Staying Young

Yearly mammogram – gotta love ‘em

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At my yearly or semi-yearly exam last year, my doctor, an internist, recommended a procedure I haven’t had for six years and have come to hate, the yearly mammogram.  The reason for my disdain is the excruciating pain the technicians put you through to get a “good enough” x-ray of your breasts.  I have had three of these vice-like gripping exams and did not want another.  I even asked my doctor if he had ever had one.  He of course answered, “No.”  I told him, “When you go and have one and see what it is like, then I will go and endure another one.”  That was last year.

breast diagnostic center
UC Health in Fort Collins, Photo by slc

Earlier this year, I discovered my oldest sister was diagnosed with early breast cancer due to a 2D mammogram.  Protocol was to have surgery and then chemo and radiation therapy.  Well, since my mother has had advanced breast cancer for over a decade, and now my sister, I felt it might be time to make that dreaded mammogram appointment.  When I called, the soonest I could get in was in three months. My appointment for my mammogram was scheduled for the end of August, two days after my 63rd birthday.

I did a little research and asked around at my Bible study coffee group about the difference between a 2D and a 3D mammogram.  One good friend and expert, former nurse and breast cancer survivor, recommended the 3D exam because it is more thorough so you would not need to go back for a retake if something looks suspicious.  My insurance would totally cover the 2D procedure.  Unfortunately, the 3D procedure costs more as insurance companies are not covering it fully yet.

yearly mammogram
Before mammogram, Photo by slc

So for $115 more out of pocket, I went for the 3D exam for the first time.  Wow, what a difference.  I felt very little pressure from the machine and the six pictures took less than 10 seconds each.  I was In and out of the x-ray room in only a couple of minutes. If I knew how to cartwheel I would have done one down the hall. 

With my family history of breast cancer, I will begin having my yearly 3D mammogram.  I think having it around my birthday each year is a great birthday present.  How about you?  Have you had your yearly mammogram?  You just gotta love ‘em.

By the way, my results were negative.  Woohoo!

(Update: My insurance paid for the 3D exam)

“Women ages 45 to 54 should have a mammogram each year and those 55 years and over should continue getting mammograms every 1 to 2 years. However, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends mammograms for women between the ages of 50 and 74 every two years.”      

 

Ever use a massage gun?

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If you’re like me, you suffer from a few aches and pains, especially as we get older. Going to my massage therapist or chiropractor was great before I retired as I could afford the much needed therapy. But with a limited retirement income, those regular therapeutic visits have become financially challenging. I saw a television commercial advertising a massage gun. However, I did not purchase one until I tried one out on my shoulder at a friends’ office. The owner of the massager recommended it and I was sold.

Sonic Massage Gun
Sonic Massage Gun, Photo by slc

I purchased the Sonic Deep Tissue, Percussion Muscle Massage Gun from Amazon last July. It came in a sturdy case along with eight massage heads. With several different levels of intensity, you are sure to find relief from strained or stiff muscles as I have. It keeps me virtually pain free in between my periodic massage therapy visits.

This massager currently sells for $119.99 on Amazon.com and I do not make any money off of your purchase. Enjoy!

Ghost of Christmas past – depression

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depression
amazon.com

Growing up in an Iowa farm house with a family of nine made Christmas an event. My ghost of Christmas past would first show me events full of fun with lots of family and friends while celebrating the birth of Jesus. But my ghost would also show me many Christmases with an undertone of depression which I wrestle with to a lesser degree today.

Weeks before Christmas when I was quite young, my siblings and I would go to Christmas practice at church. I loved being at church as I had many friends there. We sang and played different roles while reenacting the Christmas story about Jesus’ birth. The actual performance following these practices was usually on Christmas Eve.

I remember receiving a new dress to wear for the special Christmas Eve church service. This dress was very special as it was one of the only new pieces of clothing I had all year. This gift of a new dress added to my Christmas Eve anticipation.

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Keep a positive outlook during the pandemic

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positive outlook
Stay connected with friends and family, Photo from kh.org

From Kootenai Health, Winter 2020

You’ve been wearing a face mask and doing your best to stay 6 feet away from others when out in public. You’re still cleaning frequently touched surfaces like kitchen countertops and doorknobs daily.

In other words, you’re taking care of your physical health. But what are you doing for your mental outlook during the coronavirus pandemic? Where are you finding joy in your life?

It’s not a frivolous question. Science tells us that our emotional health can have a big impact on how we feel physically. It’s called the mind-body connection. According to the American Heart Association, people who are happier tend to have better heart health. They manage stress better. And, being more positive may contribute to a longer lifespan.

So now that we are about nine months into the pandemic and heading into winter months, how can you build more positivity in your life? Here are a few ideas.

Click here to read ideas about keeping a positive outlook during the pandemic.

“When a habit begins to cost money, it’s called a hobby”

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During this time of stay-at-home orders, many of us are looking for a hobby to occupy our time. Retirement also offers us this same opportunity. However, as this Jewish Proverb professes, these hobbies can cost money.

