Depressed over the over use of doctors and procedures..approaching 80

I'd join. I'm almost 80.

The question that I have asked myself: WHY you should live one more day?
In other words, the mother of all question: What makes a life worth living?

This is the question people before Plato and after him wrestled with for ever.

Of course there's the basic instinct to live, but we are more than our genes and built-in will to live.
Yes many say I want to live FOR SOMEONE -- a spouse, a child, a friend, a teacher.....
Or at a certain age, I should give up ON Living?
But you guessed the problem: Is life worthless Without them, at certain age?

At 82, I look forward to each day for NONE of those reasons.
And I do have some old age issues but I am able to 'Look Forward to Each Day' is for what is called Purpose in Life. It is, as you must know by now, has to be More than what many have given reasons for living; I want to USE my Time-on-earth what I believe is Good for those outside of the ones I've said.

Today, I want to live because I believe I have a 'truth' about life that will help Humanity.
That is a goal Beyond me and my 'selfish' reasons as I noted above. In other words, my reason-to-want-to-want health, longevity, have to be beyond me as those for community and beyond.
All I am saying what might help Most to having lived our lives well is when we can look back and say: I did use it for what I believed was most worthwhile use of my time-on-earth.
Then I'd be able to look back and say: I'm glad I used my time what I truly believed (within the external/environmental constraints we all must)

I believe that gives me a health where I did not have to see my doctor in last ten years, and rarely even before that. I take no medications, done no tests, no colonoscopy even tho reminded many times in my early seventies, no supplements, or special diets.
I do try to keep myself in about optimal condition with simple mostly plant-based foods, physical exertions in variety of ways to keep my body strong and limber. I use my mind for all its capacities: cognitive, emotional, spiritual.
I would like to think I am GROWing old, not getting old. Age is irrelevant, What I do with my time, alone maters. So As Nietzshe has said; We all die at the right time. To me it makes sense because then we are living a life-in-flow, a state where time loses its significance. The book Flow by the Hungarian author, sounds like Chick-sent-me-high.

Join me folks on this shipwreck journey -- and make most of it JOYOUS!
I

@margaretob
I'm not trying to be mean, but I think at our "more advanced" age, it is probably not going to get any better overall. I wonder to myself why am I making/keeping this doctor appointment. I have five maintenance drugs and I'm required to go to the doctor twice a year to get these prescriptions. But the dentist? New partials at 86 years old. I don't think so. The eye doctor - of course I always want to go there. The hearing aid? Expensive. Why go when I might not last much longer. Do I want to tell my GP who approves my maintenance drugs about any new aches and pains? I don't know the answer but I remember what my Uncle at age 94 said about his last doctor appoint: "If I take this pill, that might happen and if I take that pill this might happen. So I decided to quit going." He lived well into his 97th year.

You are right on. Just turned 81 last JUNE 4 and trying to beat OLD AGE with myriad aches and pains is just something that one has to live with until the alternative. GOT A NEW CARDIOLOGIST to see today for a FOLLOW UP of the Heart attack and two stents. THEY ARE IN A hurry to quote PACEMAKER but I am hoping to just take meds for a few months to heal up from the scary HEART surgery. I have MASSIVE bruising as I am a light skinned person and the bruising is RIDICULOUS. I am a walking MAP. THIS IS NEW for me and I will see the new DOC and hear what he has to say. I looked up the aging process on medical websites and the BRAIN parts are AMAZING. THE SINGULAR CORTEX is THICKER in some people and that is what SCIENCE is attributing the age of a person to. IT BLOCKS the aging process and helps with thoughts and intelligence. IT IS A NEW SCIENCE. I did find out that all of the commercials to help with age are PURE FAKE. INTERESTING NEW SCIENCE. BIG PHARMA IS BIG MONEY and people are GULLIBLE. NICE TALKING TO YOU...MargaretO

I read a lot, it helps to keep me focused and intelligent in my conversations with my family. ON THE WAY TO 82....TV is BORING....medical websites from UNIVERSITIES on AGING are INTERESTING especially parts on the BRAIN and how it works...WOW...I am a LIFETIME learner. THEN THERE ARE YOU PEOPLE ON THE MAYO...GOOD FRIENDS ARE BEING MADE HERE...MargaretO

YOU ARE COOL AND COLLECTED WITH YOUR AGING PROCESS. I am learning a lot from you and your attitude.....Hope we can be buddies on this site...MAYO CLINIC is interesting and viable for all of us over EIGHTY...THANK YOU...MargaretO

@margaretob

@margaretob I agree. BIG PHARMA makes millions of dollars giving us drugs that don't work and can sometimes be very harmful.

I agree! I am 81 years old and I feel like I’m treated as if I’m not going to be here much longer so why try? The elderly are not treated this way in other countries. Why are we forgotten here and put out to pasture?

THERE is a whole NEW culture ON aging AND HOW THE BRAIN WORKS FOR OLDER PEOPLE. I AM ENJOYING LEARNING ABOUT IT ON MEDICAL AND COLLEGE WEBPAGES. THE BRAIN IS A NEW FORM OF STUDY AS PEOPLE ARE LIVING LONGER THAN FIFTY YEARS AGO. THE DIET IS ALSO UNDER STUDY AS PEOPLE WHO EAT HEALTHY AND DO NOT SMOKE LIVE LONGER. INTERESTING????? i THINK SO...M