My grandmother died from a lingering illness. But before that, she threw the entire family into chaos when she was relegated to bed rest like forever when she sprained her hip bone. Not the kind to win a “pleasing personality” award anytime, her grouchiness didn’t help my Mom in anyway each time she ministered to her fist-size bedsores.

My granny aside, I’ve heard countless stories of aging people slipping and breaking a bone here and there resulting to very tedious care regimen, affecting everybody at home.

A few things to keep your elderly safe:

There are generally two choices younger people can take in tending to the elderly. It’s either not to do anything about their advanced years or, to consider the fact that their eyesight, agility, strength, etc, are already deteriorated. The first choice will invariably lead to disaster. The second, hopefully, will mean a stress-free life at home for all.

Here are a few things people can do at home to keep the elderly safe:

1.  Slips or slides are good in the park, not in the house:

My grandma’s story is real. Not being the amiable person she was, she went about her activities though she could have some of her grandchildren to help her out. They wouldn’t, nor did she ask. Then she slipped and the whole family suffered with her.

A wet kitchen or bathroom floor, a non-skid rug on a well-polished floor are accidents waiting to happen. And yes, watch those stair cases, too. It’s never a good idea to have the elderly sleep in second floor rooms.

2.  Let there be light:

Where the elderly tread, be sure to provide ample lighting. Their eyesight is not as good as they were. If you cannot equip them with night-vision goggles, provide ample lighting around the house to keep them safe and sure.

3.  Let them bathe safely:

Slipping in the bathtub is a major cause of accidental death in the U.S. yet so many people throw caution into the air when it comes to bathroom usage. It is good practice to have the elderly sleep in a room with a bathroom in it. Should it not look ridiculous, bathtubs should have cushion around it to prevent impact in case of a fall and handholds installed. .

4.  Toys should not be left on the floors where the elderly tread:

Have you ever accidentally stepped on something left on the floor? Irritating isn’t it? What would have happened if your elderly parents stepped on it? The consequences are horrifying,  right? So if you have children at home, train them to keep their toys in their proper places when they are through it with. Or, if you are not up to disciplining your children, then you have to do it yourself.

5.  Keep the lawn a place of rest and leisure:

Believe it or not, as a young boy, I stepped on the tine part of a rake, lifting its handle up, smacking me right on the forehead. The same thing can happen to your elderly parents; or their feet could get tangled in a lawn hose left uncoiled or trip on a lawn mower left unattended.

No alternative in keeping on the safe side:

I’m sure we all have our ways of keeping things safe at home, not only for ourselves but, more so, for the elderly among us. Getting hurt out of carelessness is not easy. It is even more difficult for people whose capacity to heal is not as good as it used to be.

In a forum for the elderly I came across a post by a person claiming to be a researcher soliciting  inputs from employees 50 years old and above concerning the quality of their working lives.

I found this interesting as, in hindsight, I never thought it a big deal when I hit 50 and still working, as I am now at 62. Nevertheless, not wishing to dish out what I needed then, I surfed for what others of the same age category need. My search proved very interesting.

What people at 50 and above are interested in:

On the surface, a lot of men are interested in anti erectile dysfunction drugs while some women, even at age 59, are showing interested in IVF (in vitro fertilization). And yes, men do chase younger girls while their women consume of anti-aging and anti-wrinkle creams and whatever beauty creams are there in the market.

As if this is not already obvious, man’s carnal thirst has been given a very good scientific rationalization when some scientists presented a “range of data showing that males older than 50 years still have substantial realized fertility through mating with younger females…” and that older male fertility helps in the natural selection process of the evolution theory.

Crazy interpretation?  If males stopped chasing young females, the human specie will cease to exist. In 1966, William Hamilton, a British evolutionary biologist, presented a study which came to be known as the “grandmother hypothesis” suggesting that women enhance the survival of their children and grandchildren by living long enough to care for them. For men? It’s no fun to have sex with grandmothers, is it?

