Way Back

Couple old guys sitting on the back porch, chatting, and one mentions he’s happy to report the doctor has his Alzheimer’s almost all cleared up.

The other guy says, “That’s terrific! Who’s your doctor?”

The first guy scratches his head, thinks, scratches his head some more and finally says, “Oh, what is it? Help me out, here: what was that war way back there?”

Second guy asks, “World War II?”

First guy says, “No, waaay back, a long time ago.”

Guy says, “The Civil War?”

The first guy says, “No, the ancient war, with the horse and the ships -- the one they fought over the lady.”

The second guy says, “You mean the Trojan War?”

The fist guy says, “Yes! That’s it. Now that lady they fought over, what was her name?”

The other guy says, “Helen,” and the first guy slaps his forehead, turns in his chair, and bellows into the house, “Helen! What’s my doctor’s name?!”

What Should Medicine Do When It Can’t Save Your Life?

Letting Go: What Should Medicine Do When It Can’t Save Your Life?

by Atul Gawande

New Yorker, August 2, 2010

So Sad I'll Miss It

They say such nice things about people at their funerals that it makes me sad I'm going to miss mine by just a few days. 

~Garrison Keillor

Everyone Has a Purpose in Life

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Everyone has a purpose in life. Perhaps yours is watching television.

~ David Letterman
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So Far, So Good

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I expect to live forever. So far, so good.

~ Steven Wright
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The Odds

• 20% of Americans die of cancer, peaking at age 65
• 25% die of organ failure, usually heart or lung, peaking at age 75
• 40% die after extended frailty and/or dementia, generally around age 85

(from geriatrician Dr Joanne Lynn, in the New York Times, July 8, 2008)

Causes of the 2,423,712 American deaths in 2004:

heart 25%
cancer 23%
cerebrovascular 6%
respiratory 5%
accidents 5%
alzheimers 3%
diabetes 3%
flu & pneumonia 2%
kidneys 2%
septicemia 1%
suicide 1%
liver 1%
hypertension 1%
parkinsons 1%
murder 1%
all other 19%

(from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control)

Two good documentaries

Recently watched two worthwhile Frontline programs:

Facing Death portrays several people facing death, and how their families and physicians deal with the technological and ethical decisions. Chilling in its exploration if the fact that medical technology can now keep organ systems "alive" beyond any meaningful quality of life.

Living Old describes how most of us will face serious physical or mental debilitation in our last years, and follows several people and their families who are dealing with nursing homes and other difficult situations.

Both of these programs can be watch online at the Frontline website, linked above.