Well, I had a scary thought today! My average life expectancy....

[Disney1fan2002]

determined by the most recent deaths of my immediate family members.

Mom...age 61 years 11 months died 1995
brother..age 45 years 1 month died 2003
Dad...age 70 years 4 months died 2004
brother...age 48 years 5 months died 2004

based on those ages, my average life expectancy is roughly 56 years 5 months!

My sister will be 50 in April 2007. We are going to give her the biggest 50th b-day celebration EVER. I had 11 siblings, 9 left, so, if we can manage to get over the age of 50 (not looking good right now) it will bring my average up.

Not even 20 years. Live each day as if it were your last!

 

[Sleepy]

For me, the scarey part is not how long I will live, but rather conditions I might have when it happens .....variety of cancers to choose from, alzheimers, parkinsons, heart disease, diabetes, etc.

 

[Sparx]

It doesn't matter much to me how long I live. Quality of life is what is important. I've been in an accident where I walked away with a few scars, but could have lost my life, or been seriously disabled. Live life to the fullest.

 

[Freyja]

It doesn't matter much to me how long I live. Quality of life is what is important. I've been in an accident where I walked away with a few scars, but could have lost my life, or been seriously disabled. Live life to the fullest.

Although I do respect your opinion, I don´t agree. I do agree that we should live life to the fullest and that quality of life is extremely important. However, to me it is very important to live quite long. My mother died at the age of 50, neither my younger sister nor brother had moved out by that time. She always said she wanted to see her kids graduate, move on their own and preferably marry before she died. Of course she would have loved to see us all have children as well.

I have 4 young children and I could not imagine not seeing them grow up or stand the thought of them not having me around at life´s most special moments.

 

[Sandcass]

Not to sound preachy, I'm really just curious..... What are you doing NOW to help better your chances at a long and healthy life? Are you eating right? Excercising? Because it's not ALL determined by nature. Like I said, I'm not one to preach. I definitely don't always make the best choices ( like last night at the Super Bowl party )

But you do have some control over your quality of life, and your life expectancy.

EDIT : After I posted I noticed your ticker in your post. I should have noticed it BEFORE I opened my mouth. (and put in my foot) Now I'd like to add....

Good job on the weight loss! You really must be working hard. I think losing weight is one of the hardest things to do. Keep up the good work

 

[MAKmom]

determined by the most recent deaths of my immediate family members.

Mom...age 61 years 11 months died 1995
brother..age 45 years 1 month died 2003
Dad...age 70 years 4 months died 2004
brother...age 48 years 5 months died 2004

based on those ages, my average life expectancy is roughly 56 years 5 months!

My sister will be 50 in April 2007. We are going to give her the biggest 50th b-day celebration EVER. I had 11 siblings, 9 left, so, if we can manage to get over the age of 50 (not looking good right now) it will bring my average up.

Not even 20 years. Live each day as if it were your last!

Congradulations on your weight. You have 16 Trader Joe's Markets in Massachusetts... you luckey girl. If you do not shop there you must go. The food is wonderful & less money than the supermarkets. You can replace everything you reg buy in TJ. The food in reg supermarkets are making Americans sick read the lables. Organic produce in TJ is cheaper than reg in Supermarkets. Stop using deoderant with Aluminum Zirconium... breast cancer paitents are now being told this it may be a cause. Msg, Artificial sweetners all are bad. www.Greenguide.com is a consumers report check it out. I have to run ...but your attatuide,be positive.

 

[MarkeyMouse]

I just heard on the news this morning that my daughter's doctor and his family died in a plane crash. We had an ortho appt. next week but now he is gone. My 6 yr. old tried to comfort me by saying, "Mom, remember the good things about him, not the bad thing that happened."

My point is that we never know.

 

[MsSpinShady]

Stop using deoderant with Aluminum Zirconium... breast cancer paitents are now being told this it may be a cause.

Wow, I went and checked my deodorant, and guess what? Aluminum Zirconium is the main ingredient. So I got on the Internet and did some research and it turns out that this supposed link between deodorant and breast cancer is false. The only websites that are promoting this "theory" are those trying to sell people "natural" deodorants. In fact, the American Cancer Society has a whole page dedicated to this because apparently there was an email circulating a few years ago making this claim. Here is the link to the ACS webpage: American Cancer Society information on deodorant

I just wanted to share this information with anyone else out there who might have had the same brief moment of panic I did this morning.

MsSpinShady

 

[MAKmom]

My Mom's Hair dresser was just told to stop using it becasue she has a lump. I will look at your link.