On the serious side:

The European Commission defined the “third age” beginning at 50. And their needs are no different than those belonging to the younger age brackets if grouped generically;

Each other - the most important need.

o   Economic;

o   Social;

o   Personal.

These needs may have different facets than those belonging to the younger generations because varied economic successes (or failures) should have brought them to different social circles and interests and personal relationships would have become more lasting, meaningful and profound.

However, a study conducted by OU (Outside University), the largest UK university, showed that only a very few people, too few to be considered an “elite,” in this age bracket have active retirement through study and voluntary activities. This brings forth the need to put the concept of life-long learning to more people in this age category, and for society to acknowledge that old people are not hindrances. Many of them have the knowledge, skills and experiences that can be put to good use for its own benefit.

My need?

If I have the resources, I will go off to some remote island and explore the immensely beautiful scenery beneath the surface of the sea.

The devil made an easy prey of Fr Karras in the 1973 movie, “The Exorcist,” by showing him images of his old mother that he abandoned to die in a nursing home. In the real world, however, we find it convenient to have our elderly parents spend the remaining days of their lives in the care of others - a cruel twist in fate no matter how one looks at it.

Coping with growing old:

In some respects, growing old is an adventure. It is like fitting a different pair of shoes or having a different set of clothes. Lines are shorter for the elderly and prices are lower. What lies ominous is the uncertainty of a resting and nesting place when they are no longer capable of doing simple things by themselves. Will they be bundled off to some nursing home to be cared for by strangers or will they be cared for in their own homes, the same way they cared for their children when they were young?

Home care is love care:

To still my own uncertainties and, hopefully, to allow some children out there who are agonizing over the decision, I visited some elderly forums, learning from those who face these realities daily. What they say of the patients in nursing homes are not very encouraging. On the other hand, their preference for home care is based on the following reasons:

1.   No change in surroundings:

Change can be traumatic, even for young and healthy people. Imagine what it can do to aging parents suddenly placed in a strange room, strange bed, and strange people. Remember the phrase, “there’s no place like home?”  That is even more reassuring for the elderly;

2.  Be independent:

People in the 60s and above generally have settled on a kind of life routine impossible to change. They want to be what they have always been - to do what they wish to do, when to do them and how to do them. While it is true that at some point in the future they may not be able to do them as well as they do now, but they certainly don’t want to be told what to do, when and how to do each of the little things that needs to be done. Besides, to be free is life itself.

3.   Cost effective:

Depending on how things are managed, generally home care will be a lot less expensive than a nursing home.

4.   Care is focused:

In an institution, care for one is shared by many losing sight of the individual needs of a patient. Care at home covers all the needs of the patient, especially the most important element for an elderly - companionship.

5.  Be with friends and relatives, even the neighborhood grocer:

If everything else is equal, this, alone, is a terrific plus factor for an elderly on home care.

To take a walk along familiar streets, have a pleasant conversation with old, familiar faces, sit on a bench in a familiar park, or to say “Hi” to a friend in the convenience store nearby are things not available to a patient in an institution.

6.  Control over what they eat:

Granting that the elderly is on a special diet, it still means a lot to them to have a say on what they would like to have for the day rather than to a menu on the door of their room, all of which don’t appeal to their appetite on that particular day.

I could have held her hands:

Two things concerning my Mom’s death will be forever etched in my mind. First, my brothers and sisters left it to me to decide to take her off the life support system. It was the most unpalatable decision I ever made in my life. Second, I run out of tears a few minutes before she breathed her last. I was so scared to witness it, I stayed away. I should have held her hands when she did, the way she spent countless sleepless nights watching over me as a severely asthmatic child.

Very soon, I will be going through the same route. How will my children treat me? How would you treat your parents?

Our neighbor just turned 102 yrs old. She still goes around by herself unassisted, with most of her children scattered here and abroad. She roasted cacao beans in her prime, turning them into chocolate tablets. My Mon used to send me over to her place to buy some for the family’s consumption.

