I recently discovered that every single person I know above the age of 40 has some form of major medical condition. The general rule for all of these is that if they were to become more profound, it could have fatal consequences. It’s no wonder why the federal government’s budget for Medicare/Medicaid is $1.5 trillion. This is nearly twice as much as we spend on defense.
I marvel at how oblivious I was to mortality in my teenage years. I had all the energy in the world. If I fell, I never got hurt because I was seemingly made of rubber. Today, if I hit my hand against a table, I’ll have a black and blue mark a couple of days later. I can be sitting at my desk, and suddenly I feel a sharp pain in my foot, leg, or side. There is no underlying medical event. It’s just my nerves going off in some age-related misfire.
There are several people related to the site whom I call at least once a year. During the last month of 2023, I talked to about 10 individuals. I did a health survey of most of them, promising not to mention any names, and most spoke about their ability to write. One person said their hand trembled, another person said he made several mistakes because of early-stage dementia, and another said their vision was getting very bad.
I’ve noticed my near vision has been getting worse. If I look at any small print, I will often use a magnifying glass. To read a book, I need bright light and reading glasses. Oddly enough, my vision for distance viewing has not changed in over 30 years.
People who have obstacles in their ability to write may consider themselves lucky. About two dozen people once submitted articles to RR that are no longer living. When we don’t hear from some folks for several years, we can only assume that they’ve gone home to be with the Lord.
The only TV I watch is the nightly news broadcasts. I’ve noticed that the majority of ads are for drugs. I’m amazed that so many of these drugs are for afflictions I’ve never heard of before. One example is Skyrizi, which is used to treat Crohn’s disease. In just the first six months of 2023, there had been six billion ads run for this drug.
I read about one company that had a cancer drug that it was working on. The firm’s progress generated a huge reaction on Wall Street, with its stock price going up better than 50 percent. I thought that the drug might be a cure for some type of cancer, but that was not the case. The drug, at best, would only make some people live a couple of months longer. My faith is in a Healer that can extend your life into eternity.
I was standing in line at Walgreens to pick up a couple of prescriptions, and I saw this woman with a small grocery cart. A tech person came around with several large bags. She filled the cart with some type of medical supply. I didn’t think it was my business to ask what prescription would be so massive in size. The next time I’m at Walgreens, I plan to ask if they can explain what I witnessed.
Many doctors ask you to bring all your pill bottles to an appointment so they can review your prescriptions. I was at the Omaha Heart Hospital, and one guy had a jumbo Ziploc bag with at least 20 pill bottles. With starch being a prime ingredient in pills, his prescriptions could be a key source for his caloric intake.
On Oct 1, I met with my doctor about some lab results. He said I had early warning signs with my liver that might become problematic 10 years down the road. I’m not opposed to making dietary changes to better my health. From the current vantage point, 10 years might as well be a century down the road. With the way the last decade digressed, I wouldn’t consider it a blessing to see another round play out.
The unfortunate reality with ailments is that they don’t get better with time. Some diseases do improve, but in most cases, reprieves are only for a limited amount of time. If you develop Type 2 diabetes, you will very likely have to watch your blood sugar for the rest of your life.
As I get older, I realize what a wonderful thing it will be to get a new body at the moment of the rapture. When I go to the grocery store, I find myself winded to come home and stock the refrigerator and the pantry. The greatest prize of heaven is Jesus purifying us from all sin. It is an extra reward to realize we will be able to race around glory like an Olympic athlete.
I’m thankful that modern medical science has extended my life with a three-way bypass in 2014. If it wasn’t for the need for me to guide those who are still lost, I would probably be irritated that the doctors worked to keep me pinned to this evil world.
“For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (Corinthians 15:53-55 KJV).