Last fall I began food dehydration as a hobby. You see I don’t particularly care to eat fruit or vegetables. Growing up on a farm which raised beef cows, hogs, and chickens, and we planted a large garden, we always ate fresh, healthy food. No fast food or junk food. I quite often shelled peas I picked or pulled carrots out of the ground and cleaned just before dinner.

banana chips
Banana chips, Photo by slc

Now I eat more fast food or junk food than I probably should. Drying fruit gives me a healthy snack I can enjoy while watching tv, kind of like eating potato chips. Making and eating dried fruit has become a habit, or should I say a hobby, since it does cost money?

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When was the last time you had your eyes checked?

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Seeing everyone wearing the latest style of dark plastic eyeglasses made me ask myself when was the last time I had my eyes checked? The answer was over five years ago. So I made an appointment with my optometrist, Dr. Douglas Kiefer and it turned out my prescription had changed and I needed new glasses.

According to the Mayo Clinic, “In general, if you are healthy and you have no symptoms of vision problems, have your eyes checked on this schedule:

eyeglasses
My new eyeglasses!
  • Every five to 10 years in your 20s and 30s
  • Every two to four years from 40 to 54
  • Every one to three years from 55 to 64
  • Every one to two years after age 65

Have your eyes checked more often if you:

  • Wear glasses or contact lenses
  • Have a family history of eye disease or loss of vision
  • Have a chronic disease that puts you at greater risk of eye disease, such as diabetes
  • Take medications that have serious eye side effects.”

I have worn glasses since the fourth grade and I’m 59 so I should have my eyes examined every year or two.

During the exam your doctor may perform several tests:

eyeglasses
  • eye muscle test
  • visual acuity test
  • refraction assessment
  • visual field test (perimetry)
  • color vision testing
  • slit-lamp examination
  • retinal examination
  • screening for glaucoma

“Each test during an eye exam evaluates a different aspect of your vision or eye health. An eye exam helps detect eye problems at their earliest stage — when they’re most treatable. Regular eye exams give your eye care professional a chance to help you correct or adapt to vision changes and provide you with tips on caring for your eyes.” These tests are not expensive given the amount of beneficial information you receive about your overall health.

My eye exam cost $114 without vision insurance. EyeCare America offers seniors free eye exams to qualifying individuals.

So, what are you waiting for? When was the last time you had your eyes checked?

Slow medicine

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In the past two years I have been slowly trying to gain my Mother’s trust. She is 85-years-old, lives alone and is pretty independent, also known as stubborn. Our relationship has been very rocky over my nearly 60 years, even estranged at times. I have put these past transgressions on both of our parts behind me to try to help care for my Mom in her final years even though I live over 800 miles away.

My Mother, Your Mother: Embracing Slow Medicine, the Compassionate Approach to Caring for Your Aging Loved Ones

I just finished reading an informative book by Dr. Dennis McCullough, My Mother, Your Mother – Embracing ‘Slow Medicine,’ The Compassionate Approach to Caring for Your Aging Loved Ones. These are some important takeaway quotes from the well-written book:

“Slow Medicine for elders in late life enacts the ancient Tibetan wisdom of ‘making haste slowly,’ that is, focusing on the central issues of human caring with patience and a sense of shared humanity, forgiving one another for what cannot be changed, bending flexibly at times of need, and holding firmly to shared values and loyalties at other times.  Slow Medicine is a commitment to understand, to support, to heal, and to care for those weakest among us in a way we would want to be cared for ourselves.”

“Over my many years of medical practice, I have identified five fundamental principles that should guide families, health professionals, caregivers, and other caring people in their efforts to enrich and support an elder’s life to the end.

  1. We must endeavor to understand our parents and other elders deeply, in all their personal complexity, acknowledging both the losses and the newly revealed strengths that come with aging.
  2. We must accept the need for interdependence, while at the same time promoting mutual trust.
  3. We must learn to communicate well and with patience.
  4. We need to make a covenant for steadfast advocacy.
  5. We must maintain an attitude of kindness no matter what.

The most important consideration underlying all my assumptions about what constitutes good late-life care is the need for kindness.  Although some families and caregivers may actually rise to extended enactments of love (or simply loyalty, decency, respect, and gratitude), kindness is the single most reliable ethical and practical guide to doing this work well.”

In the book’s Epilogue Dr. MCCullough continues, “Slow Medicine is just this caring process of slowing down, being patient, coordinating care, and remaining faithful to the end. Families necessarily bear the greatest responsibility in surmounting difficulties to create this bond of trust and security for their loved ones. Over and over, families must identify and ask for what they and their parents need, seeking links to caring professionals who also want to do the right thing, but are often constrained by organizational, institutional, and cultural health care practices that are not fully serving our elders and us…yet.”

I believe in this practical Slow Medicine approach and I highly recommend My Mother, Your Mother. I have been applying this approach to my Mom’s care, as well as with family communication difficulties. “We must maintain an attitude of kindness no matter what.”

Note: I picked up this book at my local library.