Tank Tops Flip Flops Newsletter edition no. 64

A good friend of mine sent me this in response to the Life is Short newsletter and I thought I should share it with everyone

Mikey,

You are not at Winter yet but after reading your todays “Flip-Flops and Tank Tops” issue I thought you might like this……………

AND THEN IT IS WINTER…

THIS IS RIGHT ON THE NOSE. …….READ IT SLOWLY… I DON’T KNOW WHO WROTE IT, BUT I AM GUESSING IT WAS A SENIOR!!! I FIRST STARTED READING THIS EMAIL & WAS READING FAST UNTIL I REACHED THE THIRD SENTENCE. I STOPPED AND STARTED OVER READING SLOWER AND THINKING ABOUT EVERY WORD. THIS EMAIL IS VERY THOUGHT-PROVOKING. MAKES YOU STOP AND THINK.

AND THEN IT IS WINTER You know. . . time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years.

It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate. Yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all. I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams. But, here it is… the winter of my life and it catches me by surprise…How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my youth go?

I remember well seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like. But, here it is…my friends are retired and getting grey…they move slower and I see an older person now. Some are in better and some worse shape than me…but, I see the great change….Not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant…but, like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we’d be.

Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not a treat anymore… it’s mandatory! Cause if I don’t on my own free will… I just fall asleep where I sit!

And so…now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did!

But, at least I know, that though the winter has come, and I’m not sure how long it will last…this I know, that when it’s over on this earth…it’s NOT over. A new adventure will begin!

Yes, I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn’t done…things I should have done, but indeed, there are many things I’m happy to have done. It’s all in a lifetime.

So, if you’re not in your winter yet…let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life please do it quickly! Don’t put things off too long!

Life goes by quickly. So, do what you can today, as you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not! You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life…so, live for today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember…and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done for them in all the years past!

“Life” is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to those who come after. Make it a fantastic one.

LIVE IT WELL! ENJOY TODAY! DO SOMETHING FUN! BE HAPPY! HAVE A GREAT DAY!

REMEMBER….

“It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.
“LIVE HAPPY IN THIS YEAR AND EVERY YEAR!
LASTLY, CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING:
TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE SO – ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS.

~Your kids are becoming you…….
~Going out is good.. Coming home is better!
~You forget names…. But it’s OK because other people forgot they even knew you!!!
~You realize you’re never going to be really good at anything.
~The things you used to care to do, you no longer care to do, but you really do care that you don’t care to do them anymore.
~You sleep better on a lounge chair with the TV blaring than in bed. It’s called “pre-sleep”.
~You miss the days when everything worked with just an “ON” and “OFF” switch..
~You tend to use more 4 letter words … “what?”…”when?”… “what?” . ???
~Now that you can afford expensive jewelry, it’s not safe to wear it anywhere.
~You notice everything they sell in stores is “sleeveless”?!!!
~What used to be freckles are now liver spots.
~Everybody whispers.
~You have 3 sizes of clothes in your closet…. 2 of which you will never wear.
~But Old is good in some things: Old Songs, Old movies, and best of all, OLD FRIENDS!!

Stay well, “OLD FRIEND!” Send this on to other “Old Friends!” and let them laugh in AGREEMENT!!!
It’s Not What You Gather, But What You Scatter That Tells What Kind Of Life You Have Lived.

Costa Rica Medical Tourism 

With great pleasure we present to you a Guest Blog post that talks about an issue near and dear to everyone’s hearts…

THE HIGH COST OF MEDICAL CARE IN THE UNITED STATES!

As locals we know first hand that Costa Rica provides good and sometimes better health care than what is available in North America.  The cost of health care in Costa Rica is also significantly less than North America and Europe – sometimes up to 70% cheaper.

Why doesn’t everyone come down to Costa Rica for Health Care then, you ask? 

The answer is – We Don’t Know! 

Why you wouldn’t want to get the same or better level of care for cheaper AND be able to convalesce on some of the nicest beaches and resort and hotel facilities in the entire world.

Obviously those of us lucky enough to live in Costa Rica already know how good we have it over our Northern Neighbors for cost and quality of health care.

