BOOK REVIEW: 'Treat Me, Not My Age'
Operating Manual for Boomers and Their Parents -- With Emphasis on Coping with Aging
Reviewed By David M. Kinchen
It's always been a source of aggravation for me that we humans don't come with owner's manuals. I have them for my cameras, even vintage Leicas and Minoxes that are more than 50 years old, as well as instructions of similar vintage for some of the typewriters in my collection. I have a manual for the brand new vacuum broom I just bought, and a thick tome with everything I'll ever want to know about my 2007 Chrysler PT Cruiser -- but nothing to give me advice on what to do as I advance into senior citizenhood (OK, I'm already there!).
Mark Lachs, M.D., has remedied this sorry situation with a wonderfully readable book, "Treat Me, Not My Age: A Doctor's Guide to Getting the Best Care as You or a Loved One Gets Older" (Viking Adult, 400 pages, appendix, index, $27.95). It's the best guidebook to aging gracefully -- or even grumpily -- that I've been able to find and, believe me, I've searched far and wide.
As Lachs, a geriatrician (yes, I said geriatrician!) points out throughout his book in his own words as well as in the form of often very non-politically correct chapter epigraphs (see below), our culture defines the aging process negatively, instead of embracing it as a natural part of life. Nowhere is this problem more pronounced than in our health-care system, where "ageist" medicine often serves to worsen our medical issues instead of helping us figure out how to address or avoid them. Whether we're forty or eighty, what we need is an insider's guide to staying healthy despite the system.
Ageism is so prevalent in medicine that even the doctors making idiotic statements to their patients often don't even know that they're practicing it, says Lachs, who also teaches medicine at Weill Cornell Medical School in New York City. The name rang a bell with me because that's where Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld, a Sunday morning contributor to Fox News, is based. I rarely miss a segment of Dr. Rosenfeld's sage medical advice and recommend his "Sunday Housecalls" without reservation.
First off, I was familiar with pediatricians, who treat babies and young people, but I had rarely encountered the term geriatrician. Gerontologist, yes, but not this new to me term. You'll have to read Dr. Lachs' comprehensive but easy-to-read and understand book to fully understand all that is contained in his medical specialty. There are so few of them that they could adopt the catch phrase about the Marine Corps: "The few, the proud...." Considering the gigantic cohort of baby boomers -- those born between 1946 and 1964 -- in this nation, that's a truly sad commentary on health care.
To get an idea of just how funny much of this book is, I'm quoting in its entirety one of Dr. Lachs' chapter epigraphs:
An elderly woman telephones the hospital. "Can I speak to someone who can tell me how a patient is doing?" she inquires.
"What's the patient's name?" asks the operator.
"Her name is Mildred Stein," the lady replies.
"She's on the fifth floor. Hold on while I connect you with her nurse."
"Can you tell me how Mildred Stein is doing?" the lady asks the nurse.
"She's doing very well. Her blood tests are normal, her X-rays are better, and her doctor plans to discharge her in the morning."
"Wonderful news!" the old lady says. "Thank you so much. I'm so relieved."
"You're welcome," says the nurse. "Are you a relative?"
"No," says the lady. "I'm Mildred Stein and nobody here tells me shit."
Based on 25 years of medical practice, Mark Lachs takes his readers on a grand tour of adult medicine, showing how we can navigate a complex and confusing system to make the best choices for ourselves and our loved ones. With humor and wisdom, Lachs explains how being proactive and making smart decisions can lay the groundwork for a satisfying, active lifestyle that lasts well into later life. You'll find out:
* How to identify the right primary care doctor, specialist, or care facility
* Why the hospital is no place for sick people
* How to make home improvements that will keep the nursing home at bay
* Why small life changes in your forties can lead to an extra decade of good health later on
* What to think about when planning financially for your future health
I wish I had this book to read during my recent hospitalization to place two stents in my cardiac arteries. It would have given me a hint at the reason why I was awakened from a sound sleep at 3 a.m. by a technician wanting a blood sample and my blood pressure. (Dr. Lachs gives no answer about the ridiculous gowns that patients are given to wear, the kind that often leaves your rear elevation open to everyone as you walk down the corridor.
There's a truly delightful ending discussing the famous saying -- attributed to both composer and musician Eubie Blake (1883-1983) and baseball Hall-of-Famer Mickey Mantle (1932-1996): "Had I known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself." Lachs compares and contrasts the two men's attitudes toward life. It's a parable that many people can identify with.
"Treat Me, Not My Age" is a book for the ages, and for people of all ages. After all, boomer Lachs is probably considered an old guy by his teen-age sons and daughter.
Publisher's website: www.penguin.com