{"id":7222,"date":"2023-03-03T07:06:28","date_gmt":"2023-03-03T12:06:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.silvercentury.org\/?p=7222"},"modified":"2023-03-03T07:06:28","modified_gmt":"2023-03-03T12:06:28","slug":"i-think-aging-with-intention-saved-my-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/78.142.243.82\/~silvercentury\/2023\/03\/i-think-aging-with-intention-saved-my-life\/","title":{"rendered":"I Think Aging with Intention Saved My Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

We have a Berkey water filter in our kitchen, and it seems to be empty whenever I\u2019m thirsty, so I\u2019m used to filling it back up. It takes three full blender pitchers to fill it, and it\u2019s just one of those little things that I take for granted. Like a good night\u2019s sleep, or walking up three flights of stairs or having lunch with my good friend of 40 years.<\/span><\/p>\n

Five months ago, I had unexpected heart surgery, and after a week in the hospital post-op, I went back home. But<\/span> since I wasn\u2019t allowed to lift anything heavier than a half-gallon of milk, I couldn\u2019t fill the Berkey water filter. And it wasn\u2019t just doctor\u2019s orders\u2014physically, I couldn\u2019t do just about anything that I hadn\u2019t thought twice about doing before the surgery. I couldn\u2019t even put on my socks by myself. Talk about feeling like getting hit by a truck! That first month after surgery was primitively tough.<\/span><\/p>\n

The heart surgery was unexpected because I was pretty much asymptomatic. The thing that caught my attention was the four or five times I got short of breath while walking the dog. When I felt it, I stopped walking and waited a few minutes until it went away. But I have a family history of heart failure, and for years I\u2019ve fit the profile of a likely candidate. <\/span><\/p>\n

So I said something to my doctor about my shortness of breath. This was very out of character for me. For most of my life, I would notice an ailment\u2014physical or emotional\u2014and just ignore it. If it were 10 years ago, I would have been macho and pushed through the shortness of breath. I have a strong physique and a pigheaded streak. But for some reason, this time I said something. <\/span><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t think just having 10 additional birthdays automatically makes anyone wiser. I do think that aging with intention\u2014not just out of habit\u2014offers the possibility of getting closer to being the person we\u2019d like to be. As we age, the things we think are really important can change. As we age, we can slow down, contemplate and reflect. Saying something to my doctor probably saved my life. I can\u2019t pinpoint exactly what made me speak up for myself; I\u2019m sure there was a variety of factors. I said something because I have changed as I\u2019ve aged.<\/span><\/p>\n

After I said something, my doctor said, \u201cTake a stress test.\u201d After the results of the stress test, my doctor said, \u201cHave an angiogram.\u201d Before I was even off the angiogram table, my doctor said, \u201cTremendous blockage, you need to have surgery right away.\u201d And a week later, I did.<\/span><\/p>\n

If I\u2019d still been my former macho-man self, there\u2019s no telling what would have happened. <\/span><\/p>\n

After the bypass surgery and the new valve, my heart\u2019s good for another 20 years or so. That doesn\u2019t mean I\u2019m guaranteed another 20 years of life, but I\u2019m still alive for now, and I\u2019m appreciating many of those little things that I used to take for granted. And, at the same time, this afternoon I filled up the Berkey water filter without a second thought, already taking it for granted again.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We have a Berkey water filter in our kitchen, and it seems to be empty whenever I\u2019m thirsty, so I\u2019m used to filling it back up. It takes three full blender pitchers to fill it, and it\u2019s just one of…<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more I Think Aging with Intention Saved My Life<\/span> ›<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n

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