My World of Wonder/Day 24

I LOVE MY JOB!!

Actual conversation:

patient son: Do you think you will always be 32 years old?

me: No.

patient son: puzzled look

me: I have enjoyed getting older.

patient son: really?

me: Yeah, if only I knew then, as a young 32 y/o,

what I know now, as an even younger 43 y/o,

LIFE WOULD ROCK!

At least my old body would be able to handle the knowledge better.

Over the past week or so, I have been observing and thinking about the process of aging. Last week a patient of mine was having difficulty keeping his oxygen needs at a theraputic level. All this poor elderly gentleman wanted to do was go home. As I discussed with him, his options, which were:

stay in the hospital, be on bi-pap and see how that helps

or

go home on hospice with the possiblity of not even making it home because his oxygen requirements couldn't be met on a tank.

His response:

"I want to go home and die in my own bed."

As I have contemplated this conversation for the past week, I realize how lucky I am to be "getting old." To many of you, that may sound funny. But to me, I revile in the knowledge and joy I have been given because I am "getting old."

I know so many women who are trying to look younger any way they can. Me, I just want to grow old with my man! While looking back on what we've learned together. Many of these experiences of life will with sore muscles, bad knees, sore backs, hairs that poke out anywhere, anytime and in any direction it desires. Not much prettieness there, but the best part of this adventure is "growing old."