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[quote=Anonymous]This is a hard question, and it has changed as I aged.

BLUF: today I am 54 with serious issues and have no clue how long I will live.  Really no clue.  And I am good with it.

Long answer:
At 30, I had very high cholesterol, like 300 on meds.  I figured I would live to 45.  If I was lucky I would have chest pain and bypass surgery.  My life plan was to not have children. Every male in my family with the high cholesterol gene died of heart issues before 50.   I was dating a woman in her 50's.

At 33, new meds came out (or was it a more aggressive Doctor?).  Cholesterol suddenly was in the low 200's (like 220 or so).  LDL and HDL splits not good (LSL was 160, HDL 19).  But, suddenly, I could see a potential for longer life.  Over a few months, I decided I wanted a family, which meant breaking up with my GF (we are still friends....on a sad note, she is burying her daughter today from influenza).

At 37 (right after 9/11), I was diagnosed with diabetes.  My wife was pregnant with our daughter.  I figured I would live until my 60's....or maybe 70.

The next 10 years were uneventful.  Cholesterol hovered between 220 and 240, My fasting sugar, and A1C would slowly creep up, then new meds, and it would be down again.

At 48, I was diagnosed with advanced (metastatic cancer).  Frankly, at that time, I was just hoping to 1) hit 50, 2) see kids Bat Mitzvah, and 3) see the eclipse I had been waiting for since 1991.   My cancer was probably familial; I am BRCA1 +.  My father and grandfather had similar cancers.

At 49, my cholesterol caught up with me, but it was repaired with a stent.  Oh, and I was declared No evidence of disease.  I figured I would live to 55 - 60 unless the cancer came back.

At 50, I got my colonoscopy.  and found out I had a series of precancerous polyps removed.  NBD.

At 51, while undergoing a stress test, I fainted.  (I would faint about once per year since I was a teen).  Problem was I was wired up when I fainted, and they saw a 12 second pause in my heart.  Twice.  In investigating, they discovered 3 more serious blockages (3 more stents) which triggered the angina that led to the stress test.  In addition, because of the heart stopping, they put in pacemaker.
Now, I am thinking a life span of 60-65.  I remain NED on cancer.

At 51, I watched my daughter get bat mitzvah'd.

At 53, they started me on a new cholesterol med -- based on genetic engineering.  Suddenly, my LDL in where they want it to be in the 60's instead of 200's).  Now, I figure unless the cancer comes back, I will live a normal live span.  I do not know.

At 53, on Aug 21, 2017, I got to see totality.

I am now 54.  I do not know how long I will live.  I just do not have a clue.  Financially, I am planning to live to 100.  Emotionally, I have accepted I could drop dead tomorrow.[/quote]

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