A B C D - Ageing, Backache, Cancer & Dementia

There's a bit of a theme this week. Apologies dear reader. I'm not normally so self focussed, it must be going on the Warners Mini Break.

Ageing is really not a bundle of joy for many people. However in the interests of balance, both my father & my mother in law lived into their 90's and really didn't seem to have any illness until their last few years. Both had vascular dementia though. My dad reckoned not to know what a headache was & my mother in law thought that stress was a fiction invented by my "mamby pamby" generation. She, of course, lived through the 2nd world war.

Anyway, recently two close friends have been diagnosed with breast cancer - (I immediately made an appointment for a mammogram). Another friend has repeated episodes of melanoma. The husband of a friend & the mother of a friend both have definite symptoms of dementia....I could go on.

The thing is that any sentient being knows that the body is a highly complex system which is bound to wear out. There are replacement parts, which can keep the show on the road for a bit longer, but we do all have a sell by date which is imprinted in our genes. We also have the benefits of the great Pharma industry to Prolong Active Life like the pet food advert.

There seems to be a gene lottery which determines what you are given to work with at birth. Add to that we seem very prone to abuse the gift of life by imbibing all sorts of things which don't do the sensitive balance of our systems any good at all. The result is that we are becoming the sickest society since man first walked the world thousands of years ago. Most of us aren't going to be eaten by predatory animals any more, but many are sick - physically, mentally & emotionally.

We often don't treat our bodies or our world with respect. We also don't always treat our old people with respect. Respect should be earned of course, but we should at least care properly for the elderly & infirm. A combination of family & state should be able, as far as possible, to ensure dignity in old age, security, freedom from pain & adequate nutrition.

The elderly are often not capable of fighting their own battles, so deserve our protection.