aging

As a practicing neurologist for many decades, I closely observed each patient, searching for signs of improvement or recovery. Each step in the healing process required time and effort, which could become exhausting, and I have always balanced hope and anxiety anticipating recovery for my patients. But successful outcomes were deeply rewarding. Now that I am 98, the tables are turned, and my daily challenge is to diagnose and treat myself, closely monitoring my own state of mind and the condition of my aging body. As I advised so many patients to do over my career, I adjust my diet, exercise habits, and outlook to sustain my health and my mood.

A 97-year old man is largely healthy, but his respiration is altered. He breathes normally and effortlessly while sleeping or sitting. But if he stands, walks, or engages in other activities that require him to concentrate on coordination and balance, breathing becomes a conscious effort. He stops breathing and grows faint if he does not remember to breathe. This condition compounds other challenges of aging, but he is determined not to allow it to limit his activities. He speculates that his condition results from age related deterioration in the autonomic nervous system, most likely the breathing centers in the brainstem.