David Pruitt.com

Being healthy.

Earlier this year, my company announced that, for the third year in a row, we were changing health insurance companies because of rising costs. During our benefits fair, we were informed that we were, compared to similar companies, overall an unhealthy company and that is why we have to pay more. To find out why we were so unhealthy, the company offered a free health assessment to all employees. This would be done over 2 weeks with the first beginning last Tuesday. A lot of people in my division did their assessment last week, and were sharing the results. I forgot last week, so I will be doing my assessment tomorrow.

I tell you all of this to say that while I was out sick from work on Friday, they made an announcement at our company luncheon. They stated that a few things I love most — free donuts on Friday and subsidized sodas (we pay only 25 cents for soda) — would no longer be offered. Apparently after just half the company did their assessments, it is so bad that they had to cut out the donuts and sodas. Instead, the company will continue to offer bagels, fruit and yogurt. The money they use to subsidize the price of the soda will be used to buy juices — I can only assume these will be high in sugar, but the perception is that juices are more healthy than soda.

I have to admit, this was a little shocking to me. I really look forward to my 2 sausage rolls and twist every Friday. I also look forward to our daily 3:00 p.m. ‘Coke run’ which consists of a large group of us walking down to the vending machine for a Coke. I usually get Coke Zero unless they are out of stock. I was also surprised to hear, though, that they will be keeping coffee, sugar and cream. Coffee isn’t very healthy is it?

The reason I am even typing all of this is not because I am upset. I just have a different outlook on life. Let me explain. Over the past 5 years, I have watched my father die of a brain aneurysm, my mother eaten up by cancer and now my Grandmother thrown in a nursing home only to wait to die. My father was 67. He’d had a stroke a few years earlier. His quality of life diminished significantly over those few years, but he died pretty much instantly.

I was with my mother at the doctors office a few days before Christmas when she was diagnosed with cancer. We cried together, and we both knew it was going to be a rough rode, and it was. I was put through some of the most difficult things I have ever had to experience as I watched my mother be eaten alive by cancer. My sister and I took care of her in her final days, giving her medication, changing her diapers and just sitting with her letting her know how much we loved and appreciated her.

Recently, my Aunt put my Grandmother in a nursing home. My Grandmother will be 93 on Christmas Day. She has some dementia, onset of Alzheimer’s, but is in overall good health. She was put in a nursing home where she will wait to die. She is with people she doesn’t know, sharing a room with a stranger, and eating horrible smelling food. I went to visit her a few weeks ago, and I was heartbroken. I am not sure why my retired, stay-at-home Aunt put her in that home instead of taking care of her own mother, but that is for another conversation. The point I am making is that this nursing home is where my Grandmother will die.

With all of this, can you explain to me why I should eat healthy? Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with hard work and exercise. I have been exercising regularly for a few years now and I feel wonderful. But I still pretty much eat what I want, which is why I am only loosing a pound or two every 3 or 4 weeks. My main point here is that I don’t want to live forever. I want to have a good quality of life, and I don’t want to be to burden my children leaving them to care for me. I was crushed when I lost my parents, and I still struggle with it. At times, I was upset that my Dad didn’t work harder to stay healthy so he could live longer. But when I saw the quality of life of all those people at the nursing home I have changed my mind. I don’t want to die of a heart attack when I’m 40, but I think there is a happy medium.

Anyway, I just wanted to get that off my chest. I am hungry. What’s for lunch? Oh, yeah, Freebird Monday! Woohoo!