We’re going to the doctor. Can you take me to the doctor? I need to make an appointment with the doctor. Does this sound familiar? As my parents aged we took them to ever more medical appointments. Not only that, but we had to go to the hospital emergency room regularly. A common question we’d ask is, “What did the ... Read More »
Do you remember as far back as the 60’s, maybe even before, when “on drugs” was a negative term that usually involved illegal activity? Back then I pictured people on drugs as criminals, people lying around in a stupor until time to get their next fix. Unfortunately, I had a family member who fit this description so I saw “up close ... Read More »
When I was growing up older people still often sat in their rocking chairs or on their porches and didn’t seem to do much of anything. At least, that’s how it looked to my child’s eyes. Of course I paid no attention to the fact that my grandmother had made breakfast for herself, my grandfather, and the six of us ... Read More »
What kind of day are you having today? I’ve decided I’m going to have a great day! In order to live well, we have to choose a good life. When you get up in the morning, what do you say to yourself? This morning I looked at the clock, noted that it was about 4:30 a.m., and decided to get ... Read More »
esterday I found the Readers Digest at my place at the breakfast table. My husband had left it conspicuously open to an article about how doctors die. The gist of the article was that doctors rarely choose CPR, being placed indefinitely on a respirator, having surgery that most likely won’t improve their quality of life. The doctors have been in ... Read More »
Have you ever been in a hospital when over the intercom you’ve heard “Code Blue, code blue”? Have you seen the organized chaos that occurs in a room when a patient’s heart has stopped beating and the medical team is doing everything they can to revive the patient? When I was the on-call chaplain at a trauma hospital I saw ... Read More »
Are you ever amazed at ancient wisdom? Do you ever wonder about the value of new approaches and techniques? Sometimes I believe that progress isn’t progress. Today I was reading http://wapo.st/1lCNAWD about when to stop cancer treatment. One paragraph in the article particularly caught my attention. The author writes that “Patients and families often assume their doctors are trained and ... Read More »
There you are, just going along and living your life, when one day things seem a little off. Maybe you can’t put your finger on exactly what seems awry, but there’s a little nagging feeling. You visited your parents and their home seemed dirtier than normal. As you helped prepare dinner you noticed that your mom seemed befuddled by things ... Read More »
Why me? Oh, no! This is the end. How will I ever make it? Are these the kinds of things that go through your mind when you get unwelcome news about yourself and your life? Have you ever thought things were so bad you might as well end it all? Here’s a video about a man who was so despondent ... Read More »
Where are you in your life’s journey? Do you have aches and pains, doctors and specialists, trouble with mobility and activities of daily living? Perhaps you’re not there yourself yet but are taking care of someone, perhaps an elderly parent, who is. Either way, it’s easy to get sucked into negative thinking about life’s burdens. Let’s look at it another ... Read More »
Todays Gray Matters Valuing the Wisdom & Purpose In Aging Well