Only 56

“But She’s Only 56 Years Old!” exclaimed the doctor.

I had just told him that my wife’s wishes are Do Not Resuscitate, and I requested just comfort measures in the ER.  I described the many years of chronic pain that she suffered for more than a decade.

My wife is one of many civilian casualties in the war on drugs.

As activity on my wife continued (vital signs, full body CT scan, blood tests, health insurance network and benefits), I pondered the doctor’s comment.  How old should a patient be for a doctor to not respond that way?  What’s the implicit minimum age requirement for a DNR?

My guess is if a person has reached the life expectancy for his or her demographic, the request would draw little reaction.

“But she’s only 82 Years Old!”¹ would be a strange response to a DNR order, for example.  But why?  Do we think it’s a waste of time and effort to take heroic measures if she’s supposed to be dead about now anyway?  No, that’s not it.  What matters more is the likelihood of an 82 year old woman surviving the procedure.

A decision on life-saving measures could be made based on the patient’s Apparent Age, or how old a patient looks.  If a patient appears to be 10 or more years older than he or she really is, it’s likely that it indicates poor health.² So if my wife looked 66, perhaps the doctor wouldn’t have reacted with such conviction.

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¹ Life expectancy for a woman living in the USA is about 82 according to https://www.worldometers.info/demographics/life-expectancy/

² https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3019310/

Wednesday Weigh-In 20241228

I've been suffering from severe belly pain and bloating lately. I become aware of it only when I try to stand up straight after eating. I think it's related to how I tend to overeat at night and then slouch in a cushy chair to read before I go to bed. Then when I start to eat the next morning, my guts have trouble moving because last night's food is crammed up inside. There is also some anxiety / agitation that affects me.

Weight = 173.2 lb.
Fat = 24.4%
BMI = 27.12
Waist = 40.0"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

1. Wikipedia BMI page
2. Balance Body Composition Bath Scale
3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Wednesday Weigh-In 20241217

I've accrued so much vacation time that I've been taking every Friday off since 11/08. And I'll be taking off from 12/24 to 1/1. I like the four-day work week; it gives me more time to recuperate and keep up on chores.

Weight = 172.6 lb.
Fat = 24.1%
BMI = 27.03
Waist = 40.0"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

1. Wikipedia BMI page
2. Balance Body Composition Bath Scale
3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Wednesday Weigh-In 20241209

I'd like to "leverage" the weight loss caused by last month's stomach bug and drive my weight back down to 160lbs or so. That means resisting the urge to eat sweets after supper.

When I compare the numbers from the previous two weigh-ins, I'm doubtful of the values reported for fat content. As soon as I recovered from the bug, fat was 21.4% (on 11/23). Then nine days later it was 23.8%, or 2.4% higher. Can one's body metabolize that much fat so quicky? And what does 2.4% mean, anyway?

Well, according to scale manufacturer Greater Goods, "Body fat percentage ... represents the weight of your body fat divided by your total weight." So, the number represents about 4lbs of body fat! But, "Every part of your body contains water, so each metric includes some amount of water weight." My guess is that a vast amount of fluid loss affected the 12/23 body fat measurement. Since "there are 8.35 pounds in a gallon of water," it could mean that I lost nearly 2 quarts of water.

Weight = 169.4 lb.
Fat = 23.6%
BMI = 26.53
Waist = 40.0"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

1. Wikipedia BMI page
2. Balance Body Composition Bath Scale
3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Wednesday Weigh-In 20241202

I started taking a multivitamin three days ago (on 11/29). I used to take one a few years ago. But then I listened to "expert" opinion that said vitamins are good only for making expensive yellow pee.

Weight = 170.6 lb.
Fat = 23.8%
BMI = 26.72
Waist = 40.0"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

1. Wikipedia BMI page
2. Balance Body Composition Bath Scale
3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Wednesday Weigh-In 20241123

I'm just getting over a severe stomach bug. I think it was E Coli; I had just bought a bag of Organic Carrots that were later recalled for E Coli. But I don't think the infection was from eating the carrots. Rather, it was from eating a slice of pizza during the food shopping trip. I lost twenty pounds in five days!

Weight = 160 lb.
Fat = 21.4%
BMI = 25.06
Waist = 40.0"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

1. Wikipedia BMI page
2. Balance Body Composition Bath Scale
3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Wednesday Weigh-In 20241111

A weigh-in on the auspicious date of 11/11

Weight = 181.4 lb.
Fat = 23.6%
BMI = 28.41
Waist = 41.75"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

1. Wikipedia BMI page
2. Balance Body Composition Bath Scale
3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.