My first rule of longevity is: don’t die. When people ask us, Where is the best place to live? I remind them that the view may be nice, but what happens if you need some serious medical attention quickly? Having a stroke? You have around 30 minutes to get to a hospital with a cath lab and qualified staff attending if you want anything like a good outcome. Jackson, Wyoming is an incredible place, but if you are in a car accident crushing your pelvis, the chances of you surviving the hour-and-thirty-minute life-flight to the nearest level 1 trauma center are not so good, and that assumes you can get a helicopter with trained pilots and nurses.
Bad stuff happens, which doesn’t mean that we should all be agoraphobic, but it does mean if one is thinking of setting up a home and spending a lot of time in one place, one may want to first investigate the available healthcare. The more time spent in a place, the greater the odds of something critical happening. Spending a couple of weeks in Africa? Sure, go for it. But if one is moving to a place and spending years there one may want to consider this.
I have learned to put the distance to a major medical facility at the top of my list, over any lifestyle advantages. Of course, there are plenty of Level 1 or 2 trauma centers and cath labs around the world so it is not as if one is all that constrained. Here in Park City, some people engage in semi-risky past times, myself included. There are three top-level trauma centers a 15-minute copter flight down the hill in Salt Lake City. I don’t plan on ever taking that flight, but it is good to know if the shit comes down, they will come for me.
Next question: What kind of car should you drive? Answer: The one most likely to survive a head-on collision with a truck. Remember the first rule, don’t die, then we can talk about health-improving strategies. Life is wonderful, and embracing risk is part of being alive. Don’t avoid all risk, just use your risk allotment wisely. So let’s live the fullest we can, and the longest we can, and if something bad happens, it will be best if there are skilled people there to take care of us.
Onward and upward,
David
