Cheers to life!

What are your thoughts on the concept of living a very long life?

I come from family, on both sides, who live long lives. I am in favor of this and thank them for their hardiness, which gives me hope. I do want to live a long life.

My mother was 97 when she passed on. It wasn’t easy because with the loss of anyone you love it is never easy.

My father’s only brother lived into his nineties and I believe my father would have too, but a train versus van caused his and a five year old brother’s premature deaths.

There are no guarantees we have these long lives because it runs in the family, because another brother three years older than me passed on from colon cancer, but was also struggling with lung problems caused from smoking, and other things in his environment.

I am 67, sixth born of eight children, and recently had a massive heart attack although all my blood pressure checks, etc., showed my doctor and I that I was in pretty good shape, although a little over weight.

The doctors all declared after the event which nearly claimed my life, all but for the attention my daughter paid to my sudden symptoms the day after this past Thanksgiving. I had an abnormal heart attack, and the thing that caused my heart attack was abnormal, and it was really challenging to find and correct.

Truly, my right arm was black and blue from wrist to shoulder from their first attempts to do an angioplasty on me, and finally had to go in from the groin. Thankfully, I was not alert because they said I resisted them on just my arm because the pain was too intense.

Silly thing being allergic to hydrocodone does create some unique challenges for surgeons, so other decisions had to be made to save my life.

They found the problem on the back of my heart and it has been there for a while. I had an abnormal artery with an odd shape which created a slump or place for blood to pool. My heart was pristine, as they said many times, and there was no plaque, but something caused this little pool to break loose and block my heart. Well enough of that. They brought in a scoop shovel on the third attempt and removed that little obstruction. I lived.

Three days later I was released to travel back home in ten days, so stayed at my daughter’s until I could safely drive for eight hours home.

I was not then nor now ready to toss it all aside and give in on the game of life. There is far too much I have not seen, or learned. Far too many projects, goals, or even books read.

I am absolutely in favor of long lives, so I can watch my children, grandchildren, and my future great grandchildren grow.

I love the laughter, beauty, and good things and thank God for the hard lessons I have learned to make even to my current age. It is from these things I write, photograph or paint. And, pray I have at least the long life my mother and others in my family have had.

If you have a cup or glass nearby and it doesn’t matter the contents, take a sip and celebrate with me one more day of life.