Browsing the archives for the aging category
You may remember a previous post in which I related the story of my conversations with two special men, both of whom had retired. One was a biochemist; the other a rabbi. Both lived through the civil rights movement. The rabbi marched in Selma, Alabama, among other places. Both men are now deceased. One of the treasures [...]
I’m reposting an essay I wrote a year ago about aging in America. The baby-boomers have started turning 65. How will they (and the rest of us) find meaning in a youth-obsessed culture as we live healthier, longer lives? _________________ Happy New Year! Er, almost. A closing thought as 2010 2011 becomes history: In 2011, the [...]
Mr. Alexander, a retired cop, was 73 when I became his doctor. His previous physician had left our practice. The diagnoses listed in his chart included high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and high cholesterol; all were well managed on appropriate medication. “Any problems?” I asked. “Nope. Feeling good,” he replied. I asked about his [...]
Here’s the kind of story I love: Meet Dr. Albert Liebman of Milwaukee. A member of the Greatest Generation, he enrolled as a freshman at the University of Chicago in 1939. He answered the nation’s call to war by enlisting in the Navy in 1942. He’d only completed three years of college. Fortunately for him, he’d [...]
There was an unusual sports story in the news last week. Hall-of-fame slugger Harmon Killebrew announced that he’s ending his medical treatment for esophageal cancer, choosing instead to enter hospice care. As quoted in the NY Times piece, Killebrew wrote (via the Minnesota Twins’ press office), “I am very comfortable taking this next step and experiencing [...]