I'm updating this post from 2018 because I had cataract surgery on both my eyes. It was no fun walking around or trying to drive with a fog sitting on your eyeballs. The most miraculous thing that happened is that my ophthalmologist fixed my very near-sighted vision to 20-20. I wore glasses from the time I was six years old and contacts since I was 14. I'm so excited to see … [Read more...]
The Dreaded Colonoscopy: An Over 50 Reality
The thought of having another colonoscopy put me in a state of anxiety. However, it’s hard to avoid if you’re over 50. I had one 17 years ago when I hit the half-century mark. All went well, and I was determined not to have another one. My health care provider mails me a fecal occult home test to take each year. They’re easy to do. I won’t go into detail, but once you … [Read more...]
Confronting Your Mortality By Dr. Jeff Spiess
The experience of living through a pandemic provided many lessons when it comes to your mortality, one of which is that each of us is vulnerable to infection, illness, even death. Precautions to minimize our danger and flatten the epidemiological curve are effective but do not eliminate risk in a society that thrives on interaction. People, some of them prominent … [Read more...]
How to Be Your Own Health Advocate in Your 60s and Beyond
It’s the prime of your life. You’ve worked hard. You’ve paid your dues. You’ve raised your children and cared for your home. Now it’s your turn to be taken care of and be an advocate for your own health. You have the confidence, the experience, the resources, and the right to live your life on your own terms. You’re over 60 and whether you’re retired, nearing retirement, or … [Read more...]
What You Need to Know about Cognitive Decline
First, the bad news. Approximately 5.5 million Americans currently suffer from Alzheimer’s dementia, which accounts for about 70 percent of total dementia cases. The risk of dementia doubles every five years after age 60, rising as high as 50 percent for those over age 85. Alzheimer’s dementia is the sixth-leading cause of death in the U.S., and it is the only one among the top … [Read more...]
