and sold war bonds during the war.  Other than that, she raised a family and lived an ordinary life.

Onie's secret to longevity is to live in the present.  Such good advice.  Don't wallow in the past, or think too much about what might happen in the future.  Just enjoy each day to the fullest.  You'll never get this day back.  

Onie is remarkably healthy.  Her "defects," as she calls them, are thinning hair, a few age spots on her face, taking 2 pills a day, and using a walker.  Pretty impressive if those are her only defects.  She is mentally sharp, takes a walk using her walker daily, and enjoys socializing with people in her community.  

Onie Ponder is one of the growing number of supercentenarians in our country.  She has her health, and continues to enjoy her life, one day at a time.  All we really have is today, so let's enjoy it.

Treating Chronic Pain

 Having had some serious back pain recently, I've been looking for answers.  Chronic pain can be treated in many ways.  A multi faceted approach seems to work well for most.  Combining medical treatments with lifestyle changes and psychological strategies can help.  

Nerve blocks and radiofrequency ablation also help.  I just had an epidural (my second in a month) and I am getting some relief.  For seriously chronic conditions, DBS, or deep brain stimulation is being met with good results.  Electrodes in the brain reduce chronic pain by delivering target high frequency electrical impulses to specific brain regions.  These pulses disrupt abnormal pain signals effectively blocking pain transmission to the conscious brain.  

Meditation, yoga, acupuncture, and biofeedbacks are complementary therapies that may also help with pain.

I often listen to Sanjay Gupta's podcast, Chasing Life, as I walk in the morning.  Recently he talked about DBS, and the good results from this treatment. One of the points he made was that opioids are not the only answer, in fact doctors are looking for alternatives.  If one treatment doesn't work, we have to be willing to try something else.  Since Celebrex came on the market in the late 1990's, almost no new pain medications have been approved by the FDA.  We need to look for alternatives, and hopefully find something that breaks the cycle of pain. 

Don't Take Influenza Lightly

 Most seniors I know take keeping healthy a top priority.  Most of us are up to date on our shots:  pneumonia, shingles, Covid, RSV, flu.  You can do all that and still run into trouble. 

My mom and I recently took a 12 cruise from Costa Rica to Los Angeles.  It was a small ship, with lots of space between people, but still I got sick and then my mom.  My illness was simply a heavy cough, with no other symptoms.  My mom's was far worse.  It started as a slight cold, low fever, slight cough and congestion.  But oh, my, things can change quickly.

We went to the ship doctor, who immediately started Dorothy on Tamiflu.  That is supposed to reduce the length of the illness.  Dorothy was so lethargic and lacking in energy.  All she wanted to do was sleep.  She was disoriented, didn't know if it was day or night.  She had an incident at dinner that I would call a TIA, although the doctor never gave it a name.  It's been several weeks since all this happened, and she is still somewhat confused, tired, just not herself.

The reason flu is so deadly in seniors is due to a weakened immune system.   Possible chronic conditions like diabetes or heart disease, higher risk of pneumonia, bronchitis, heart failure, confusion and weakness, can all happen due to flu.

Don't take influenza lightly.  If you feel like you may have the flu, get tested as soon as possible and start taking Tamiflu right away.  It takes several weeks to get over, so be patient.  Lots of naps, water and a good diet.  If confusion has occurred, be patient with that too.  Doctor says that should return to normal too.  

Whatever You Do, Don't Fall

 During the six years that my husband Ron lived with ALS, these were the words of his neurologist, Dr. Ravitz, at the conclusion  of every visit.  Falls are by far the most common cause of home injuries and deaths in older adults.  Seniors are six times more likely to be treated at the emergency room for a fall than younger people. Falls typically occur on floors, stairs, steps and from beds.  Other top hazards for seniors are fires, drowning, transportation, carbon monoxide poisoning and adult bed rails.

Older adults are 3.5 times more likely to die in fires than the general population.  Smoking materials and cooking are two major fire sources.  Cooking can often lead to a fire.  A senior may put something on to cook and completely forget about it.  Smoking in bed is another common cause of fire in the home.  

Still, falls are the most common form of injury to a senior.  Here are a few simple steps we can all take to make our homes safer, at any age.

Install handrails on both sides of any stairs in your home, keep stairs well-lit and free of clutter, and always use the handrails when using the stairs, keep floors cleared and slip resistant, REMOVE LOOSE CARPETS, CORDS AND OTHER ITEMS THAT CREATE A TRIPPING HAZZARD.  BE SURE ALL RUGS, MATS AND OTHER SURFACES ARE NON-SKID.  Install grab bars and slip-resistant surfaces in the bathroom, do not wear loose clothing while cooking (it can catch on fire), install smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms and check batteries as suggested.

Every 11 seconds an older adult is treated in the emergency room for a fall.  Falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries in older Americans.  Make your home as fall proof as possible.  Oh, one more thing for you dog owners.  Get the toys OFF the floor!                                                                                                                                                                                                     

It's 80 Degrees Out, So Why Am I Cold?

 I used to run around in shorts and a tee shirt, but as I aged the shorts were replaced by long pants, and a sweater or jacket was usually added.  I remember my dad years ago, sitting in a warm sunny room wearing a sweater or leather jacket.  Now, my mom is always prepared for changes in her body temperature.  Regardless of the outside temperature, Dorothy is wearing three layers: silk undershirt, shirt or sweater, and coat!  She is always cold.

Several things happen to our bodies as we age to cause us to be cold.  Our circulation slows.  Blood vessels don't expand and contract as efficiently as they once did.  The body prioritizes keeping vital organs warm, so hands, feet and skin feel colder.

We all use muscle mas as we age.  Muscle generates heat, so as we age we have less internal heat production.

Aging skin becomes thinner and loses some of its fat layer (and elasticity).  This reduces insulation, so heat escapes more easily.

Basal metabolic rate declines as we age, meaning the body produces less heat overall and we slow down.

Hormonal changes for both men and women can make someone feel cold all the time.  Lower thyroid activity, which is simply part of the aging process, can do this.

All of the above changes happen naturally in everyone, but medications and medical conditions can also contribute to us being cold.  Blood pressure med, some antidepressants, sedatives and Parkinson's medications can worsen cold sensitivity.  

Medical conditions such as anemia, diabetes, thyroid disorders, heart disease and poor nutrition can also make feeling cold more pronounced.

Feeling cold is just another one of the many changes we experience as we age.  Taking a warm bath is my favorite remedy to feeling cold.  As this is not always available, taking a brisk walk will warm you up, get your circulation going, and generally just make you feel good.  That's my answer to a lot of of conditions, both physical and mental.