OLD MAN LUNCH

About Old Man Lunch

In October of 2023, Matt Allen, one of my oldest and closest friends was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s at the age of 55. He was given eight years, but life expectancy can range from three to 20 years with Alzheimer’s.

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When a doctor puts a timeframe on someone’s life, it tends to bring things into focus which is how Old Man Lunch was born. Your hosts, Mark Vallet (me), Matt Allen, and Brad Nilles decided they needed to spend more time together, crank out some ski trips, have some fun with old friends, and make some memories while Matt’s disease progresses.

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I have always loved Old Man Lunches (or Old Lady Lunches), those groups of old men you see in diners and bars, sitting around a table having breakfast, lunch or just nursing a coffee or a beer while discussing old age, health problems, or politics.

I always imagined having an Old Man Group when I was older, but Matt’s illness has pushed our timeline. We plan on having a couple of lunches a month, going on some trips with old friends, and continue our yearly ski trip, all of which we will record for the podcast.

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However, this is not just a podcast about Alzheimer’s, we will be covering several topics as well as simply talking about our lives, and what is going on in the world. Some episodes will be dedicated to just Matt’s disease and its impact, and I hope to have medical experts, friends, family, and other Alzheimer’s patients as guests.

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We will also investigate the importance of friendship at all ages. According to the Surgeon General, there is a loneliness epidemic in this country, and we are hopeful that Old Man Lunches (or Old Lady Lunches) can help. We hope to interview other old-person groups to get tips on how to get your own Old Man or Old Lady group started.

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Finally, we will be reminiscing about skiing and retelling stories of our misspent youth, hoping that this podcast can serve as a record that our friends, family, and children can listen to in the future.

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This bi-monthly podcast will be rated explicit due to swearing, and possible sexual content as well as dealing with sensitive subjects such as death and fatal diseases. It will be both emotional and funny if everything goes to plan.