Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Signs of old age


Am I afraid of old age?

Of course, I am.

I have many unfulfilled dreams.

I have yet to travel through Europe or walk through Central Park in New York; I hate Osama for bringing down the twin towers before I had a chance to look down on Manhattan from the top of the World Trade Center.

There have been so many excuses and reasons to put off my plans.

On Friday morning, I attended the volunteer’s basic training at SAGE Counseling Centre. It was my first lesson; there were no more than ten volunteers in the room. Most of them were senior citizens: some were retirees who came with their spouses. The instructor taught us about common Health, Psychological & Social problems in the Elderly. He brought up the often neglected condition of Hypotension (Low Blood Pressure), a key symptom of which was giddiness when waking up in the morning. To prevent it, stay in bed for 15 minutes and go through a series of stretching and breathing exercises. In general, it is wise for everyone to do these exercises when you wake up in the morning.

During the lesson, I felt upset as the lecturer went down the list. What if I were diagnosed with one of these dreadful illnesses when I get old? I will be utterly miserable if I ended up in the hospital. I hate the smell of drugs. It reminds me of my late father who suffered and died of Pancreatic Cancer.

So let us live and eat healthily from today onwards. And remember, even though stress is necessary in our lives, too much stress can be harmful for our health.

Take care, everyone!