Everyone in the neighborhood is awed by longevity. Could it be from all those black chocolate she consumed all her life or is it because of her complete serenity? The look on her face is the look of peace.

The puzzle of longevity:

Longevity has been the puzzle of several researchers, past and present. Once such study published in the journal of Science suggested that a set of 150 genes may be the key to it.

Tom Peals and his colleagues at the Boston Medical Center (foodconsumer.org), analyzed genetic data from more than 1000 centenarians and established a statistical model based on the longevity genes that researchers say can predict a persons longevity. This model is said to have 77% accuracy in predicting if a person can live over 100.

How about those who don’t fit into the mold?

No argument about genetics. But there is lifestyle, diets and exercise to look into, of which these people are perfect examples:

1.  Many years ago, two New York sisters lived over a 100 years old. Both never married and both consumed lots of cod liver oil during their lifetime. Though the health benefits of Omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin D in the liver oil have long been established, but it is probably their never having been stressed out by straying and erring husbands that was responsible for their longevity.

2.  A 93-year old Chinese was able to give a 3-hour lecture, non-stop, while standing. He mostly ate vegetables, taking only the required amount of meat.

Could the veggies be from China where pesticides and fertilizers have not tainted their purity?

3.  A Chinese immigrant in New York is now over 100 years old. He still looks very healthy and his skin is as young as that of a baby. His 70-year old wife said that he drinks two glasses of bitter lemon juice every day.

Search Goggle and you will be taken to a site showing 10 benefits of lemon. All of these can potentially contribute to his longevity.

But he must be one tough dude for never having etched “grimace” marks on his face from all those glasses of bitter lemon juice.

4.  A Chinese immigrant in New Jersey was so energetic at the age of 85 years that he worked all day without feeling tired. He is said never giving into worry and ate Korean ginseng.

Korean ginseng, or Panax ginseng, is considered an adaptogen, and can help the body in regulating itself under stress, be it, psychological, emotional or physical stress.

So it seems that his not being taken to worry is the result of his Korean ginseng habit. And if one has to support a lot of relatives back home, he/she would also work as hard as the guy. So many Filipinos in foreign shores do the same.

5.   A Wisconsin woman still drives even if well over 100 yrs of age. It is said that she keeps her windows open even in winter time.

If she can stand the risk of hypothermia, she can live over a 100 years.

I wonder if she wasn’t a Chinese, too.

Conclusion?

There is none. The above examples don’t have a pattern except for the fact that three in five are Chinese (no intention of being a racist) and each have different lifestyles which can easily be affected by the harmful environments they lived in. They were not gene-mapped though to see if they had the 150 genes necessary for longevity.

Living longer will remain a pipe dream for most as its “secret,” by far, has eluded man’s finite wisdom. Therefore people over 70 must be content in praying “prayers of thanks” each morning upon waking up to another day in their lives.

Ponce de Leon, a Spanish explorer who came with Christopher Columbus in his exploration of the New World. On his second trip in 1493, Ponce de Leon stayed behind in Santo Domingo, an island south of Florida. As a reward for his good service to the Spanish Crown, he was granted permission to search for “Bimini,” one of the islands in the Bahamas, where the “fountain of youth” was supposed to be found. Legend has it that whoever drinks from the fountain will never grow old.

He never found the island, he, having landed in what is now St. Augustine, Florida. Needless to say, he never found the fountain. But the search goes on, not in distant and exotic lands but in laboratories around the world.

The frenzy to live longer:

A higher wisdom probably stopped Ponce de Leon from finding his quest if taken against the backdrop of current thinking of what “living longer,” or “anti-aging” really means. For one, extending the average life-span is not the same as extending the maximum life span and extending life span is not the same as preventing degenerative changes brought about by growing old.

But impetus man is, he forges on, more for business reasons than a real desire to live longer, to search for that “magic” to allow him to live longer than his current average life span.

Laboratory fountains of youth (adapted from Science-Based Medicine):

Keeping people young and living longer is a billion-dollar industry. Among others, the following have been shown promise to allow man to live longer:

1.  Anti-oxidants:

This is very common to the point of being a household word. But what are they?

