There are a lot of folks out here similar to the older gent you speak off...........

Someone I'm very familiar with.....10years ago in April walked into DR's office not really complaining but mentioned to Doc of shortness of breath, Doc said lets have a look and listen, Ah...lets put you on the EKG steup,....AH there is a problem may be serious........lets get you to a cardiologist......3 days later did the whole stress test thing and the final step was the tread mill, DR started the machine shut it down after perhaps a minute...said Please have a seat I'll be back in a few minutes.........she returned said I have spoken with your DR and we have arranged to have you admitted to the ER immediately and I and my ass't will ride with you to the ER......they did...and she waited until the patient was in a bed with a nitro IV drip in the arm. 2 days later on the deck in the Operating room.....one artery 98% blocked another 75% blocked
day later in the recovery room his life changed
2 weeks out of the hospital was walking around the block...a month later on the bike.. was way to soon to be back riding but he felt so good and was a bit of a wiz azz made a spectacular recovery...HMO said new policy.......we pay for gym m'ship so he joined mental and physical condition was so improved the DR began to call him his poster person for bypass recovery and wished all his patients could/would do the same
Asked both DRs about doing a sev months trip riding in Europe both said anything you want to do you can. oh and by the way the test results indicate your body is about 10 years younger that the years indicate, whatever you are doing keep it going
Took bike and gear and rode for almost 4 months in Europe met the nicest folks, had the greatest time ever, returned home in Sept of that year still pumped from riding......loaded bikes and gear in truk and headed to California got to SF rode in the city for several days then headed across the BIG BRIDGE, up that blasted hill at the north end....... had to walk part of it.....watched the hawks soaring, and rode down the other side to almost the waters edge, back into SF and the next day started the ride down the PCH
Spent 11 glorious days riding one of the most beautiful rides in the world, got all the way down to Malibu

Rode the bike longer and kept increasing the load in his back pak as he walked.....then a long buried idea surfaced........that mountain in Africa about which he had dreamed for 20 years to climb became a possiblility when a friend returned and said he had climbed it..........Yeh go and do it,,,,DR and cardioligist both agreed anything he wanted to do was within his capability
So one Sunday afternoon with 2 bags full of gear he left for Africa to climb Kilimanjaro
Had the most patient of guides to lead him.........and one step at a time sometimes the steps were only 6 inches apart but 5 days later at 11PM they started the final climb. 6 1/2 hours later they reached the highest point in Africa, 19345 feet,for a few moments he was standing higher on this earth than anyone else from the Andes in SO America and Denali in Alaska to the high Himalayas in Asia
Could see forever in all directions

Have a dream?......been ill?.......open the front door to the rest of your life
I rather think the old gentleman mentioned in the earlier post did just that

I did it........will never be the same again

When next you see someone bent a bit or walking slowly, smile and offer some encouragement, walk a short while with that person....you may be very pleasantly surprised