Senior Citizens

Picking up a copy of AARP at the Dr. office is a common occurrence these days.  The ads always has pictures of senior couples smiling enjoying life even though it is an ad for some fatal ailment.  I never thought I would look like that.  I laughed at my sister in law who tries to convince me to dye my hair.  The silver mane bothers her and it brings some amount of joy that it does.  Then there are the subtle hints.  The first was the picture my daughter in law drew of me and the grandkids that I posted.  While I love the picture, Gayle pointed out that I look like my dad.  When did that happen?  Today as we walked through Sams Club, I decided to take passport photos in anticipation of a full recovery and living the AARP ad life.

Now in defense of Sams Club, they do show you the picture before the print it, and on that little screen in dim light and at a distance, it looks great.  But as I opened the envelope to my surprise, we look like two escaped seniors on the run from the old folks home.  I can see the post on the bulletin board at Marukai; Lost, two seniors wandering around the streets of Torrance.  If I post the pictures here, I can say goodbye to a leisure retirement as Gayle would make sure I don't make it to surgery alive.

When I had my heart attack and bypass surgery, I was considered young.  I now fit the description, I look like I belong in that Doctor's waiting room.  People are starting to offer me their seat, some restaurants automatically give me the senior discount.  No one is surprised I have grand kids.  Did I suddenly wake up and find myself looking my age?

I have become the walking representative for Cardiac Stress testing and Colonoscopies.  I get that look as I talk to folks about my situation.  It is the look of "Uh oh, I better schedule a colonoscopy"  or it's a sigh of relief "It's a good thing I just had my colonoscopy".  The second reaction is the surprised look of "hey, he looks ok".  I'm tempted to stop shaving and leave my hair disshelved  to look the part.  Number three is when everyone watches my every move like I may suddenly keel over.

Latest update:  The radiation oncologist called to cancel my appointment as the tumor board did not think it will be required.  In meeting with the gastrologist, he provided more information on my condition and the diagnosis process.  As expected, there are still open questions that he is not able to answer until the surgery.  Modern technology has yet to catch up with the medical decoders of Star Trek.