Sobering answer from Siri

[vito]

I like to ask Siri all sorts of questions, and sometimes I get a smile out of her smart alecky answers. But yesterday I asked her a real question: what is the average life expectancy for an American male my age (73) and her answer of 85.44 years led to some serious and sobering thoughts. If 85 is the average, then obviously about half of men my age will die before they get to that mark which is 12 years away right now. Although I think of myself as pretty fit and healthy for my age, and still enjoy riding a 900 pound plus motorcycle in the good weather, I have to recognize that I've had quintuple coronary bypass surgery (20 years ago), renal cancer and the loss of one kidney (two years ago), several early stage melanomas, and about a half dozen other surgeries for varied ailments. I'm not sure if this balance of feeling pretty good, combined with my medical history, puts me on the short or long side of that average. Assuming I make it to the average of 85, in part that seems OK since 12 years is a pretty good stretch from now. On the other hand, I think back to when I was 61, twelve years before now, and it doesn't seem like a very long time at all. Maybe these are thoughts that I should try to put out of my head on this cold, snowy morning in Illinois. But it sure has made me suddenly start thinking that maybe I've overbought ammo for my guns, and maybe should put out of my head thoughts about adding yet more guns to my small stash.

 

[Big Old Boy]

I'm six years younger than you and my health is not good at all. Just so you know when the time comes I hope I'm asleep and miss all the excitement. I go shooting as often as I can and spend much time reloading in the winter months, that said I have a few more guns to buy to leave to my sons so every time they go shooting I'll be with them. Remember no one gets out alive.

 

[Poco Oso]

Sit around worrying about it, and you can probably shorten it to 10yrs. :wink:

 

[Bob Wright]

I'm reminded of a ninety year old man who married an eighty five year old woman.


Now they're looking for a house. Near a school.

Bob Wright

 

[mhblaw]

Well, I am 76, only health issue was a total knee replacement 6 months ago (other one due in January), not sure how many guns I have and get to the range at least once a week...and still practice law (some day I will get it right) full time. Life is good.

 

[powder smoke]

That is something I never thought about much on my fathers side they have longevity,
my mothers side not so much. Been healthy feel pretty good never a single operation
everything seem to work as intended. All that said one never knows. BTW I'm 64
and consider my self fortunate to have dogged health issues. ps

 

[DeletedMember275]

The men on my father's side tend to die in their late 60s. On my mother's side they seem to last into their 90s. Hope I take after my mother's side!

 

[gasbag]

I will be 73 in March.
I will guarantee you if I sit around and worry about dying.....I will.

 

[Dean]

Relax you have it easy........)

A few years ago it was reported that men with my history had a 50% chance of living to age 60. I'm 59 1/2....... Either I have 6 months to come up with and try to cross off a "bucket list" or Maybe I'll live forever. They didn't say what happens to us after 60......

 

[Colonialgirl]

Well, Let me see; I'm female, so some numbers change (not sure which or how much) I'm 75 and have brother exactly 18 months older who is now 77. On Mom's side of the Family, a great Grandmother went to 100+ (crossed the wide prairies in a covered wagon and lived in a sod hut); my two great uncles went into their early 90's (both over weight and lifetime pipe smokers; My grandfather (their brother) made it to his late 80's, another over weight lifetime pipe smoker, all three farmers from MO and OK. On my Dad's side, he made it to 85, but had a problem with his heart due to Rheumatic fever as a child, Mom gave up at 90. Had a Great Aunt on dad's side that went to 102+ and his brother (my Uncle) went to 101+; I've always wondered if I could set the family record at 105.

 

[Ethang]

Thanks. I am 47 here and asked her... the answer was 79, so my age group is even more screwed than yours.

 

[gramps]

What Siri doesn't know is your lifestyle. All it takes is some fool texting to skew the results!
gramps

 

[Coop]

My dad died at 70 yrs old in 1982 as a result of a meat and potatoes diet, plus booze and smoking, with the expected results,. My mom lived to be 89 before passing (2008), after living a life of booze and smoking and cooking for my dad.

It is amazing how much genes play into our personal lives and how we survive.

 

[mohavesam]

And they told me " only the good die young"!

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

https://media.nmfn.com/tnetwork/lifespan/#13

 

[stefko]

Well Big Old Boy, I'm just a year younger than you, but I have a very different take on the subject.

I'd like to be wide awake and coherent enough to observe the process. What with death being a once in a lifetime event, I'd hate to miss it.

And how bad could it be? Folks have been doing it for years and years, far as I can tell.

I choose to believe that at that moment I'll come face to face with my Creator. What a grand adventure.

Not that I'm in a hurry. Anticipation is for savoring.

Steve

 

[bradepb]

https://media.nmfn.com/tnetwork/lifespan/#13

I took the survey and came up with 90, 59 now. It did not ask about any medical problems other than BP, so I know my Diabetes would reduce that number at least somewhat.
Brother died at 51 from cancer dad at 81 heart disease, mom at 77 heart disease, diabetes, sedentary life.
The amount of friends and relatives who have died in the past several years in there 50's is downright scary. I guess you just never know.