They are substances or nutrients in the food we eat that prevent or slow down the oxidative damage to the body. When the body cells use oxygen, harmful free radicals (by-products) are produced. These anti-oxidants act as “scavengers” preventing damage such as heart disease, macular degeneration, diabetes, cancer etc (HealthCastle.com)

However their effects are modified by many factors, that they can harm as well as help. Raising their levels with supplements may even turn off some of the body’s natural defenses.

2.   Telomerase:

This is more difficult to take, er, understand. This is an enzyme that keeps the ends of chromosomes from fraying due to age and chromosomes are “packages” that contain genetic information we got from our parents.

Research showed that drugs that tamper with telomerase is a potential carcinogen.

3.  Calorie restriction (CR):

A dietary regimen that restricts calorie intake, the baseline figure of which varies, generally being the previous amounts before the diet. It has been shown to improve age-related health issues and to slow down aging among a wide range of animals and some fungi - except humans. On-going studies are done with human subjects. Meantime, unless one wants to be a mouse or fungi, it is best to be contented with one’s age.

4.  Resveratrol and Rapamycin:

Resveratrol is a phytoalexin (antimicrobial substance) produced naturally by several plants when attacked by pathogens such as bacteria and fungi.

It is also found in the skin of red grapes and is a constituent of red wine. Its amount, however, is not enough to explain why the French Paradox.

Rapamycin is an immunosuppressant drug used to prevent rejection in organ transplants, especially with kidneys. It was first discovered as a product of the bacterium, Streptomyces hygroscopicus, in a soil sample from Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui, from whence it got its name.

Both have been found to have health benefits such as cancer suppression but trials in anti-aging are mainly done on animals. Trials on human beings have been on very limited scale making their results highly unreliable.

Do I want to live longer?

A guy I play tennis with is 69 years old and he considers reaching 70 as a bonus. And I agree with him. It is a real blessing and a reason to be thankful to wake up each morning. Without having to worry about living longer than I am now, I think I shall make it until most of the people I grew up with shall be gone. By then, it will be a really lonely world that living longer is not a very exciting thing to even think about.

The average age in my tennis club is probably 50. The oldest is a doctor who, at 72 yrs old, still claims to have sex everyday. Then there is a guy at 69 and I, at 62, probably putting me in a third age bracket. Our club would make a good spectacle in any age-group tennis tournament.

But our age demographics is not true to the entire country. Family reunions are always getting bigger with new children brought forth into this over populated dot of islands in the Pacific.

The world is getting old:

As a Filipino, we have been programmed to look to the U.S. as a benchmark in every aspect of our lives - even aging.

In the U.S. today (Protica Nutritional Research) there are 35 million people (12%) over the age of 65. By 2030, this is projected to double, resulting to the demographic reality that 1 in 5 Americans will be older than 65 within a generation.

Plusses and minuses in an aging society:

Taking it positively, it means that Americans are living healthier and longer than before. The scary thing is that the health-related problems inescapable in an aging society will be tremendous. Right now the dental care field is lobbying for increased awareness and resource-support for defective dentures and reduced saliva-flow conditions. The need for more doctors and nurses is already felt in age-related medical health care fields.

Other than the dental and medical needs of the aged, another sector, the area of nutrition, is even more far behind in attending to these impending problems.

Fast food and aging don’t mix:

I am still in the denial stage so I still go for a Big Mac every now and then. But until MacDonald’s come up with a burger for the aged, it is best for them to shun places like these unless chaperoning their grandchildren.

Yes, in the face of an “aging” reality, health food store are still full of energy bars and powders marketed for high-performance (young) consumers and macronutrients, i.e., proteins are essential for all diets - regardless of age.

A 65 yr-old dude is not the same as a 25:

A 25 yr-old guy can afford to experiment with his diet and get away with it while a 65 yr-old dude simply cannot. They cannot experiment with energy drinks and bars and supplements available to a younger guy plus the ugly fact that diminishing appetites always come with aging. And they must come in forms and shapes easy on the dentures.

