Joseph CascianiGeropsychologist, Consultant, Public Speaking, Freelance · Podcast Host of the Living to 100 Club | Clinical Strategies for Senior Residential Settings & Lifestyle Directors | Geropsychologist | Keynote Speaker

Seven Words that Demand Our Awareness: Be Healthy, Be Kind, Respect the Environment

28 Aug 2024 · 1 min

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In this monologue, the speaker recounts the surprising circumstances surrounding the birth of his son when he was 70 years old. Initially, they believed natural conception was unlikely and considered in‑vitro fertilization (IVF) at a clinic in Quito, Ecuador, located in the Andes at about 5,000 feet elevation. The clinic indicated issues with sperm motility, prompting a brief vacation to Florida. Over the nine‑year period surrounding these events, the speaker worked almost continuously, taking only about six to eight weeks of vacation in total, highlighting an intense work‑life balance. The narrative ties these personal experiences to themes explored in his books.

Chapters

The interesting, very interesting thing about my son's birth, which relates to my books, is that we didn't think we could have a child. I was pretty old then. The year he was born, I was 70. And at first, we couldn't generate the pregnancy. We thought we would have to do IVF, in vitro fertilization. And we went to a clinic in Quito, which is north in Ecuador. We were south in the Andes Mountains. At 5,000 feet, we're at an elevation of 5,000 feet with spectacular views. So the vitro fertilization place said, yeah, you need to do this. Sperm is not moving rapidly enough. So we came here for our vacation back to Florida for a very short vacation. I think in the, the 9 years I was there, I must have taken vacation maybe 6, 7, 8 weeks. I was working all the time, pretty much 24/7.