Boomer Corner

If not Immortality what about The 120 Club? Planning for the End of Your LifeDizzy

My good friend Alexander Everett died in 2005 aged 85 on his ranch in Oregon. It wasn’t really a ranch, more like an Ark. Alexander just liked to hang out with animals, certainly not eat them. Hewas an educationalist and an English eccentric much influenced by Rudolf Steiner and Huxley’s Perennial Philosophy, who decamped to Oregon in the 1960s becoming a leading figure in the personal development movement that became popular at that Who will end up with your books and your tchotskes, your gadgets and your garden tools when you change your cosmic address at the end of your life? It’s probably the easiest and least onerous part of your estate planning to make a list of all your possessions and decide who will get the stuff you have accumulated all these years. Will Junior get your porno movie collection? Your daughter might like some jewellery or family heirlooms; It all began while swimming one afternoon and twisting my body I suddenly felt a little wave of dizziness. Whoa. I stopped swimming for a few minutes wondering what had happened. Then I continued my swim as normal. However, after I returned home to take a shower, when I bent over to wrap a towel around my head, the room spun. I grabbed the sink to prevent me from falling. That was really scary. time. As a young man he had been crippled by polio maybe your best friend would appreciate your gadgets or but claimed to have cured himself. He was, he told garden tools. You have made your Last Will and Testament? me a member of the 120 Club, all of whom committed Good. That takes care of your estate, your possessions and themselves to live to be over 120 years old. Alas, financial accounts and settles your preferences. Or does it?

Alexander didn’t make it. He died 35 years short aged 85, which is respectable. Estate Planning

Somewhere around the age of 18 or 19 our bodies cease Planning for the dissolution and distribution of your estate is developing and from that moment on the various body not that cumbersome but you need to take a few things into clocks that comprise what is us, start their remoseless account, especially if you have property or a foot in two countdown to our eventual demise. How countries. Besides the bequests and provisions your last long we last from that point on depends on will and testament should appoint an executor who will take good luck, our genes, our lifestyle and how care of administrative and financial matters such as much money we have. The process doesn’t liquidating bank and investment accounts, your pension or usually start to manifest visibly until our mid-30s or so and, given good genes, psychologically we don’t usually start to feel old until our early 70s. retirement accounts, ensuring your assets go to the proper beneficiaries, paying any debts or taxes. It could also include selling your home or terminating your lease. And with foreign property rights restricted in Indonesia, be sure Here’s what we’re all up against: you don’t leave behind a can of worms your executor will have to deal with. Even if you have little in the way of assets or possessions, you should have a simple will because if you die intestate the legal system in your location will decide who gets your assets, no matter how massive or meager. Things are more complicated if you are the parent or guardian of a minor child, have an informally adopted or sponsored child and there’s no document stating what you want to bequeath them or who will care for them after your demise. By the same token, are you making some provisions for your faithful staff who may lose their jobs and probably have no retirement or financial cushion to fall back on? Another thing to consider is to make sure that your will does not contradict the account beneficiaries named on your retirement accounts, life insurance policies and the like. The person listed as the beneficiary on each of those policies will get the money even if your will says otherwise. Make sure your beneficiary designations are up to date and sync with any other legal provisions you have made. It pays to review the beneficiaries on all your accounts. You may not be ready to die and in fact may yet have a long bout of life ahead of you but remember that things change, people come and go in your life and situations alter. Be sure these changes are updated in your will. Including your will, make a list of critical documents that the will’s executor will need to settle your estate like your insurance policies, bank and investment account statements, credit and debit cards, pension and tax documents and pertinent information like your Social Security or National Insurance numbers and make sure you tell your family or carers where to find them. This includes passwords so your online accounts can be accessed. Other practical directives should address the paying of any taxes due, utility bills, recurring payments or donations. Any time a major change occurs in your life, make sure your will and last directives reflect it.