Food supplements in pills

Yet we do - just like all other age groups - require a balanced nutrition. The difference is that, all things considered, i.e., reduced ability to eat conventional types of food, appetite, nutrient-specific needs, the elderly must rely more on food supplements.

As people age, their protein loss must be compensated through supplements that capture all the essential amino acids necessary for healthy living. They must have access to low-calorie, carbohydrate-free, fat-free supplements to avoid unwanted body fat that would weaken muscle mass, destabilize body strength and energy levels.

What’s the market out there?

Currently there are companies providing the necessary supplements that can fit the requirement of a wide range of ages. But the demand will soon outstrip the supply if nothing drastic is done. America’s population is aging, and that is a fact.

Note:

Browse through the line of food supplements for the elderly at:

CLICKBANK: http://www.clickbank.com/accountSignup.htm?step=3&t1=8B58ECBBA5B1FF3B7433

OR

PayDotCom.com: http://paydotcom.com/member.area.aff.prom.php

My sister died of colon cancer at the age of 59. Though young to die, she was old enough of a woman to have known common household tasks. Sadly, aside from her fetish of keeping the house very clean, she knew not much for a woman her age.

The father of a friend is 94 years old. When we met more than a year ago, I swear he could not have looked more than 60. Aside from glaucoma, he is as hale as a 50 yr old guy, still has well-manicured fingernails and knows the names and whereabouts of all his children from four wives (I ventured not, however, to ask just how many children he has).

A Google word search will reveal how fascinating the subjects of “aging” and “growing old” are to a lot of people.

On aging and growing old (some parts from Wikipedia):

Typically, “growing old” always elicits images of hospitals, diseases, disabilities, hearing loss, dementia, etc. On the other hand, “aging” brings to mind anti-aging pills, health diets, skin care products, pleasure cruise and the like. While both are a million-dollar industry, the former is focused on alleviating pain and suffering while the latter is to prolong the enjoyment of life.

In the real sense:

Growing old is simply getting on in years. It is a natural and mandatory process. It is when our skin begins to sag, wrinkles and laugh lines become permanent fixtures on our faces; we become weak and, ruefully, we, oftentimes, are considered “a burden” to our families.

It is that time in our lives when our natural levels of high growth hormone (HGH) go down as our age go up. If these things worry you and wear you down, then you are growing old.

Always great to be young - even at heart

If NOT, then you are just…

Aging, in humans, is not directly age-related. It refers to a multidimensional process of physical, psychological and social changes. Some dimensions expand and grow over time, while others decline. The decline in physical reflexes may be compensated by speed of reason brought about by the accumulation of knowledge through the years. Some researches have shown that the potential for physical, mental and social growth and development still exists despite advancing years. It is an important part of all human societies not only in reflecting biological changes that occur but also in the changes of cultural and societal conventions.

The term “aging” is taken by some as ambiguous. Age change is called “universal aging” while changes to some but not to others is called “probabilistic aging.” Then there is “social aging,” “chronological aging,” etc.

Simply put, the changes in every aspect of our lives as we accumulate years constitute the entire spectrum of aging. Had we changed not, then we simply lived, did not have a life.

A friend commented on my FB wall concerning my post regarding the right place for taking care of the elderly. He wrote that in the U.S. and Western countries, the aged are sent to nursing homes while in third world countries like the Philippines, they are cared for at home. My curiosity piqued, I referred it to Google and to my surprise, “home care” is searched more (197 million times) than “nursing home” (11.8 million). Considering computer demographics and the need, it is safe to say that majority of those searching for “home care” was from the U.S. and other Western countries.

For skeptics, visit http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en&complete=1 and do your own search. Figures will vary by the second but I bet my last centavo that the disparity between them will remain about the same.

What are they?

