grouchy old Don makes the best of things

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x2420494

Oh my.

Just in time to remind myself to nominate something before the nomination thread gets closed tonight.

NNN0LHI  (1000+ posts)      Sat Dec-03-11 06:00 AM
Original message
 
I have a neighbor who has everything

Been our neighbor for over 20 years. Beautiful family, cars, boats, vacation home, just retired this year with a great union negotiated pension and medical benefits. Couple months difference in age as me. Worked his entire life. Never missed a day of work for illness.

My wife seen his wife outside yesterday and said hello to her and noticed she was crying. My wife asked what was the matter? The neighbor woman said they had just got back from the doctor where her husband was told he was full of bone cancer.

I had noticed he had started to lose weight earlier this year but hadn't realized how much. He lost 40 pound this year.

Doesn't look good for him.

There is a lesson here. Live life to the fullest and be decent to your fellow human beings. Go out of your way to do that. Because life, which seems like it will last forever when you are young, is in fact only an illusion. So you had better make the best of it while you can.

Don

Very true, Don.

But--

Oh, never mind.

aquart  (1000+ posts)        Sat Dec-03-11 06:17 AM
Response to Original message
 
1. Everything but the sense to get to the doctor when his weight started dropping.

Say, 35 pounds ago. Now the two them are going to beat themselves up over it.

Somewhere in NYC there is an old cemetery in which stands a tall stone recording a long list of a man's honors and achievements. Truly impressive. It ends with the line "But he didn't have the sense to come in out of the rain." That was one angry tombstone.

I'm glad you were there to listen. It's going to get rockier.

NNN0LHI  (1000+ posts)      Sat Dec-03-11 06:58 AM
Response to Reply #1
 
3. I don't know that he has not been going to a doctor for months

He could have been going for all I know? They are private people like most and don't broadcast it every time they go to the doctor with a concern. His wife said they had just received the cancer diagnoses and the extent of it this week. This very well could have been a several months long process for them for all we know.

I think you are assuming too much.

Don

pipi_k  (1000+ posts)      Sat Dec-03-11 09:23 AM
Response to Reply #3
 
8. Good point...

A few years ago, a friend's mom, who was not a large person anyway, started losing weight.

The doctor told her it was "heart trouble" and treated her for it.

When the treatment didn't work, tests were done.

That's when they found out she had ovarian cancer, which was, by then, untreatable.

Sometimes people do what they're supposed to do and still get screwed.

rurallib  (1000+ posts)        Sat Dec-03-11 07:53 AM
Response to Reply #1
 
5. Not this guy, but with today's insurance or lack of insurance many, many, many will put off that trip to the doctor because they simply can't afford it.

Don't think I need to say much more.

TBF  (1000+ posts)        Sat Dec-03-11 09:27 AM
Response to Reply #5
 
9. Certainly true that many can't afford to go to the doctor - and that is why I believe we need single payer. As someone with insurance, though, and a chronic illness I get sick of paying the copays/prescriptions and deal with doctors offices as little as I can. And I'm not the healthiest. Folks who are healthy may not realize that little pain or whatever is serious.

If the BFD primitive gets "tired" of paying co-payments and for prescriptions, the BFD primitive probably gets real tired of paying for groceries or the rent or admission to movie theaters.

There's such a thing as "cost of living," but apparently the BFD primitive thinks it should all be free.

EFerrari  (1000+ posts)        Sat Dec-03-11 09:31 AM
Response to Original message
 
10. Things have been tough here since the crash.

Scary, even. But at some point, I realized that I'm going to look back and miss these days because these are the days my mom is still here.

Which crash?  The one on January 3, 2007, or the bigger one on January 20, 2009?

[JohnnyReb]

His neighbor should have blown his money on wine, women, drugs and vacations instead of being John Q. Public good citizen. The DUmmies would have loved him and taken up a collection for the Skinners next vacation.

The DUmmie really hates his neighbor because he wasn't stupid like a DUmmie.

[GOBUCKS]

EFerrari  (1000+ posts)        Sat Dec-03-11 09:31 AM
Response to Original message
10. Things have been tough here since the crash.

Scary, even. But at some point, I realized that I'm going to look back and miss these days because these are the days my mom is still here.

I don't think politicians had anytihng to do with her mother losing her home and income property. That was because she took financial advice from poor, stupid Beth.

And I don't think politicians had anything to do with poor, stupid Beth being thrown out of her Sodomy City apartment. That was because an unemployable lunatic like Beth can't afford to live in Sodomy City. Doug's money finally ran out.

And why does poor, stupid Beth assume she'll outlive her mother? It's gotta be tough for an elderly lady to live all cramped up in that tiny camper, along with a moonbat daughter and her two big, smelly dogs, but that doesn't mean she's about to croak.