OT -- When Does Middle Age Become OLD

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Ok, I'm way off topic here, so just ignore the post if it isn't something you are interested in.  This has been bugging me a lot lately so just wanted to see what others experience has been with this!   When we made the decision to leave Florida and return to Ohio about 4.5 years ago it was because my parents were entering their 70's and although they were as healthy as ever, we just wanted to be here and be settled in the event it ever got to the point where they needed some assistance.  It ultimately has been a good decision in that although their hasn't been any major medical crisis, there has been a few times where it was good that we were here.  As I've been going to some of the doctors appointments with them and the occasional ER visit I'm noticing a trend that I really don't like at all.  I'm hearing words from the Doctors like "Once you are 70 we don't operate for that any longer".  "You will die of other issues before this cancer will kill you, so we don't treat it once you are 70".  Or, my all time least favorite ... yesterday my Mom took my Dad to the ER.  Now to get an understanding of why this bugs me so much you would need to know that my Dad is like the energizer bunny.  He just turned 75 in January and although he has slowed down some in the last few years he can still work circles around any of us kids and most of the other people I know.  And when I say work, I'm talking about loading and unloading wagon loads of hay from the fields, building houses, etc.  Not office work.  Yesterday when my Mom took him to the ER, when they registered in, the lady at the desk pick up the phone and called to the back "We have an OLD man out here".    WTD ?   When my Mom told me this I was appalled.  That isn't an old man, that is my Dad and my Dad could work circles around you lady!  He also just recently hurt his back and the Doctor said there is no reason to do an MRI because they don't normally operate on backs after you are 70.  Both of my Dad's parents lived into their 90's, why if there is something wrong with his back that could be fixed would they not look at fixing it!  And stop calling him Old. 

[Rose Ann and Amante]

I agree!! No one regardless of their age should ever be denied any thing. It is like that in Europe well Italy at least. My grandmother was 98 years ago and the "paramedics" were called to take her to the hospital because she was having difficulty breathing. The Paramedic asked why  are you bothering to take her to hospital. When they arrived at the hospital they were greeted with the same lets call it -sarcasm. "You should of let her stay home and die there." Horrible, just horrible.

BTW she lived 102.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

I worked in a hospital at a very  young age. I used to think the same thing, only I thought, " Why are they torturing this poor man?  He is 97  years old"  Only to see him discharged and happy a week later. 

It is a case by case basis.

When former Vice President Dick Chaney had a transplant a few months ago, I was angry because my father was told he could not have a liver transplant at 65 because he was too old.  Dick was much older.  So, we just never know.

Maybe Transplants are case by case now also.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Oh, J I am sorry about your father. Getting into transplants gets much more complicated. Sadly, there is a short supply of organs so decisions have to be made based on the potential for the transplant to be successful. Whether the underlying disease will damage the new organ. The general health and age of the recipient needs to be taken into consideration which leads to many ethical questions. Frankly I had some questions about how Dick Cheney was a good candidate.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

:)  exactly. I think many of us did.  But who are we?   LOL

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Geesh, I wonder why I couldn't get Cheney's last named spelled correctly, but I certainly got the first name, DICK, correct. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

Ha!

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

I'm sure he was a very good candidate ($$$$$).

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

It does seem that doctors will err on the side of overly cautious when it comes to success rates of treatments, as research teaches them that the mortality or morbidity rates increase greatly with age and 70 seems to be the common denominator. Having said that, it should be a case by case decision and a person should not be denied treatment after being given the risks and understanding those risks completely. But tissue healing at 70 is very different than healing at 60, regardless of activity and strength of an individual.
As for the person in the ER calling out We have an OLD man out here, it is totally inappropriate and the powers that be will appreciate knowing this is happening. A responsible hospital would act on this quickly and will probably want to know who the person is. If you know this person you certainly could speak to her personally, but she may not be the only person acting this way, as obviously it wasn't considered rude by co-workers if she said it to another co-worker. So administration will address the whole unit most likely.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

I agree--report this.

Kind on the same subject, I once had to report an incident that happened in an ER to high powers. 

Both my sons were in a severe car accident.  My oldest, still has no interest in driving a car. NONE.  The accident was that bad.

At the time of the accident I had fallen asleep and left my cell phone in the car.  The first message was my son crying and I could hear sirens. He kept saying they were taking his brother away. 12 messages from a PRIEST had been left on my phone and I received them when I awoke.  I just knew, my sons were dead. Well, what would you think if a priest called and not a physician or an R.N.?

Imagine my horrors!  Both my sons were taken to Children's Hospital ( 16 and 17 ) and all I knew until I got there was a priest had left me a message to contact them.

They were fine.  Well sort of, but not dead like I thought. 

I saved all the messages and let the ER physicians, Head Nurse, and then the Admin hear them. No longer can a priest call a parent.  At least not identify himself as a priest. He was only trying to help and he was volunteering... but still policy was changed.

REPORT THIS!  I'm old too. Do it for my sake!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I know that healing slows with age, especially with bones, but I believe that a person's level of fitness does play a role in tissue healing, in spite of age. I may be mistaken, but I believe that soft tissue heals much more quickly when a person has less body fat, and I think circulation (i.e. blood flow)  plays a role in that, too, so it makes sense to me that an older, active, fit person would heal just as quickly if not faster than an obese, inactive younger person.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I'm not sure that's true. But then I am too tired right now to do the search: ) Blood flow certainly plays a role in healing though.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Unfortunately, members of my family, including myself, have had more than our share of surgeries, and I was always told that the surgery itself was easier because there weren't layers of fat to cut through. I think I was also told that the healing at the incision site was faster for the same reason. I do know that after the removal of a very large pilonidal cyst, I healed in half the usual time. Of course, I was also young then.

And of course, heart health or the lack of it would certainly affect the outcome of many surgeries.

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