I will guess that there are those among us who don't yet fool old, but, if you feel old, when did you first realize that you were old? Was it something you were doing or trying to do, disease or other condition you were going through, something someone said, or something else? How old were you then?
I'll start. For me, it was probably about five or six years ago, when I started having dreams in which I needed to run but couldn't run very fast, as well as dreams of being confused or incompetent. Since then, these types of dreams have become fairly common. In real life, there haven't been many instances in which I felt confused or incompetent, except for sometimes having trouble thinking of a word, but it is true that I can't run very well anymore. When our nephew came to live with us at the age of twelve, I was about sixty, and I could outrun him at that time. Sometime between then and now, I lost that ability.
I don't particularly feel old, but I logically know that I am. I do move a little slower than I used to. It still surprises me to study myself in the mirror; in my mind's eye I'm still 40 or so. Since I lost all my hair to chemo, it has grown back and without help from Revlon is totally silver/gray. Sometimes I think about coloring it again but it's not like I'm going to turn back time with darker hair.
I realize that it was a typo but your first sentence is still a pertinent statement which might be interpreted in a less educated way as someone who thinks they can “fool” old. Through all the workouts, supplements and all the other game changers I am doing, I can’t fool that which is inevitable. I have to take extra supplements to offset the natural inclination of my aging body to reduce certain chemical activities. I bruise easier and on the emotional level, I’m less patient plus my desire to bake and shake has given way to the practice of procrastination. All that said, I do not necessarily “Feel” old and in some ways i still feel fairly young but there is no getting away from that wrinkled face in the mirror. I guess, in answer to the question though is when UPS showed up a couple of months ago and the new driver offered to help me lift a 40# bag of dog food to the door, I realized that since there are others who think I’m old and need help, I must be old. Now that I think about it, there’s been a lot of people who have offered to help me as of late. May God bless their pea pickin’ hearts.
I knew I was old when my knees stopped turning, bending or otherwise working. There was a time I was a world class sprinter, my first year in RVN I slept about 150 feet from my aircraft and always never a different night, the mortar rounds and 75 recoiless rounds came in on time at 1am to 2am, never after that time. You have a lot of incentive to reach your aircraft so you can get airborne and stop the rounds from coming in. All of us were so fast we actually killed a two man crew on a mortar location and landed and stole their tube. It pays to log all past firing positions on our operations map. You can hear the direction of the incoming rounds when they leave the tube. I don't think they ever realized that. Today I have a hard time going down and coming up 4 steps without falling on my face and elbows. Now I have a total of 6 un owned cats outside I choose to help survive and they all love me or the food ! and they are under my feet so it makes it a challenge maneuvering those steps without killing myself and the cats. 40 tonight so I stopped what I was doing a few minutes ago and built a nice cat box water proof and insulated with solid foam, now with a nice opening on the front. An ice chest I bought some 13 years ago at Walmart, I put a big towel in it to make it more comfy and placed the chest facing under the house but out of the line of falling water off the roof. I would think they are smart enough to go inside and snuggle up, it might be cramped but they like to pile onto each other anyway. Nature gives them the ability to survive without these things but I wouldn't want to be a cat or dog out in cold wet weather. So that covers the subject and the cat update. Go Army !!!
Good coverage thanks for the report Thomas, remember one of my brother's name was Thomas too. Very witty.
I am still trying to decide that now! I was fine until 62 And then this thing with my leg started we still don't really know what it is. I waited on the couch for it to get better for a few years but it didn't and I atrophied. Then I started to work out a bit to be able to do things again sans leg. I have hope, just now, with a new therapy called myo fascial release. I found an excellent practitioner. I told her I was glad she didn't fix me the first session. She looked at me questioningly. I said if she did I would have been soooooooo mad that I put up with this for six years when all I had to do was find her. It is a drive to get to her and will take a while but the last session gave me hope.
I never felt old until Jdy died since her death I’ve fallen many times. The last time I dell on of the EMT’s that came remembered that he hsd been here before. He asked how Judy was and was visibly upser with her desth. I was asked if I wanted to go to the hospital to be checked. I said no asjked. Was told I could die and i responded with what’s wong with that
I hear people say that all the time about dying if you don't go to the hospital. Best medicine is to stay in touch with our own aches and pains and don't run to the doctor every time you have a little ache or pain or even dizziness. Plain old sinus can really give us old dogs a miserable couple days. I have been dizzy for 13 years and it never started until I started taking blood pressure medicine. Haven't had any for about 4 months and I still have that dizziness which of course proves it was never an issue with blood pressure. I have yet to get a bad reading and or blood work. I just take it in stride and know I am old and getting older. I was cursed with my Grandmothers side of the family that has bad knees and backs and I feel very lucky because there was little if any cancer with any old family members. Today it is younger people getting various cancers and I believe it is because of all the stuff we buy at the markets. In the old days those folks ate good clean food, didn't have all these killer remedies for everything. I think we have more gouging going on in the healthcare industry since they started getting paid for SSI. Just about all of them are stealing most of the money and you look around at all the people sitting in waiting rooms and it makes you wonder where they all come from. If I ever go back to heart care it won't be from one of these large clinics because all they do is chase that dollar and do things they have no business doing. I would find me a small specialist and get better care.
I'll be interested in your results from the myofascial release, Mary. I had a single session of that to help with the tightness of my mastectomy scar tissue after radiation (limited range of motion). The therapist said I would "hurt a lot tomorrow and really hate her." I didn't. Actually found it didn't help anything at all so I didn't return.
I have had three sessions. The first two were not good but I have a feeling, like intuition, about her. The third session reduced the pain by FIFTY percent! But only for a short period during the next day. I was so excited I dropped my cane to walk off but had atrophied so much over the years, I nearly fell on my face. But this is the second practitioner I've seen. the first one did not help. My Chiro was cautioning me about rebuilding. But rebuilding WILL happen if the pain leaves. I am that mean. Can't decide between professional football or mountain climbing.
no longer having to color my hair is very liberating. Everyone complained for a while as family and friends loved my red hair.