Home care (commonly called “domiciliary care”) is supportive care provided in the patient’s home. It becomes “home health care” if done by licensed healthcare professionals (called “skilled care” in the U.S.) or plainly “home care” if done by non-medical people, i.e., family, friends, voluntary caregivers, etc.

To be on the safe side in considering “home care,” it is good idea to refer to the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC), the largest trade association in the U.S. representing the interests and concerns of home care agencies, hospices and home care professional organizations. The NAHC maintains a database of more than 20,000 home care and hospice agencies to choose from.

Home care - where love is.

Nursing home, a more familiar term in the U.S. and other Western countries, is a place of residence for people with significant deficiencies with activities of daily living, thus requiring constant nursing care. Inhabited mostly by the elderly, nursing homes may also accommodate younger adults with physical or mental disabilities. Residents in a skilled nursing home facility may also receive physical, occupational and other rehabilitative therapies following an accident or illness.

Choosing the right facility can be very difficult. Consult the Web to be on the safe side. A group, Nursing Home INFO can provide invaluable assistance with their 10-point tips in selecting one.

Who is Melanie Ambrose?

Melanie Ambrose took care of her parents for more than 20 years. Out of that experience, she wrote a book, “Adopting Your Parents,” (http://978e64rby9wh4mxikgz4t5ensh.hop.clickbank.net/).

Not everyone has the desire or financial resources to send their parents to nursing homes. This heartfelt and emphatic book will be of great help to those in that category.

For me?

I live in a third world country, hence I will be staying home in my doddering years. But I pray to God that I will not be in the same situation as my uncle was in his last days. What I saw when I visited him in his home was pitiable. After all those years of high living and heaping abuse upon himself through wine, women, song and all the things in between, what I saw was a semi-lurid old man in pampers.

Reiterating from my previous posts, generally people get sick from the following factors:

1.   Genetics;

2.   Environment;

3.   Life styles (habits).

It is not entirely true that cancer cases are due to genetics. A lot are caused by the other two factors. If it is, then there’s nothing much one can do about it. If it isn’t, much can be done to avoid it by being proactive with the other two. Given that the effects would manifest themselves long after the cause, it is still not worth the gamble to just leave things to chance.

Hedging against cancer:

o   Do not use tobacco products:

These cover cigarettes, tobacco, chewing tobacco and/or derivatives. Even second hand smoke has been reported to be as harmful. Tobacco causes about one-third of all cancer deaths in the U.S. each year.

o   Do not overexpose yourself to sunlight:

Not much of a problem in the tropics but a major concern in temperate countries. The ultraviolet rays from the sun, and those from tanning booths, can leave everlasting wrinkles, skin damage or, more seriously, skin cancer.

o   Have a healthy diet:

Easier said than done in the age of fast-food. And a “healthy” diet for one is “poison” to another. And example is cruciferous vegetables. In one of the health forums, this vegetable type is a good colon cleaning. However eating much of it, especially in raw form, can cause thyroid problems.

But a good daily serving of fruits and vegetables, not much on fatty foods and a load of fibers is a generally considered a good diet.

o   Keep your weight in check:

In one of health forums I visited, an elderly member is keeping a diary for the purpose of losing weight. Again, this is a tall order. Besides, as health experts would say, “there is no ideal weight, but a weight one is comfortable with.” But I do feel scandalized each time I see grossly overweight people gorging on too much food. I think it disgraceful.

Anyway, being overweight increase the risk of some forms of cancers, i.e., prostate, pancreas, uterus, ovary and the breasts.

o   Exercise, exercise, exercise:

Though not needing to be emphasized, still a lot of people loath to exercise. “I’ll do it tomorrow,” is a familiar refrain, even for me. What’s worse, the nearest thing some people get to exercise is the lifting of a beer bottle to the lips.

Activity lowers the risk of developing breast and colon cancers, as well as other types of cancers.

o   Keep alcohol consumption down:

The risk of getting cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus and larynx is higher among people with excessive intakes of alcoholic drinks.