Chronic Inflammation After that I began experiencing bouts of dizziness, especially in bed when turning over onto my side. I began to move Aging people suffer an epidemic of outward inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, but chronic inflammation also damages brain cells, arterial walls, heart valves and other structures in the body. Heart attack, very carefully in bed when lying down and getting up. Sometimes when I bent over to pick something up I felt dizzy. It was very unsettling. I found myself holding on to things when walking especially on stairs, never knowing when I would feel dizzy. stroke, heart valve failure, and Alzheimer’s have all been linked to the chronic After a couple of weeks I saw a doctor friend and asked her about the dizziness. She said vertigo is usually caused by inflammatory cascade. ear problems and suggested I see an ear specialist. I contacted my ear doctor and made an appointment for the Glycosylation next morning. After listening to my symptoms he asked me if I noticed the dizziness on one side or the other in bed. I Diabetics age prematurely, but even non-diabetics suffer wasn’t sure. Then he asked me to sit in his examining chair. from this chemical reaction, where protein molecules He checked both ears with his camera and found nothing bind to glucose molecules forming non-functioning abnormal. Then he tilted it back low and asked me to turn structures. Glycosylation is most evident in senile my head to the right. The room was spinning for several dementia, stiffening of the arteries, and degenerative seconds. Then he asked me to turn to the left side. Nothing. diseases of the eye. The problem was in my right inner ear. Methylation Deficit Sitting at his desk he opened his computer and showed me images of the inner ear canal explaining that sometimes Our cellular DNA requires constant enzymatic action for crystals become lodged in the canal which affect the brain maintenance and repair. Aging cripples methylation causing vertigo. Then he showed me a video clip of Brand metabolism causing DNA damage that can manifest as Danoff exercise to move the crystals. He also gave me cancer, liver damage and brain cell degeneration. some medication to speed up the process. When I got home I opened my laptop and began researching vertigo treatments and learned quite a lot. There’s a second exercise used called the Epley Maneuver, which is similar to Brand Danof. It’s very disconcerting to make yourself dizzy doing these exercises twice a day. But after four days, the dizziness was gone. Hurray! I tried both techniques for vertigo but found the Epley maneuver easier. When I put a post on Facebook about my vertigo, I was surprised how many friends had been feeling dizzy also. With my research I discovered that vertigo is quite common. Usually it’s the benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), Meniere’s disease and labyrinthitis. The other types of vertigo are rarer with serious side effects. So I’m going to talk about BPPV as the most common type. Dizziness affects approximately 20 -40% of people at some point in their life. It occurs more commonly with age and affects women two to three times more often than men. It’s more likely for a person with BPPV to get repeated episodes of vertigo with movement and feel normal between the episodes. The episodes should last less than a minute, producing rapid eye movement known as nystagmus.

Mitochondrial Energy Depletion

The cellular energy powerhouse, the mitochondria, requires a complex series of chemicals to maintain critical functions such as transporting nutrients through the cell membrane and purging the cell of toxic debris. Mitochondrial depletion lead to congestive heart failure, muscle weakness, fatigue and neurological disease.

Hormone Imbalance

Trillions of cells in the human body are synchronised to function by chemical signals called hormones. Aging creates hormonal imbalance that can lead to depression, End-of-life preferences osteoporosis, coronary heart disease and loss of libido.

Now that the estate portion of your bounty is settled, have Excess Calcification you given a thought to the other end-of-life decisions you need to make while still, as they say, of sound and competent Calcium ions are transported into and out of cells through mind? What about drawing up a Living Will that will instruct calcium channels into the membrane. Aging disrupts this your nearest and dearest how you want to be cared for process and the result is excess calcium in the cells of the when you are no longer in a position to verbalise coherent brain, heart valves and arterial walls that can lead to thoughts? Remember there are very important instructions arteriosclerosis and Alzheimer’s. in regards to your end of life preferences that simply do not What causes vertigo? belong in a Last Will and Testament since that document will not be read until after your death. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the most common vestibular disorder and occurs when loose calcium carbonate debris has broken off of the otoconial membrane and enters a semicircular canal thereby creating the sensation of motion. People with BPPV may experience brief periods of vertigo, usually under a minute, which occur with change in the position. That doesn’t sound too serious, but small head movements cause the loose crystals to move, triggering your inner-ear sensors to send mixed messages to your brain. It occurs in 0.6% of the population yearly with 10% having an attack during their lifetime. It is believed to be due to a mechanical malfunction of the inner ear. BPPV may be diagnosed with the Dix-Hallpike test and can be effectively treated with The Epley maneuver or the Brandt-Daroff exercise.

