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Category: Early Grave
Bob Welch of Fleetwood Mac’s suicide: back exercise and spinal surgery
Being in the college class of ’76 places me directly in the Bob Welch era of Fleetwood Mac. The albums that Welch performed on and the songs he wrote were often spacious and lush, drawing the listener into another world.
Then the years go by, and it all seems to fade away by the rush of events and other music, until there’s a notice in the news, and your memory gets drawn back. According to news reports, Welch did not feel he was to recover from recent spinal surgery and didn’t want to be a burden to his wife, so he committed suicide at age 66. That’s not young, but it’s a life cut short, and a wife left behind.
A melancholy ending of Bob Welch may serve as a cautionary warning to others. Many of us, now in our 50’s, can’t help but look closely at performers a decade older than us and ponder on how they leave the biggest stage of all. Here are 10 tips for a healthy back. Walking or light jogging helps work out back pain and strengthens muscles. Since the outcome of Welch’s spinal surgery was a failure, those with severe back pain should carefully consider the consequences of surgery.
Prescription drug deaths exceed traffic fatalities: Fentanyl drug lollipops now in the mix
Prescription drugs are deadlier than cars. (emphasis mine)
Among the most commonly abused are OxyContin, Vicodin, Xanax and Soma. A relative newcomer to the scene is Fentanyl, a painkiller that comes in the form of patches and lollipops and is 100 times as powerful as morphine. Such drugs now cause more deaths than heroin and cocaine combined.
Later in the article:
The most commonly abused prescription drug, hydrocodone, also is the most widely prescribed drug in America, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. Better known as Vicodin, the pain reliever is prescribed more often than the top cholesterol drug and the top antibiotic.
Cleaning the medicine cabinet
Are there any unused prescription drugs in your medicine cabinet that could be abused or stolen? A new Indiana law allows Hoosiers to return unused drugs. If a take back programs is not available, the FDA recommends:
- Mix medicines (do NOT crush tablets or capsules) with an unpalatable substance such as kitty litter or used coffee grounds;
- Place the mixture in a container such as a sealed plastic bag; and
- Throw the container in your household trash
Images source: Wikipedia commons
Family history of mom, dad, siblings and life insurance rates
When applying for life insurance, the best kind which requires a blood test, you’re bound to get asked a version of this question: Did your mother, father or a sibling have or die from heart disease or cancer prior to age 60? If unfortunately that’s a yes, and you thought you might qualify for preferred rates, you have to shop a bit harder for the most favorable rates. For a reference guide please check my carrier underwriting guidelines for family history.
Are rate ups due to family members fair? Well, evidence does support a family history of heart attack as hereditary, and certain cancers are associated with genetics. It doesn’t seem fair when bad health habits were the problem. Justified or not, most carriers will stick to their underwriting guidelines, though pleading your case through an agent cover letter can’t hurt.
Fortunately, a few carriers like Lincoln National, John Hancock and ING a family history of cancer is not a factor.
For heart disease prior to age 60, many companies give it a pass. For fatal coronary heart disease of a parent prior to age 60, it is much harder to avoid a rate up, though Principal Life and MassMutual use an overall credit approach where good health can offset a risk factor like family history.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
Judge John J. Carroll III dies at 50
About 5 years ago I took my oldest son to a sign up meeting for cub scouts in Hampstead, NC. Milling around in the back, John Carroll and myself stuck up one of those, do-I-know-you-from-somewhere conversations. We tried a few names and places but nothing registered. It was probably our Irish looks which drew us to recognize some distant but unmistakable kinship. We had a nice conversation. I remember him talking about Iraq and being a judge. He was friendly and unpretentiousness. He was one of those persons who when you first meet ask questions and is really interested in what you had to say.
That was that, and now he’s gone, after a brief illness leaving behind a wife and four children. I asked my son, a 6th grader at Topsail Middle School, if he knew any kids name Carroll. He said yes, Jack Carroll is in his grade, and they had announced Judge Carroll’s passing away over the intercom. I hope Jack is able to remember going to cub scouts with his dad. That fall day 5 years ago, boyhood excitement as in the air, full of plans for being outdoors and weekend camping trips.