Mouth Cancer

o   Know and follow safety rules to avoid dangerous and cancerous materials:

Refer to appropriate materials safety data sheets (MSDS) to be sure. Asbestos, a common insulating material, is highly carcinogenic, for one.

A lady doctor I met found no logic in imposing health controls on her aged parents so, she reasoned, they may enjoy the waning years of their lives to the fullest. She may have a point. But it is always a nasty thing to be sick, especially with cancer, regardless of the stage in life one is. Life is short. There’s no point in making it shorter. More so for the baby boomers.

Note: I don’t know what happened to her parents but she died in her 50s of cardiac arrest.

It takes no medical degree to know that people get sick, some very seriously with cancer, generally from the following:

1.  Genetics;

2.  Environment;

3.  Life styles (habits).

Their effects on our bodies, ultimately manifesting, if we’re lucky, as we grow older.  I frequently dreamt, while I was in my 30s that I will die by 40. I am now 62. Although my days are definitely numbered, but I don’t feel, in anyway, that I am about to keel over. I do, however, “listen” to what or how I feel - physically (take my BP every night and my weight every so often).

Stop, look, and listen:

A torrent generally starts with a drop of rain. The same thing with man’s serious maladies. They don’t come upon him from out of the blue. Even a stroke is ushered in by minor headaches which were brushed off as “one of those things.”  “Listening and feeling” one’s body, figuring out what has changed will pay dividends in the long run. Here are some examples:

o   A lump or thickening in the body, commonly in the breast:

This is never to be taken too lightly especially among women. The survival rate is high if diagnosed early. But a friend of mine, also a nurse, died from it after having a relapse.

Inverted nipple due to breast cancer

o  The formation of a new mole or a change to an already existing one:

A close friend had all moles among the men in his family. The reason? Two of his uncles died of skin cancer from infected moles. I have a skin discoloration on my right upper check which builds up dry skin which I peel off every 2 - 3 days. And it stings when I do it. I exercise extreme care to avoid aggravating it.

o   A sore throat that never heals completely:

Very common among heavy smokers, prudence tells that when accompanied with heavy coughing and squeakiness of voice, it is time to cut-back, quit and make a beeline to the doctor’s office for a check-up. I did the first.

o   Feeling hoarse or having a persistent cough:

The same as the above.

o   Changes in bowel movements or urination:

Some people say that missing one’s movement a day is normal. Materials I read say that missing a movement a day is skirting the possibility of colon cancer.

Retaining liquid is more of my problem than retaining it.

o   Discomfort after meals:

Unless the discomfort is from having had a very large meal, meals are supposed to give comfort not discomfort. Failure to give off a good burp can be extremely uncomfortable but it should go away after having a good one. If it does not, consider having a medical.

o   Changes in weight without a clear reason:

All things being the same, one should not lose weight. Different doctors have different ideas on what is an alarming loss of weight, poundage-wise per unit of time. To be sure, just check your weight ever so often. If you think you are losing more than what you desire, better have a medical.

o   Unusual bleeding or discharge:

Easy to spot if bleeding is from the gums; easy to miss if it is in the stool. A dark stool can result after having eaten food rich in iron. If it persists, it might have some blood in it. Consider a check.

o   Weakness of fatigue:

This is very difficult to quantify as there are good and bad days. I met a cousin, very much younger than I, who had a bypass. When I asked him how he found out that he needed one, he told me that he was experiencing fatigue. When pressed for what kind of fatigue, he told me that he could not even walk between two electrical posts without stopping for a rest, nor climb two flights of stairs. Thanks God, I can still cover the tennis court in a doubles game.

My neighbor’s wife was having persistent pains in her lower back which she thought were just muscle spasms and settled with topical remedies. When she started losing her appetite and vomited whatever she ate, they consulted a doctor only to find out that she was on Stage IV colon cancer. The irony was that she was a nurse.

A lot of cancer fatalities resulted from the failure of “listening” to one’s body, resorting to personal diagnosis and settling for home remedies, until things are too late.

Excerpts from http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Crumrine