The western way to do that is to draw up an Advance

Directive, a legal and binding document that outlines your wishes if you become incapacitated due to illness or injury.

It sets forth the specific life- supporting or prolonging measures you would like applied -or not- like resuscitation or CPR, or whether to end all life-saving measures. Your wishes should be written down and the document given to the people most likely to be close at the time of your demise.

You should not leave these agonizing decisions to others.

These instructions should include the type of care you wish to have, the medical team and the hospital you want to end up in. If you wish to be an organ donor here in Indonesia you can register with Komite Transplantasi National (the

National Transplant Committee) or the Eye Bank (Bank

Mata Indonesia) ahead of time and stipulate that in your directive.

The Epley Maneuver

Fatty Acid Imbalance

The body requires essential fatty acids to maintain cell energy output. Aging causes alterations in the enzymes required to convert dietary fats into specific fatty acids the body requires. The effect of fatty acid imbalance manifests as irregular heartbeat, joint degeneration, low energy, hyper-coagulation, dry skin and a host of other conditions.

DNA Mutation

Numerous synthetic and natural compounds mutate cellular DNA and cause cancer cells to form. Aging cells lose their DNA gene repair mechanisms and the result is DNA genetic damage causes cells to proliferate out of control, i.e., turn into cancer cells.

Immune Dysfunction

For a variety of reasons, the aging immune system loses its ability to attack bacteria, viruses and cancer cells. In aging humans, excessive levels of dangerous cytokines are produced that cause the immune system to turn on its host and create auto-immune diseases,, such as allergies, lupus, anemia, rheumatoid heart disease and arthritis.

1. Begin by sitting upright in the middle of your bed. Rotate your head horizontally towards the ear causing your symptoms approximately 45 degrees. Maintain this position for 1 minute. 2. Keep your head and neck in this position and gently lie down. Maintain this position for 1 minute. Beware this position will likely cause dizziness, which can last for a few seconds or longer. Stay here until the vertigo stops. 3. While still lying on your back slowly rotate your head towards the good ear as far as possible or approximately Your instructions should also indicate your wishes for preferred last rites, burial, cremation or repatriation 90 degrees. Maintain this position for 1 minute. This position may again cause dizziness. 4. With your head still rotated maximally towards your preferences, appoint a funeral service and a trusted good side slowly roll your entire body on to your good relative or friend who agrees to take care of all that. Also side. Keep your head and neck fi xed as much as don’t forget to leave behind a list of family and friends you possible. If done properly you should be able to stare Non-Digestive Enzyme Imbalance want notified. ‘Next of kin’ may not be near if you have family in another country. Indonesian Immigration and down at the fl oor. Maintain this position for 1 minute. 5. Finally to complete the Epley maneuver return to a Internal cellular functions depend on multiple enzymatic your consulate also need to be informed. sitting positon with your head up but fl exed forward approximately 45 degrees. Maintain this position for 1 reactions occurring with precise timing. Aging causes enzyme disturbances in the brain and liver, which result in severe neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s or persistent memory loss. Impaired liver function results in And now for the big caveat: Remember that every country has its own norms and regulations when it comes to durable health care and appointing a health care proxy. If minute. 6. This maneuver should take fi ve minutes and repeated 2 more times prior to going to bed. toxic damage to every cell in the body. you plan to die in Indonesia you are well advised to inform Does Epley maneuver work immediately? yourself of the practices here. In fact, a quick survey Digestive Enzyme Deficit among a few Bali lawyers reveals that unfortunately, the Most people say their symptoms go away right after they Indonesian law system does not recognise a Living Will. do the maneuver. In some cases, it may take a few times The aging pancreas often fails to secrete enough digestive However, you can draw up a private statement letter for the procedure to work. Or you may have another enzymes, while the aging liver does not secrete enough regarding your medical directives and wishes on how problem that’s causing your symptoms of vertigo. The bile acids. The results are the chronic digestive problems medical personnel should treat you in case of a lethal home Epley maneuver only works to treat vertigo from many face as they age. condition. This statement letter only indicates your wishes BPPV. and does not have the strong enforcement capacity like a Excitotoxicity will. It behoves you to discuss these matters with your Brandt-Daroff Exercise for Vertigo The aging brain loses control of its private physician now and see where you stand. 1. Start in an upright, seated position in the middle of your bed. release of neurotransmitters such as glutamate and dopamine, and this results In the end it doesn’t really matter - or does it to you? 2. Move into the lying position on one side with your nose pointed up at about a 45-degree angle. Move to in devastating brain cell damage and the side which you experience dizziness. You may destruction. Statistics claim that nearly half of people age 55 and older experience dizziness when you lie down. don’t have a will. I bet the percentage is even higher for 3. Remain in this position for about 30 seconds (or until Circulatory Deficit not having a Living Will. Yet it is important to document the vertigo subsides, whichever is longer). Then move your end-of-life preferences and communicate those to back to the seated position. Microcapillary flow of blood to the brain, your family and/or the people that are likely to be near you 4. Repeat on the other side. eye and skin is impaired as a part of at that crucial time. Putting a plan in place for things like 5. Repeat exercises twice a day. normal aging. The result is that disorders medical care and funeral arrangements helps ensure that of the eye (such as cataract, macular upon your death, your wishes are carried out and that degeneration, glaucoma) are the No.1 family squabbles are avoided over your dead body. In age-related degenerative disease. Major terms of funeral arrangements, you can leave the and mini-strokes are common problems arrangements to a competent service like Antara Bangsa associated with circulatory deficit to the Funeral Services. Expats in Bali concur they are very brain. good and take care of the details.

