I want to die healthy. Let’s get this straight from the start, I am not a health nut. I am not counting calories, only eating foods that are good for me and sitting around stressing about my blood pressure and cholesterol. I also want to live as long as I can so I can become the burden on my sons, which they deserve. Hopefully, I will have enough time left to spend what little money I have, then move in with one of my sons and make their life a living hell. (Only kidding…or am I?) There is one more thing. When I do die I want at least one person saying, “He was never sick a day in his life.” I will get a giggle over that from the grave.
I have had my ups and downs with my health. In general, I have been very healthy. Most of my maladies are self-inflicted. I like to play sports. Over the years I’ve played golf, basketball, hockey, baseball, and my beloved softball. This is the sport for guys who really aren’t very good at baseball. I used to ski, run several miles a night and I also took up bicycling. As a result of all this sporting activity, I have sustained a few injuries. I destroyed one knee and had it replaced, I have damaged the other knee but not to the same extent. I dislocated multiple digits and a shoulder or two. As a result of not having great eyesight, I loosened a few teeth by misjudging several softballs coming at my face at great speed. Did I mention, I’ve never had great eyesight? I also was involved in several bike accidents that resulted in a compressed spine, broken vertebrae, broken rib, punctured and collapsed lung, and bleeding on the brain. Thank goodness I have no memory of the accident. I betcha that really hurt? Ouch!
For those wondering, I have backed off on some of my athletic activities. I haven’t played hockey in years and my orthopedist said no more basketball or jogging.
If you are wondering if I did all this stuff to stay in shape, the answer is no. I did all this activity because I am competitive. There is nothing more satisfying than defeating someone at something. My sons have been gunning for me on the golf course for years. Their dream is to beat their old dad. My oldest did win one round and the news quickly spread like wildfire throughout the family. His brothers thought they now had a chance to take me down. Now you see why I want to be a burden on them after I can’t whip them on the golf course any more.
I really do think about my health. I am getting to the age where eating and drinking anything, like I did when I was young, does have consequences. I have plenty of antacid and ibuprofen for when I do make those mistakes.
I now do a daily workout to get my heart rate up and to help keep my muscles toned. I will go back to softball after the pandemic but compared to what I did when I was younger, this is much more tame. Considering I have one teammate that is in his 90s, I do have to take it a bit easier than I used to.
One of the measures I have taken is to cut down on my beer intake. Besides hating getting up 6 to 7 times a night after having a few beers (you seasoned gentlemen know what I’m talking about), I was told drinking a beer is the equivalent of eating a loaf of bread. I had a tough choice to make, give up my beer or my daily habit of eating a loaf of bread. What would you do?
I still golf but not very well. I avoid golfing with my sons to put off their gloating and I am paying more attention to things like my heart, cholesterol and blood pressure. I’m trying to stretch out a few more years of this life. I don’t obsess over the numbers but I am aware of them. Just the other day, I received a call that was listed as “Potential Spam” on my phone. When I answered, I told the salesperson on the other end that I couldn’t accept their call because if I did, the Spam they were selling would raise my cholesterol to an unacceptable level. I was disappointed because I just love Spam. Chopped up in my scrambled eggs, fried for a sandwich…but I digress.
Another reason to try and stay healthy is due to the high cost of health care. I am blessed not to be taking any medication for a guy of my advanced years. I have friends that carry a pharmacy with them wherever they go. Besides trying to remember when they’re required to take their pills for blood pressure, cholesterol, prostate and whatever else is affecting them, they are always stressing about the cost of the medication and if they have a large enough supply to keep them going. I’m sure I will be right there with them one day but I am going to bask in the fact that I am medication free for right now. How are those pharmaceutical companies going to pay for those expensive commercials that run day and night on our televisions?
When I do go to the doctor about a “concern,” the most important thing to me is if it is going to kill me. I just want to make sure that pain that has been annoying me is not some deadly disease that only leaves me a few months to live. When the doctor assures me that whatever I have will not kill me, I thank him and leave. The less time in his office, the less it’s going to cost me.
I have a plan to set in place to help save money in case I need emergency transportation to a hospital. My son is still paying off an ambulance ride he had to take, so I have a work around for the problem. I’ve told my wife, get me in my car, pull one of the spark plug wires, then call Triple A and have them tow me there. Why waste a couple of prepaid tows.
I used to be a smoker and I never really liked it. I didn’t smoke a lot and I didn’t smoke very long but I was addicted. Quitting the several times I did was some of the hardest things I have ever done. I still have dreams about smoking and when someone lights up a cigarette near me I’m drawn to it like a moth to a flame. I have made a decision. When I do go to the doctor in pain and he tells me it is something terminal and I only have a short time to live, when I leave him, I’m heading right to the nearest convenience store and buying me of pack a smokes. I will know that’s not what’s going to kill me and I can die with a smile on my face.
©2020 BBRiley.net
bbriley.net 