Hatrack River Forum: Shorter Lives?

This is topic Shorter Lives? in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by plaid (Member # 2393) on :

My Aunt Barbara just died. [Frown]

She wasn't that old -- 66?

My Dad died at 58, my mom died at 62.

Three of my grandparents lived to be 85 or so. The other two are in their 90s. (Yes, I know that's 5 grandparents. Long story.)

Is anyone else experiencing this? -- grandparents living to a ripe old age, but the next generation dying young... makes me wonder about environmental toxins and stress levels and all that...

[Frown]

Posted by esl (Member # 3143) on :

[Frown]

Sorry, plaid.

It's just kinda creepy cuz I have an Aunt Barbara who's very close to sixty-six years old. Her mother, my grandmother is eighty-six. I don't know about my other grandparents' ages.

But yes, I am kind of experiencing your situation except not so close to home. Three of my parents' friends died young, in their forties I think. They were disease/stroke sort of deaths.

I'm sorry about your aunt. That's terrible.. Be well.

[ October 19, 2004, 02:45 AM: Message edited by: esl ]

Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :

*hugs plaid* I'm sorry, plaid.

It does seem like it, doesn't it? My grandmother died at 68, but my mother died at 47.

My grandparents on the other side are still going strong at 80, though. I don't know. [Frown]

Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :

Well, everyone in our family has the "curse of longevity" (as my aunt puts it). Most go to 90s or 100s (several over 100).

The only exceptions I can think of were my dad (at 47, but it wasn't natural causes/health, so that doesn't count), and my grandmother, who developed cancer at 69.

My aunt calls it a "curse" because she really doesn't want to live to be 100 (she's 75 or so now) because it takes a lot of money to live that long, and your health deteriorates, and there's always the risk of Alhzheimers, etc.

But I'm also thinking this next generation won't be as long. I have strong feelings and opinions about environmental toxins, but I won't go into that here.. [Wink]

Posted by Intelligence3 (Member # 6944) on :

Please accept my condolences. [Frown]

My Mom, who is 64, lost both her parents at 66. her father was an alcoholic with heart disease and her mother was in very poor health for most of her life. The problem is, whe're not sure what Mom's health is going to be like over the next decade (or, God willing, more), since all but one of her grandparents died young as well. The one who lived longer died at 80 after many years of Alzheimer's. So I guess my experience will hopefully be the opposite.