 

[mikewriter]

I had a friend and hunting partner who drank a quart of whiskey every day of his life and dipped snuff. Ate anything he wanted, and hunted and fished as much as possible. Remember the old Chinese (?) proverb about "The God's do not subtract, from a man's allotted time, the amount spent hunting and fishing - or in getting there and back"? People always said "the whiskey is gonna kill him"! Well, it finally did, at the age of 107!

Siri is funny. My wife will ask her to call her folks, and she'll often answer, "I don't know who YOU are, how would I know who your parents are?"

Mike

 

[bobski]

long life doesnt mean its going to be fun life.
things break and it becomes a struggle to make it to the next day...regardless what the media tells you.
thus the old saying, whoever said 'they are the golden years' must be 21.'

 

[gramps]

https://media.nmfn.com/tnetwork/lifespan/#13

It says I will live to age 92. 8)
gramps

 

[opos]

https://media.nmfn.com/tnetwork/lifespan/#13

It says I will live to age 92. 8)
gramps

Me too...I'm 79 now..mom lived two 97 and dad died at 72 of cancer (pancreatic..not supposed to be a "genetic" factor). If I go to 92 it won't be pretty ...already kind of ugly with 1 lung non functioning (diaphragm paralized on one side),moderate to severe COPD and asthma...I drank hard for 30 years and have been completely sober for 36 years (next month)..Put the cigarettes down 35 years ago..doc tells me I'd have no chance to be alive today had I not quit both when I did...I know one thing...when I do die I don't want people looking in my casket and saying "doesn't he look nice?"...I want them to look in and say "Damn...what happened to him?" Then I'll know I got my money's worth.

 

[6GUNSONLY]

Waylon said, "If I'd known I was gonna live this long I'd have took better care of myself."

I'm 58 and have had a couple of problems, fairly major, I guess, depending on your perspective. I take care of myself as best I can; try to eat pretty right and exercise some. Doing well enough to have gone on a Colorado elk hunt last month (and pack out the quarters on a pack frame) and grateful to be that healthy. None of us has any promise of tomorrow, no matter our present age. Live right, enjoy life, and thank God for each and every day. I will trust Him to take care of what comes after that.

 

[Rick Courtright]

I know one thing...when I do die I don't want people looking in my casket and saying "doesn't he look nice?"...I want them to look in and say "Damn...what happened to him?" Then I'll know I got my money's worth.

Hi,

Somehow this post reminded me of the epitaph on George Bernard Shaw's tombstone:

“I knew if I waited around long enough something like this would happen.”

Rick C

 

[exavid]

74 here and Siri thinks I'm good for another eleven years. I dunno, diabetes and kidney disease. My parents both made it to their nineties, maybe I might hit that 85 mark. I've shifted from a Goldwing 1800 to a BMW C650GT so shedding 400lbs of motorcycle might help a bit.
If the arthritis gets worse I don't know if I want to. Especially how my bullseye scores are dropping.

 

[vito]

Took the survey and unlike Siri that told me 85, the survey said 95! I think I'll believe the survey. To exavid: there is help for arthritis. I had arthritis pain so badly in the base of my thumb that it was making almost everything I did into a painful nightmare. My family doc recommended I see a rheumatologist, and he offered me an injection right into the spot where the pain was. It was a very, very painful injection but the pain passed within a minute or so, and by the next morning my thumb felt about 90% better. That has been over 18 months ago and I still have virtually no pain in that thumb. For the minor arthritis in the fingers of both hands I take Tylenol occasionally and I refuse to let it keep me from riding my Goldwing. Cruise control is a lifesaver, since holding a throttle open for hours at a time might prove too much for me, but resting my hands on the grips while the cruise control does its job works out great. Range time is much more limited than it used to be, but that is primarily due to having torn rotator cuff injuries in both shoulders. So 30 to 45 minutes of handgun shooting is about all I can do before my arms give out, but that's OK with me, it saves me on ammo costs.

 

[Mobuck]

I've been noticing some things about the folks I know in my age group--they seem to be getting "old". I just got home from a short visit to Grouch Attack's cousin's place and it struck me that "they were really showing their age" even though they're both younger than me. So, of the two couples Grouch Attack is gimping around overweight with a failed knee replacement, her cousin looks good(slim, trim, and fit)but is losing her hair, and cousin's husband is about ready for his second hip replacement. I'm the oldest of the four and have taken more of a beating during my life than all of them combined but still capable of doing more work than most my age.
We were talking about the future and I was telling GA's cousin about my current plans, etc. Within the next 6 months, I expect to get promoted (actually trading jobs with my supervisor-I step up to his spot & he steps back into mine), I have another part-time job lined up with another branch of the same government agency to supplement my schedule. I'll have to either set up a separate office or build onto my house for space to have a real office to work out of. In addition, Tom and I are going back into row crop production. The cousin just looked at me like I was crazy for even thinking about jumping into so many changes.

 

[Big Old Boy]

I'll be, I have a good 17 years left if the wife don't kill me first.