222 THE CHINA STUDY
minor difficulties in keeping your thoughts in order to serious degen-
eration, the food you eat can drastically affect the likelihood of mental
decline.
The diseases I've covered in this chapter take a heavy toll on most of
us in our later years, even though they may not be fatal. Because they
are not usually fatal, many people afflicted with these illnesses still live
a long life. Their quality of life, however, deteriorates steadily, until the
illness renders them largely dependent on others and unable to function
in most capacities.
I've talked to so many people who say, "I may not live as long as
you health nuts, but I sure am going to enjoy the time I have by eating
steaks whenever I want, smoking if I so choose and doing anything else
that I want." I grew up with these people, went to school with these
people and made great friends with these people. Not long ago, one of
my best friends suffered a difficult surgery for cancer and spent his last
years paralyzed in a nursing home. During the many visits I made to the
nursing home, I never failed to come away with a deep appreciation for
the health I still possess in myoId age. It was not uncommon for me to
go to the nursing home to visit my friend and hear that one of the new
patients in the home was someone whom my friend and I knew from
our earlier days. Too often, they had Alzheimer's and were housed in a
special section of the facility.
The enjoyment of life, especially the second half of life, is greatly
compromised if we can't see, if we can't think, if our kidneys don't work
or if our bones are broken or fragile. I, for one, hope that I am able to
fully enjoy not only the time in the present, but also the time in the fu-
ture, with good health and independence.