The joys of ageing - or not! What are your experiences? What could we do differently?

As a result of visiting to my GP with a list of ailments [I save them up to have less appointments], I need yet another blood test, another appointment and an eye test. I was also diagnosed with arthritis in my thumb. PIty there isn't a book about ageing and how to prevent it or at least lessen its effects Rolling eyes. I am grateful for the NHS, because pills and eye drops I need would cost a fortune.

I wish the Government would focus on preventative measures, rather than giving medication or leaving mechanical problems until operations are necessary. For example, my free NHS exercise class holds many benefits -

  • chatting with people my age and older with similar difficulties
  • my arthritis pains reducing in intensity and frequency,
  • learning the proper exercises for different problem areas.
  • the incentive to continue the exercises at home

Similarly, I wish my former GP had informed me how to prevent diabetes 2 decades ago, instead of not giving information before its onset. If only there were exercise classes in care homes and for the over 70's, for example, this might trigger huge savings on pills, appointments and operations. Would you agree? What do you think might ease these issues? Do you think there is enough spent on researching ageing?

Parents
  • Unfortunately our NHS takes a reactive approach, rather than a proactive one and uses many outdated methods.

    I've had issues with silent reflux for years and it affects my breathing, among other things. I'd underwent an endoscopy and no obvious cause was found. They had taken my height and weight at the GP simply attributed it to the fact my BMI put me in the overweight category. The issue with this is, I've been lifting heavily consistently since I was a teenager. 100kg or so in weight isn't that out of the ordinary for someone who has been training for 15+ years. I said you can see that I don't have a significant amount of fat on me only for them to respond "I'm just going by by the numbers".

    They also failed to intervene in time when I had appendicitis and it burst, resulting in me having to have a very invasive open surgery and develop sepsis, but that's another story.  

  • They also failed to intervene in time when I had appendicitis and it burst, resulting in me having to have a very invasive open surgery and develop sepsis, but that's another story.  

    I'm really sorry to hear that but sadly it really doesn't surprise me. Worried

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