Twenty Years

Stone Glider

Visited the doctors today to hear about test results and was pleased to be told that the result was 'very good'. During the ensueing conversation she said that my general health should be good for the next twenty years but after that I would probably have 'had enough'.

I was quite pleased about that, as twenty years would bring me up to the present age of our dear Queen. Past that I should imagine would be a bit 'greedy', although my opinion may change in time. How should you feel if you were to be told that you will have twenty years of good health and then be expected to die?

Kieran_Burns

Score one for the good guy?


(okay... that was pretty bad even by my own standards....sorry)

veronese68

I'd be a bit miffed, but I'm only 43. Mind you I doubt they'd tell me that as I still have to go for an annual check up after having lymphoma. 6 years clear now though, so all pretty good.

rick_chasey

That'd be pretty sh!t, given I'm in my early 20s.

SimonAH

Good grief, I'm 41 and the fact that I'm not yet dead through a greasy fireball or as a result of treating my body as an amusement arcade continues to flabber my gahsts.

HebdenBiker

Stone Glider wrote:

Visited the doctors today to hear about test results and was pleased to be told that the result was 'very good'. During the ensueing conversation she said that my general health should be good for the next twenty years but after that I would probably have 'had enough'.

Wow. I think that's a terrible thing for a GP to say to someone. Life expectancy calculations are based on trends taken from huge data sets; they are averages, and to use them to try to predict an individual's life span is a misuse of the data. The best they can say is that the AVERAGE person with your genetic predispositions and lifestyle factors would have 20 years to live.

Stone Glider, You may have ten years, you may have twenty, you may have thirty. Here's hoping it's the latter. But I wouldn't pay too much attention to this indiscreet doctor's bit of fortune telling.

Happy to be put in my place by a doctor, but until then I think this is right out of order.

kelsen

HebdenBiker wrote:

Stone Glider wrote:

Visited the doctors today to hear about test results and was pleased to be told that the result was 'very good'. During the ensueing conversation she said that my general health should be good for the next twenty years but after that I would probably have 'had enough'.

Wow. I think that's a terrible thing for a GP to say to someone. Life expectancy calculations are based on trends taken from huge data sets; they are averages, and to use them to try to predict an individual's life span is a misuse of the data. The best they can say is that the AVERAGE person with your genetic predispositions and lifestyle factors would have 20 years to live.

Stone Glider, You may have ten years, you may have twenty, you may have thirty. Here's hoping it's the latter. But I wouldn't pay too much attention to this indiscreet doctor's bit of fortune telling.

Happy to be put in my place by a doctor, but until then I think this is right out of order.

+1

I think the only message you should take from the doctor is that you're in good health and to simply make the most of life. Putting a measurement against our mortality is at best an educated guess, but there are too many examples of people who have defied the odds given to them. The worst thing that can happen though is to start counting the time left given to us by 'experts' and to start living to these expectations. A self-fulfilling prophecy in other words.

Initialised

I got my Flu Jab today so that should see me through this winter.

My heart surgeon should be pleased next year with the -4 stone, hour+ of regular exercise per day, resting heart rate in the 50s and generally not being a fat bastard on the way to an early grave despite undergoing major heart surgery to prevent 'a massive heart attack some time in your early thirties'. My dad and his uncle both copped it at 52 to heart attacks so assuming the doctors patched me ticker up better than I can patch an innertube with glue I've got 9 years til it's midlife crisis time cos any more is a bonus.

veronese68

A friends gran was told if she didn't give up drinking and smoking she'd be dead within a year. FFS! She was 96 at the time. The shock of giving up could have killed her. She told the doc where to go and carried on as she was for nearly 3 years. Why try to make someone of that age try and give up something they enjoy?

Jay dubbleU

SimonAH wrote:

Good grief, I'm 41 and the fact that I'm not yet dead through a greasy fireball or as a result of treating my body as an amusement arcade continues to flabber my gahsts.

Keep it up bro - I've made it to 64 - still hauling myself up mountains and falling off bikes

clarkey cat

I have some health issues and a doctor said to me recently - "we want to get you to 60 and then keep you alive as long as possible after that."

I'm 31 so still got a bit of living to do. Shame I won't have retired by then.

Stone Glider

Thanks for the replies. I think the doctor was trying to be positive in the 'so far so good' style of thinking. It must be obvious to all who give the matter more than casual thought, a life lived @ 85 years of age must be different to one @ 65. Travel, for example, will be much more expensive with regard to insurance. Will you want to do the things that interest you now?

Anyhoo, there is little I can do but KBO

Rigga

A guy i used to work with has Leaukemia, he was given 10 yrs by his doctor. That was about 20yrs ago and he's still going strong, the leaukemia is under control and its not beaten him yet!

RedJohn

My Grandad's 97, and it's only in the past 3-4 years that he's really slowed down - no more driving, foreign holidays, hill climbing unfortunately.

nich

Bit miffed already as I'm 31 and have been told I've got a bone issue in my hip (bone dies but doesn't heal quick enough).

It seems this condition may eventually lead to a hip replacement, but I have no idea how long.

Thankfully cycling is key to keeping my joint working properly for as long as possible, so it's not all bad

rideslikeagirl

I'm ahem, just out of my 30s, and hmm, right now 20 years would be acceptable! But then i'm one of the grunge generation, we thought if the nukes didn't get us, AIDS or the ozone layer would... Taking some meds which according to general advice will either knock 5 years off the end of my lfe or add another 5 or so to it, which just makes no sense whatsoever..!

A close friend just died in his sleep in his mid 40s, he had a heart condition that kills most during childhood though, so i think he was bewildered to still be here anyway...

Short version, anything can happen...

Hope i'm still riding and still wearing inappropriate shoes in my 60s, i'd quite like to see the mid 21st century, its when all my favourite sci-fi starts..!