Well our Guest blogger Kenneth Wilson, Ph.D and his company Medical Traveler Costa Rica have dedicated themselves to showing their clients that there is a better alternative to paying exorbitant health care bills.

Here is their story…

Welcome to Medical Traveler Costa Rica. We specialize in providing medical travel facilitation services to individuals looking for affordable, high-quality medical and dental care as well as medical travel programs for employers interested in optimizing healthcare benefits.

Medical Traveler Costa Rica was founded by a team of seasoned professionals with more than 60 years of combined experience in medicine and business. Our management team includes a Kenneth Wilson an experienced Ph.D. and Douglas Leland a Fortune 50 international business executive, complemented by a staff of experienced facilitation specialists. 

We bring together our unique and diverse knowledge in the service of our clients to find the highest quality healthcare services available from the most qualified physicians at the best possible prices.

Medical Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries worldwide.  According to a study by Deloite and Touche the annual growth rate for medical tourism is between 10-15% for the next 5 years.  Costa Rica medical tourism is booming, treating over 48,000 international patients a year.  Medical travel continues to play an important role in the health care industry and local economies.

The primary driver behind this growth is simple. Significantly lower costs, combined with faster and easier access and an overall higher level of quality. The cost savings can be as high as 90%, and on average is between 50% to 70% depending on the medical procedure and the medical tourism destination. 

We are also seeing a shift in corporate benefit programs. U.S. employers, like PepsiCo, Lowes and Wal-Mart, “are modifying their benefit structure to incentivize their employees to seek the most effective care at their local airport, rather than their local hospital. The reasons include cost and better outcomes

What makes Costa Rica medical tourism stand out?

Quality Medical Care:  Costa Rica has invested heavily in healthcare over the past two decades, resulting in a large number of highly educated and experienced qualified physicians covering the complete spectrum of medical specialties and three JCI accredited hospitals.  Many people do not realize that Costa Rica ranks 36th on the World Health Organizations healthcare quality indices, ahead of the United States and 1st by a wide margin in Central America.

Affordable Prices:  Advancements in modern medicine are evolving rapidly and offer the promise of dramatically extending and improving the quality of our lives. Unfortunately the rising costs of medical care makes many life enhancing procedures prohibitively expensive. Costa Rica is helping address this need, offering medical services costing 50% to 70% less than the same procedure in North American hospital and putting life changing medical within the reach of more people. 

Location: Costs Rica has many advantages over other medical tourism destinations when it comes to fast and easy travel. No medical traveler looks forward to long trans-oceanic flights, onerous customs and immigration policies and long lines. The combination of readily available direct flights from major American travel hubs, simple customs and immigration policies means the majority of medical tourists can arrive at their destination within a few hours of travel without changing time zones and no customs and immigration hassles.

Spectacular Travel Destination:  And when it comes to the vacation part of your trip, Costa Rica stands well above the rest. Whether you’re enjoying time with your family before the procedure or enjoying a relaxing recovery in one of our exotic locations, Costa Rica has everything you are looking for in a world class tourist destination. There’s a good reason why the New York Times ranks Costa Rica as a top tourist destination for 2012 and why Costa Rica ranks #1 on the New Economic Forums Happy Planet Index. A temperate climate, beautiful flora and fauna, rich biodiversity, incredibly geography and a pristine coastline on the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans offer something amazing for everyone.

At Medical Traveler Costa Rica we understand that medical tourism is a life changing decision made more complicated and confusing by the volume of conflicting information available. This is a decision you no longer need to make alone. 

We provide comprehensive information on the complete range of dental, cosmetic, orthopedic, bariatric and ophthalmologic medical services available. Our knowledgeable Costa Rica Medical Tourism specialists will guide you through the process and answer all your questions. 

Our physicians are among the best in the country, board certified and equally experienced as their peers in the United States and Canada.  And we will work closely with you to find the best physician for you needs.

We will also assist you and your friends or family in booking a room in a peaceful recovery retreat, where your post-operative condition can be professionally monitored and special customized diets are available. 

We guarantee you will receive the finest care and attention before, during and after your visit.

Our goal is to make the process incredibly easy.

Contact

www.medicaltravelercr.com