 

[Chicago526]

And the age of relatives that have died isn't a 100% predictor of what will happen to you. Both my dad's parents died young (his dad in his 50's and his mom in her 60's, but that was an accident so maybe it doesn't count), and both of his YOUNGER sisters died young (both in their 50's, one of cancer the other a stroke), but they also all drank and smoked. My father quit both in his late 20's, early 30's. He has outlived them all, I think he's turning 67 in July. He does have Parkinson's, though. But he's had it for almost 10 years and it hasn't really affected his quality of life yet, so who knows!

I think that when it's your time, it's your time. Not that we shouldn't take good care of ourselves, but just that there is no sense in spending too much time thinking about it.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

so everyone consider themselves warned . The length of life is something that concerns me, too. Maybe not in quite the same way as the OP. What Sparx wrote reminded me that there have been three times in my life when I could have (probably should have) died, but somehow did not. I'll spare y'all the details, but it does give me a different way of looking at life. Every day is a treasure. And the way I figure, I must be here to make some sort of a difference in someone's life. The day I die, whether that is today or 60 years from now, I won't feel cheated one bit. I have a great deal of certainty about my eternal life. (But aint that a whole 'nother thread? )

What grinds away at me is the realization that I just don't want to leave life yet. Call me selfish, but I want to be a part of my kids lives well into their adult lives. Even more, I want to see my grandkids (if there are any). Even with that in mind, I refuse to fear death or even dread it. I choose to love life, and appreciate it for the valuable gift it is.

 

[Feralpeg]

The age at which your parents and/or siblings died shouldn't be as much of a consideration as should what killed them. For instance, death due to heart disease should tell you that you need to be conscious of your heart health. Death due to cancer could be an indication that you are at greater risk, but certainly doesn't mean that you will also have cancer. You are not your parents or your siblings. You could live to be 100. If you are worried, have a physical and mention to your physician what your caused the deaths of your family members. He/she can make recommendations or do tests to put your mind at ease.

I have already lived five years longer than my mother and will in three years reach the age at which my father died. I am not concerned about dying of the conditions that killed them.

 

[mtblujeans]

I figure I got about 10 more years and then I'm outta here! Unless a piano drops from the sky, of course!

 

[luckywife]

Wonder what it means for me when my grandma died from lung cancer at age 62, my mom died from lung cancer at age 58 and my aunt (my mom's sister) died from lung cancer at age 65. Yep, they all smoked! I did too but quit last year. Haven't lit up in a little over 13 months.

 

[mtblujeans]

I've always wondered....and I don't mean to offend....if this sounds bad just call me stupid and ignore, but...how does a smoker's lungs clean themselves out after they stop smoking?

I'll turn this thread into a biology lesson....I swear I will!

 

[Chicago526]

I've always wondered....and I don't mean to offend....if this sounds bad just call me stupid and ignore, but...how does a smoker's lungs clean themselves out after they stop smoking?

I'll turn this thread into a biology lesson....I swear I will!

I'm not sure HOW, but I have heard that 2 or 3 years after quiting, an ex-smoker's cancer risk is almost the same as a person that never smoked. It's still slightly higher than a never-smoker, but a HECK of a lot lower than someone that continues to smoke.

So anyone that thinks it's "too late to quit, the damage is done" is DEAD wrong (pun intended!).

 

[mtblujeans]

I'm not sure HOW, but I have heard that 2 or 3 years after quiting, an ex-smoker's cancer risk is almost the same as a person that never smoked. It's still slightly higher than a never-smoker, but a HECK of a lot lower than someone that continues to smoke.

So anyone that thinks it's "too late to quit, the damage is done" is DEAD wrong (pun intended!).

I didn't realize that! WOW! Lungs must be a more wonderful machine than I understood!!

 

[mickeyfan2]

I know a guy whose father, grandfather, uncle and some cousins were all dead by 45 of heart attacks. He watch what he ate as did his brother and both are now in their early to mid 70s.

 

[Zandy595]

It doesn't matter much to me how long I live. Quality of life is what is important. I've been in an accident where I walked away with a few scars, but could have lost my life, or been seriously disabled. Live life to the fullest.

You might feel differently when you're older.

 

[LiteBrite]

Wonder what it means for me when my grandma died from lung cancer at age 62, my mom died from lung cancer at age 58 and my aunt (my mom's sister) died from lung cancer at age 65. Yep, they all smoked! I did too but quit last year. Haven't lit up in a little over 13 months.

Good for you! I love to hear about people quitting smoking - I don't even know you, luckywife, but I'm proud of you anyway.