Don’t wait to put your affairs in order. Now, while you are still hale and healthy and still have control of your belongings and the execution of your last wishes, is the best time to put some order in your end of life preferences. Don’t wait until life’s inevitable loops throw you a curve and beat you to it. If you’re experiencing vertigo see an ear doctor right away. It’s a bit scary walking around never knowing when you’ll feel dizzy.

Oxidative Stress

Free radicals are unstable molecules that have been implicated in most diseases associated with aging. Antioxidants have become popular supplements to protect against free-radical-induced cell damage, but few people take the proper combination of antioxidant supplements needed to do any good.

By Adrian By Shari By Ines Wynn By Shari By Shari Hartman The Boomer Corner is a column dedicated to people over 60 living in Bali. Its mandate is to cover topics, practicalities, activities, issues, concerns and events related to senior life in Bali. We welcome suggestions from readers. E-mail us at : Baliboomers@gmail.com The Boomer Corner is a column dedicated to people over 60 living in Bali. Its mandate is to cover topics, practicalities, activities, issues, concerns and events related to senior life in Bali. We welcome suggestions from readers. E-mail us at : Baliboomers@gmail.com The Boomer Corner is a column dedicated to people over 60 living in Bali. Its mandate is to cover topics, practicalities, activities, issues, concerns and events related to senior life in Bali. We welcome suggestions from readers. E-mail us at : Baliboomers@gmail.com The Boomer Corner is a column dedicated to people over 60 living in Bali. Its mandate is to cover topics, practicalities, activities, issues, concerns and events related to senior life in Bali. We welcome suggestions from readers. E-mail us at : Baliboomers@gmail.com The Boomer Corner is a column dedicated to people over 60 living in Bali. Its mandate is to cover topics, practicalities, activities, issues, concerns and events related to senior life in Bali. We welcome suggestions from readers. E-mail us at : Baliboomers@gmail.com Copyright © 2019 Boomer Corner You can read all past articles of Boomer Corner at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz Copyright © 2019 Boomer Corner You can read all past articles of Boomer Corner at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz Copyright © 2020 Boomer Corner You can read all past articles of Boomer Corner at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz Copyright © 2019 Boomer Corner You can read all past articles of Boomer Corner at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz Copyright © 2022 Boomer Corner You can read all past articles of Boomer Corner at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz