Lusty: Love, Understanding, and Sympathy to You

By Steve Reep

This book covers age 35-65 with the same theme of aging and is part of a trilogy. The growing family should enjoy life and live lusty, hence the name of the book. A persons best years will come in the period of age 35-65. So live Lusty, you may never have it this good again, even with a long life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Oct 30, 2013
• ISBN: 9781491813683

Steve Reep

Steve Reep has a successful book for his first effort. It was “Go to Hull” which gave the details of how to fly the Lake Amphibian airplane. After a year, the rights to the book were sold to the Seaplane Pilots Association. The next book he wrote was “LASTAG”. This book was basically written for his descendents. It is the first book in a trilogy. The next book is this one named “Lusty”. Again for Steve Reep’s descendents. The third book has been started. It will be “Age Well” and cover a person’s years from 65 to 100. Can you believe that there are 70 descendants at this time?

Book preview

CHAPTER 35

I recently finished writing a book for my grandkids. It was named Lastag. This is an acronym for Love And Suggestions To A Grandchild. Chapter one was suggestions for a one year old. Chapter 20 was for 20 years old. This book covered some of the pitfalls and excitements of growing up and starting a family. It carried possible experiences through the age of 34. This is because it seemed to me that good judgment, a handful of success, and wonderful health had just peaked at that age.

However, at 35, if there is any normal down turn in any of these exciting experiences, the slippage is too slight to notice at that time.

So this book, Lusty, Love, Understanding, and Sympathy To You, will start where Lastag left off. Lusty begins with age and chapter 35 and what you may experience as you reach this midpoint. I will attempt to guide you through adapting to your teenagers, middle age, menopause, and the beginning of being a senior citizen (old age is waiting in the wings).

So let’s look at this age 35. If your run to first base is a step slower now, you’ll still have some compensation. You know more than you did a year ago. Knowledge and memories are of extreme value. In fact, without them you are nothing.

As is my wont, I will not give advice, but I do have a head full of suggestions. Feel free to try any of my suggestions that float your boat.

Some of these suggestions are based on knowledge of what worked for someone else. Some are things that worked for me, and some are based on things that I wish I hadn’t tried. So knowledge can come from some wonderful and some not so wonderful experiences.

If you drink and drive and survive to go to jail, pay a fine, and get your name in the paper, you have gained some knowledge. It can be easier learned, reading of some other drunk. You really don’t have to sample every life experience firsthand.

Even if you are careful you can get banged up. It is easy to pick up a cut doing ordinary things. If you cut yourself, grab the pepper shaker. Put pepper on the cut. Now, now, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. First run cold water over the cut to clean it. If you were cutting meat, use soap as well. Then sprinkle the pepper and apply pressure. Voilà the bleeding will stop. Pepper is not only a pain killer, but an antiseptic (that doesn’t sting). Just tell the audience that one of the spice girls taught you this trick also.

By now your children are about half grown. One way you can tell they are approaching or are within their teenage years is that you are losing your hair color. Only now do you realize as you look back at your parents, that their hair turned grey when you were at the age of your kids now. And here you had thought that your parents were so old in their middle thirties that they were greying normally. You didn’t in those days, wonder why your bachelor uncle was still dark-headed.

Fortunately you are actually still quite young and very vigorous. It’s a good thing because you need reserves to handle your sleep patterns. When your kids are spending a weekend with their grandparents you can sleep ten hours (catch-up time). When they are out on a date and it’s midnight and their curfew was 11:00pm and there is no sign of them, you are wide awake in the middle of the night. The kid will have lost a watch and his or her fourth cell phone. Late arrival, not their fault. Aren’t you glad you’re still energetic as you go through the grounding lecture?

At 35 it is a little more difficult for women to get pregnant. Their time clock for having babies is beginning to slow down and between 40 and 45 it will cease running. A woman’s period after 40 becomes erratic and she may still have a late life baby (and be in her 60’s before her child leaves home.) The 60’s is an age when parents that had their children while mommy and daddy were still young are now playing with their half-grown grandchildren.

Every now and then you will run across a family with some late teenagers and a very young child and the parents are back into diaper changing and PTA meetings. It’s not all bad raising a surprise. It’s just that it seems that it takes the rest of your life, at least that’s what’s left of your energy or what was supposed to be your retirement time.

The other flip of the coin is to be infertile and never have a child. Trust me, adoption will fulfill your life and develop a baby into your child. It is more important to be a parent than it is to father or mother a baby.

Infertility is not a democratic mishap. It skips around. There are things that may help like a man wearing looser undies or pants. Or extra rest (vacation?) for both wannabe parents. Even so a man produces 1500 sperm with each heartbeat. You’d think it should never be a problem.

One out of five couples show some sort of infertility. One third to one half of the time the problem is with the male. Doctors now have a technique where a special acid is put in a petri dish and healthy sperm stick to the acid while the inferior cells are washed away. There is a 20% greater chance of having a girl than a boy with this procedure.

Also, there are worse problems than infertility that can fall upon a couple. Cancer could strike either of them. DES babies, (their mothers took anti-miscarriage drug, diethylstilbestrol.) Now that these children are grown they often have miscarriages or infertility in the girls and testicular cancer in the boys. The drug DES seemed like a good idea at the time, but the babies that made it are not always healthy specimens. Both now grown men and women with DES mothers should use a monthly feel check for cancer of their sex organs and let their doctor know of possible threat.

If a woman finds a lump in her breast, it will definitely be traumatic. Her husband, boyfriend, or whoever she needs and confides in cannot allay her worry. A man will feel for her but he does no good with pep talks or hang tough talks, We’ll heal this. In the long run this will only hinder communications. He should let her talk and not end these talks with motivational speeches. He has to with a positive attitude but not a false sense of assurance.

Listening and showing her that you understand her feelings will probably be the greatest help a helpmate can give.

Men should avoid stating I didn’t marry you for your breasts. Let her know that it’s the whole girl that he loves. He can even let her know that he’s scared too. Even this can make her stronger.

She is having a rough time, more than her mate may understand. Do not try acting. Be genuine in hurting with her. Younger women generally don’t have breast cancer, but the possibility is always there.

Men of 35 are not likely to get breast cancer or prostate cancer. These are afflictions of late middle or old age so we’ll look into that in a later chapter. However, a 35 year old is not immune to testicular cancer, so keep up the in shower check-ups.

There is a hurt that is not as serious as cancer, but can really slow a person down. This is plantar fasciitis. It can happen at any age but can easily nail off and on exercises like weekend walking or running catch up exercises. There is a thin band of ligaments that runs the length of the foot. A pounding or sudden movement on a foot that has not been exercised (warmed up) can cause it to sprain. Not good. It’s painful and causes a lousy limp (been there, done that). In my case it took about two months of babying the foot and forgoing my walking exercises.

Another helpful procedure to relieve a hurt foot is to roll a frozen juice can back and forth under the arch of the foot. Use light pressure, don’t stress the foot. Do this for one minute. Take a two or three minute break and repeat this four or five times. This gently stretches the ligaments while icing them. You won’t have to be told, you will know if you have plantar fasciitis.

At 35, the interest in longevity becomes more acute. There’s no more of the teenage statement, I’ll never reach 30, no more of the attitude, I’m just too reckless to live that long, I’m a real heller. Everybody is supposed to be amazed at this knowledge or at least the statement. As 35 shows up, common sense and a desire for a long life, rears its magnificent head.

While 35 in general pretends excellent health, whatever is eventually going to do you in is gaining a toehold. It could be a small spot on the lung, cholesterol beginning a blockage, or the slightest bulge of an aneurism.

The cutting edge of medicine now uses tomography to examine the whole body. The body is slowly moved through the machine (somewhat similar to an MRI scanner), to see the whole body in slices. All organs, skin, bone, the whole shooting match is examined in thin slices and in 3D.

This new technique will replace invasive examinations of all kinds. Nobody said it would be cheap. But it will save lives as advanced treatments can be noted to take place before there are even symptoms of a problem way down the road. A pin head size of cholesterol can be spotted before it is a problem. The same size kidney stone will show. Spring water for drinking may flush it out before it has time to grow. The proof will be in the next scan in the following year.

There is a three to four month waiting period for an appointment. Age 35 is advised to be ideal to establish a base line. For more information on this procedure call Health View at 888-724-8439.

As long as we are looking at phone numbers, here is one that you might want to pass on to a friend that may be in deep, dangerous trouble. More women are beat up by men, and the children are also endangered. On occasion a woman will abuse a man and maybe children. Calling a toll free number will put you in contact with a counselor who helps the abused person formulate an escape plan. The number is 1-400-799-7233.

Most men and women like to sleep together. But if one snores of thrashes the bed, a little distance or separate beds may be the answer to a good night’s sleep. Sometimes all it takes is a larger bed. Often a little distance after the cuddling can give a good night’s sleep. Don’t force one of the bed partners to get up tired. If they are worn out from a sleepless night, they’ll burn breakfast or fall asleep at their desk at work. They could end up with everybody having a charcoal taste in their mouth or having to look for another job.

Young lady, you are now 35. You might be a wannabe mother who has never had kids or you may want more than you already have but the system doesn’t seem to be working anymore.

Here’s something you can try. It might help, and if it doesn’t help it won’t hurt. It has been found that taking aspirin (100mg) along with a fertility drug has raised the odds of pregnancy by 40%. It’s because of aspirin’s ability to increase blood flow into the ovaries.

There is another method (so far, unproven) for a helpful increase of blood flow in women wanting to get pregnant. The blue pill Viagra, crushed and put into a vaginal suppository will increase the blood flow in the uterus and can aid the start of a pregnancy. Women shouldn’t be swallowing Viagra as a man does, but she could at least discuss the crushed pill with her doctor (doctors don’t know everything, so don’t be afraid of a second opinion).

Here are a few words for your dating daughter. If she meets a guy who has no close friends, if he never hangs out with the guys, she had better escape. Run like you’re doing the 100 meter dash. A man who is not accepted by other men should cause a red flag reaction in her.

If you have small children and you are thinking of having their tonsils removed—think hard. Contrary to all of the people who have had it done, it probably should not have been done. A study at the Pittsburg Children’s Hospital finds that as a rule surgery doesn’t reduce the risk of severe infections so the benefit of having tonsils removed is little. Besides, tonsils are for gathering the infection to prevent it from spreading. Maybe Mother Nature knew what she was doing when she gave us that protection.

Here’s a throw away tip for that grease on your garage floor. The stains can be scrubbed away with a mixture of two parts powdered laundry detergent, two parts baking soda, and one part household bleach. Then rinse it with a hose. A flat piece of cardboard from a shipping box on the spot can absorb the next dripping and save another scrubbing.

As a healthy young mother that watches over her family, don’t forget to keep track of how your body is operating. Symptoms of a woman having a heart attack are way more subtle than they are in a man. Because of this, research has shown that possibly 3 million women have had heart attacks that were not spotted by their doctors. A woman’s symptoms may be coming on for a few weeks. Breathing may be harder. Fatigue shows up. There is a listlessness to do everyday chores. There may be early morning nausea. But she doesn’t really feel sick. After these days of warnings, the heart may stop and the lady never even makes it to the hospital.

Do not be afraid of having a check-up if you are slowing down, young lady. There is nothing wrong with a second opinion. Doctors are not perfect. We only get one shot at life. Make it a bullseye.

If you wish to have a baby before the alarm on your time clock clangs and if you are trying but are unable to conceive consider this. Secondhand smoke may be your problem. It is up to you to avoid secondhand smoke at work, play, or home. Good luck, but be firm if it will help.

If you already have the kids and don’t need anymore, remember that secondhand smoke will lower their grades and cause more cavities than normal in children. A new study shows that a child breathing secondhand smoke has nearly double the risk of cavities. Researchers have found that a certain bacteria introduced into a child’s mouth produces a lactic acid that causes tooth decay. The bacteria can come from any number of things a child may put in their mouth. Even a mother’s kiss can be a trigger for the secondhand smoke problem with cavities. Also, the secondhand smoke reduces the body’s ability to fight infection including colds and tooth decay.

If you are at child bearing age and haven’t as yet started any family and plan to, but as a future mother come up with cancer, you can still have a baby with egg freezing, timing, and getting the cancer treated. Women’s Health magazine covers the procedure well in the June 2010 issue in several pages starting on page 128. You can get back copies using the internet at womenshealthmag.com or write to them at the main office, 733 third ave, NY, New York 10017-3204 or call customer service 1-800-324-1731. I’ll look for you in the nursery.

If you have genital herpes but your partner does not, you can have your doctor prescribe once a day Valtrex. It can keep your partner protected. Do your part in preventing the condition from spreading.

So this is what your year at age 35 may entail. You will struggle some financially ( as you will for most of your life), you will still be quite concerned with sex, raising kids, keeping the house up, problems at work, an occasional health problem, and yes, even scrubbing the garage floor. Is it all worth it? You bet it is! You are strong, basically healthy, and you know even a lot more than you did five years ago. Go ahead and live lusty. You’ve earned it. Mistakes and success both, life is a blast.

CHAPTER 36

It was a gentle slide, wasn’t it? It seemed to take no effort to slip from 35 to 36. It was a much bigger deal turning 16 and again when you became 21. But now you don’t feel any different than you did at 35 or even 34 for that matter. Every birthday that can be easily be divided by ten makes you check in the mirror, however. I flew as an airline captain at age 40 and it startled me as my pink-cheeked flight attendant called me sir. As I moved along at age 40 I realized I was as old as my two flight attendants put together. Girls of that age used to smile at me. I became a little paranoid and wondered if they were now laughing at me.

However, that’s four years in your future. Let’s see how you stack up as a 36 year old. Be careful if you were a track star. Don’t challenge an eighth grade track star. When you finally reach the finish line you’ll find the eighth grader standing there drinking a coke. Just mention that you were outstanding, don’t try to prove it at 36.

This whole downward slope as we age is slippery (you are not likely to climb back up the hill, even if it seems slight). The slippage is so gentle and insidious. It is also irreversible.

Now you are not in trouble as a retired track star. Your present position is an upper aged young person. However, in the long run the body will age and darn well let you know it. You have your car’s oil changed and joints lubricated. Your car will last longer and give you less trouble. That body of yours will need attention especially further down the road. But rather than letting a little rust gain a foothold, a little preventative care on your body will forestall earlier and bigger problems in the future.

Some things that you are doing now could send you to the doctor. For instance, trying to clean your ears with Q-tips could shove wax deeper and can even damage tubes or an ear drum (that can smart). Flushing the ear with mineral oil, an ear insert fitting squeeze bulb can loosen up any annoying chunks of wax. The drugstore carries eardrop kits. If you still have a problem, have the doctor clean your ears. Your biggest problem is getting a doctor’s appointment before it becomes an old age problem.

Take a walk after dinner. Don’t lie down until an hour after you are done walking. If you lie down too soon stomach acids will ease into your throat and burn (or even cause you to lose the meal). If you don’t wait a period after eating to lift weights, you may have the same discomfort. I thought I’d just bring that up before the stomach did.

The Heimlich maneuver can save lives. Remember, stand behind a choking person, put your left hand as a fist just under the breast bone, and use the right hand to give it hard shoves. Of course, this is to suddenly expel the air in the lungs and force the choking object up and out of the windpipes. Lifeguards even do this before they start CPR. They have a 90% success record by expelling water in the windpipe first.

Men do not have as much difficulty in breaking a narcotic habit. It’s tough but more men than women get off the cigarette addiction. This has caused the death age of men to increase from being eight to only four years different from women as an average in the United States. Women are just wired differently and are more easily addicted to problems than men. These addictions can be anything from gambling or nail biting to booze, drugs, or cigarettes. There is progress in the cigarette addiction cure, more so for men than women.

The prescription drug, naltrexone, used in combination with behavioral therapy and nicotine patches helped women (there were no changes for men) by 50% to quit smoking. Check with your doctor if this is a problem for you.

The male equivalent to feeling childbirth pain is trying to pass a kidney stone. A man will think he’s on fire as a little rock gets stuck in the passage from the kidneys to the bladder. These rocks are made from chemicals from various foods the guy has eaten and they clot together in the kidneys. They can be broken up by ultrasound if they are too large to pass. The sand or stone will be examined by the doctor and diet change and medicine may prevent another internal bonfire.

Actually each glass of beer on a daily basis will reduce the risk of a kidney stone by 40%. It may be that hops keeps calcium from building up. But don’t become a freak at the sideshow. There are too many fatties now. Just enough beer to keep from getting stoned will do. Remember that Benjamin Franklin said, God made beer to prove that he loves us.

Another thing that can bite you as you’re getting older is a blood clot in the leg (been there, done that, too). The blood in the upper part of our body circulates fairly well. The legs don’t do as well. This is one reason for using walking as a planned exercise; it can be life-saving. Muscular legs tend to pump and circulate blood in the lower half of the body (working against gravity) and move the blood back to the heart and lungs. This movement of blood prevents pooling and formation of clots which can become crippling or deadly.

Long flights in coach have killed people. Get up and take a stroll occasionally, and if it is possible do tensing exercises of the feet, then calves, then thighs. It may save your life. It is generally believed that crowding in the coach section with lack of movement causes blood clots in the legs. However, there is now some theory that recirculated air, or the lack of oxygen, may be either the cause or contributing factor. At this writing it is still under investigation. There are more people in coach than in first class and the oxygen in coach may be used up or diminished faster than your wealthier fellow travelers in the front of the airplane.

I personally knew a man that had had a broken ankle repaired. He had screws in his foot. He rode