BOOMER-ING, Issue 1

A Note from the Editor, Jan Louthain

In the past, I've mentioned this Boomer newsletter is different from others and from other Boomer websites, because I'm not much to dwell on Boomer nostalgia. I'm always looking forward to how the typical Boomer will face old age and what, if anything, we can do now to make it better.

I'm currently working on a novel that starts out in 2037 when the Boomer heroine is 91. There's a section of the novel I wrote about 3 years ago that I'd like to quote. It will lead us into this month's article.

The "Big Bottle" plugged into the solar wall socket blinked impatiently on the counter. It held the tiny pills that kept her alive--the camera/sensor pills. She swallowed one with a big gulp of coffee. It went down smoothly and still fascinated her when she thought about what it was about to do. This little pill, no bigger than the slightly yellowed fingernail of her little pinkie would soon be on its way through her blood stream, sampling bodily functions that would provide a detailed account of the state of her health. If the sensors detected a hardening of the arteries, foreign substances, or abnormal cells, emulsifying impulses were released and the problem was eliminated immediately.

The rest of the results of the in-body diagnostic adventure would be fed back to the giant Regional Artificial Intelligence Medical Center at Johns Hopkins University--she'd heard they referred to it as "Big John." There weren't many doctors around these days. They'd left all their knowledge in the banks of medical data used by Big John, closed up their offices, and retired to Bermuda or the Cayman Islands.

Big John bounced Raven's daily medical findings against its huge data base and determined if she had any medical problems that required treatment. If blood sugar was high or cholesterol was out of range or chemotherapy was recommended, the daily dosage of medication was modified and shipped out to Raven inside her camera/sensor pills.

Diagnosis, prevention, and treatment, all in one pill. Why would you need a doctor? Occasionally there would be a slip up, a condition might worsen and go undetected. Eventually there might even be a need for surgery. A few surgeons were on hand in Regional Emergency Treatment Centers to take care of these unlikely events. The worst problem with this arrangement was keeping the surgeons proficient when they had so little face to face practice with patients.

Since the time I wrote this I've learned of two things which make me feel we're on the way to my fantasy of 30 years in the future:

There is now a camera pill you can swallow which takes pictures as it goes through your digestive system, diagnosing problems in your small intestine previously considered undetectable.

Taiwan, with the help of IBM, is developing a system the elderly will use at home to monitor and diagnose their own medical conditions without ever leaving the house.

This Month: The featured BOOMER-ING article this month is about the in-home system being developed by Taiwan and IBM (reference number 2 in the sentence above.) Please read the article below; I hope it's as exciting to you as it was to me.

I've also written an interesting article this month about the new potency of marijuana and how it may be affecting our grandkids. http://www.examiner.com/x-6347-Columbia-Health-Care-Examiner~y2009m5d14-Mary-Jane-more-potent. Remember, I get a penny if you click it.

And please visit my two Boomer Blogs:

http://boomeringb.blogspot.com

http://boomering.alexiebooks.com

Boomers Turning 60 This Month

Billy Joel, Singer (the Piano man), May 9

Pam Grier, Actress (Foxy Brown) May 26

Philip Michael Thomas, Actor (Miami Vice), May 26

Hank Williams, Jr. Country Singer, May 26

Please let me know when you will be turning 60 and we'll celebrate with you, even if your birthday has passed. Send your first name, and first initial of your last name, and birth date (or someone's you know) to boomering@aol.com.

Special Note: Two of my male friends (one in his late 50s, the other only in his 30s), both BOOMER-ING subscribers, and both very handsome I might add, are having cancer surgery in June. I wish them a speedy recovery with no complications. And all the best to my neighbor (a BOOMER-ING subscriber and also very handsome) who's recovering from a brain abscess and was just released to rehab after 2 months in the hospital.

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How to Keep Your Faith when all around you are losing theirs: A wonderful story of a man growing in faith, even as he questions the hierarchy and decisions of the Catholic Church. Author Carl DiLorenzo's story proves that a man of faith can also be a man of reflection and curiosity. To order, go to www.alexiebooks.com or call 843-357-0282.

Justice Comes After Death by Werner Hoppe is an intriguing murder mystery set in the old southern town of Georgetown, South Carolina and suburban Cologne, Germany. The book explores the dark sides of small town life and professional sports as Professor Shoemaker becomes involved in the outcome. To order, go to www.alexiebooks.com or call 843-357-0282.

Taiwan and IBM to Develop In-home Health Monitoring System

Ling Tung University of Taiwan has recently selected IBM to help them develop a health-care examination system that can be used at home (or anywhere) by elderly Taiwanese patients. The system is being developed in response to a program called Senior U-Care Flagship which was initiated by the Department of Industrial Technology under Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs.

Like many developed countries, including the United States, Taiwan is experiencing a quickly aging population. Taiwan's Council for Economic Planning and Development forecasts that by 2025, more than 20% of the population will be over 65; estimates for the United States are about 19%.

The first phase of the home care network developed by Ling Tung University will use IBM's software (Maximore Asset Management) to create a health care monitoring platform that will record vital patient data such as, height, weight, body temperature, pulse, blood glucose levels and heart functions. This data will eventually be used by other health care, social and government organizations to provide important feedback that will help the elderly and their families know when and how medical treatment can be provided.

According to Jhih-ming Chen, Director of the Department of Information Networking and System Administration at Ling Tung University, "The management of senior citizen's health requires monitoring, recording, maintenance, repair, follow-up and reporting, and these processes and related data are closely intertwined."

Jan Louthain is an author/publisher and the founder of Alexie Books, a small publishing company in South Carolina. She's the author of two children's books (Tagger, Alone Along the Mystic River and Ame the Elephant, Terrorized by Evil Mice), the editor of BOOMER-ING, a free online newsletter for Baby Boomers, and an active blogger on Boomer issues. Visit her website at: www.alexiebooks.com

Boomer Humor

Did you hear about the 62 year old woman who talked herself out of a speeding ticket by telling the young officer that she had to get there before she forgot where she was going? Makes perfectly good sense to me...

We'll be FRIENDS until we are old and senile. Then we'll be NEW FRIEND'S!

Submitted by Linda Nygaard, Murrells Inlet, SC

If you have Boomer Humor, Factoids or Wisdom to share, please send it to alexie8@aol.com.

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