Statistically speaking, there is a break point that at which it becomes more and more unlikely that you will die. Look at the obituaries in the paper. You see plenty of people in their 70's and 80's passing away, a few in the 90's, very dang few 100 yrs old. When someone over 110 years old dies, it is so noteworthy that it is on the national news. I infer that at a certain point you become old enough, you literally can't die.
I screwed up my lower back in my late 20's. Twenty years ago, I was told by an orthopedic surgeon I was a heck of a candidate for back surgery despite being in my early 30's. He handed me a pad of paper and told me to write down the 5 things I loved most doing. He said I could put down anything I wanted. I was supposed to go home and think about that list, and when I was down to the last two activities, I was supposed to come back to see him. I got 4 left. I have since found a good chiropractor that ain't into witch doctoring and pseudo-sciences. Now and then my knees bark at me, but for the most part it all functions within spec.
