Seriously, though I SWORE in my 30’s I would never turn into the medicine and illness queen in my 70s. In my 50s here and multiple family illnesses have me prescription-comparing at the dinner table. Your life turns on a dime.

I would much rather discuss puss and bile than hear about how great trump is........

more doctor visits, more things going wrong, more preventive procedures, more medications, more friends with illnesses, etc.


may you live long enough for this to happen to you, too.

I agree with you!

about the same I'd be happy. It's cancer every other ad, kick-the-bucket burial insurances, and all the drugs that will extend your life a week if the side effects don't kill you first. Ugh. Makes the actual news seem upbeat.

I've tried changing the subject, checking out of the conversation. She seems to enjoy talking about this stuff. But other than that, a really wonderful person. So I sympathize with you. Maybe just ask her if she could hold off until after the meal?

I have another friend who loves to talk politics and so do I. But I made them agree that we would not discuss anything trumpft related during meals.

on what you’re used to. My father was a doctor and my mother a nurse. We talked illness and bodily fluids at dinner my entire growing up life. My sister and I still do, but we try to keep it down when company is there.

Can you politely suggest that you'd rather not talk about diseases while you're eating? Ick!

"Hearing about cancer is very distressing to me, so I'll have to excuse myself." Then I'd take my plate and head for the computer or TV room and watch something I'd like.

No way would I let something like that ruin a nice meal.

Mom would take us to visit for two weeks every summer and inevitably soon after we arrived my grandmother would catch my mother up on who died, how they died, who was sick; car accidents,lightening strikes, etc., etc. Instead of upsetting or finding it gruesome, my sister and I were absolutely fascinated. The more details the better.

is a lot more relevant than the gossip amongst younger folks which centers around who's sleeping with who?

Death approaches and sex retreats?

(Not that old myself yet, but it seems to make sense.)

An added benefit must be that when you're talking about your peers dying rather than your peers having sex, you don't feel jealous; you feel lucky!

I worked with nurses for a year and almost every lunch hour was filled with stories about patient X having this condition or the latest on patient Y's virulent illness (sometimes diarrhea). They just seemed immune to it all while wolfing down their meals.