I don’t know how many of you have hit milestone birthdays. You know…the big three oh. Or forty when things on your body start moving south. Perhaps fifty, which they say is the new forty. Or…oh no….sixty?!
I was good up till this year, never really felt old. Thought I had escaped all those ‘old people’ ailments. Thought I was different, maybe had better genes.
Or something.
But last spring I turned sixty. That seems like a really big number. I remember my parents when they were sixty and they were old. And now I feel old too, because all sorts of things are happening to me.
I used to be able to stand up and get dressed. I stood on one foot regularly, putting on pants or socks. Now I sway precariously as I try to get a sock on my foot and I don’t even try putting on pants the old way. I sit first.
I used to be able to read signs way down the road. Now I need to wear my glasses to see the television across the room. And I’m pretty sure I’ll have to wear glasses to pass the DMV eye test next time I need to renew my drivers license.
I used to run marathons. Not fast, but I got five of them done. Now I have trouble running for more than a couple minutes at a time. On a treadmill.
And apparently I have an impinged rotator cuff. I don’t know what I did to impinge it but I went to four weeks of physical therapy to make my shoulder stronger. It’s stronger but still impinged, which I am reminded of every night when I reach back to pull the blanket over me as I settle into bed.
I used to cross country ski to get through the winters. Now I hope to head somewhere warmer for the worst of the cold season. I guess that makes me a snowbird wanna be.
And surely that makes me old.
January 30, 2017 at 7:29 pm
I hear ya! I can relate 🙂
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January 31, 2017 at 10:08 am
Nice to know I’m not alone!
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January 30, 2017 at 7:35 pm
You are not old, you are mature. It’s the darn bodies that lose their sense of balance, the eyes that grow mellow. I’ve long been sitting or leaning against something sturdy to perform any function that requires lifting one leg and leaning forward. Let’s not talk about the trials involved in getting down to read fine print on a package that’s on the bottom shelf in a store – or the travails of getting up from that position. And have you noticed how the print on things is getting smaller every year? I’d be sympathetic, but I’ve been there for several years, so I’ll be empathetic instead.
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January 31, 2017 at 10:09 am
Or the trials of getting down to read titles of books on the bottom shelves of libraries…and unbending the knees and hips getting back up. Mostly I try not to look down there at all.
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January 30, 2017 at 7:36 pm
Modify, Dawn. I don’t mean that in a harsh way, its just that I think we expect a lot of our bodies and its hard not to compare what we used to be able to do with what we can – or can’t – do now. I try not to think about “used to” and work on what I can do. I can still take the dog for good long walks, I can still xcountry ski a few times a winter – not far, but enough to enjoy being out in the woods. I tried snow shoeing for the first time this winter and while it wasn’t a blood pumping kind of activity it was lovely to be outside in the bush. Keep trying, keep doing your physiotherapy, keep moving. That’s the key.
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January 31, 2017 at 10:10 am
I agree that we hang on to things we once did for far too long. I just didn’t realize I had aged so much since the last marathon. It came as quite a surprise. I do like being out in the woods in the winter with Katie-girl. She likes it too. As long as it’s not too cold and the snow isn’t too deep.
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January 31, 2017 at 6:55 pm
This is the deep truth. Keep moving.
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January 30, 2017 at 8:27 pm
Wait until old men start calling you ‘young lady’–now that really burns my hide!
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January 30, 2017 at 10:26 pm
Me, too, loisajay!
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January 31, 2017 at 7:53 am
sometimes you just want to show them the ‘young lady’ right hook! 😀
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January 31, 2017 at 10:10 am
hahahahaha you guys…
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January 30, 2017 at 10:41 pm
Yeah, well… I never could run a marathon ever, although on a very few occasions maybe I could run twice around the track without having to drop to a walk. 🙂 On the other hand, could hike 12 miles with 2000-foot elevation changes in a single day and feel only a little sore. And run actually *fast* around an agility field. Lately, lucky to be able to walk w/out pain. Bah Humbug! As one of my younger sisters noted the other day, in very short order here I’ll be officially “over 60” — so I have just a couple of months more accrued than you do.
I never could put on socks or shoes standing up. I still can (well–can *again* after 2014/15’s pain eased up) put my pants on while standing, but after a friend’s neck surgery had to be redone because she fell while putting hers on standing up, I am *very* careful. Who ever thought one would ever have to be careful about putting pants on standing up? Until about 4 months ago, I could trim my toenails with impunity. Then, for some reason, the skeletal structures decided that bad knees wasn’t sufficient and started testing out the bad-hip strategy.
BUT I’ve been wearing glasses since 5th grade, so you don’t get as much sympathy from me on *that*. Suck it up, bucko eyes! 😉
And I might have mentioned that I have 2 completely torn and atrophied rotator cuff tendons in one shoulder, official as of, uh, a year ago? Dang, wish I’d realized it wasn’t a sore shoulder much much earlier.
So much in common, dang it. I do empathize. I hope that you end up with more ups than downs on those achey pains.
I was telling the dogs just this morning while walking upstairs, “Sorry, boys, you got the Old Decrepit Human Mom rather than the Long Walk Every Morning And Gung-ho Fast Agility Enthusiast Human Mom.”
Oh, and, I am completely with you on the snow/cold thing. I still love visiting snow. But at the moment, glad that my parents moved us to San Jose rather than staying in upstate NY!
I didn’t start out intending to go on this long, but I did. Maybe I’ll make it into my own blog post. Thanks for the idea!
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January 31, 2017 at 10:12 am
Well now I’m going to think about risking neck surgery when I get dressed and dare to stand on one foot! I thought of you last night when my shoulder ached too and wondered if I should go back to the doctor and tell him the PT didn’t really do anything…but don’t want to. Darn.
I think the dogs are fine with the Decrepit Human Mom as long as she doesn’t forget to feed them.
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January 31, 2017 at 1:03 pm
Not wanting to go back to the doc when something hurts, or keeps hurting, I think is very common. At least, it’s very common for me.
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January 31, 2017 at 6:58 pm
The dogs we love will love us back as long as there is food and a little time outdoors. They are lovely companions, aren’t they?
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January 31, 2017 at 1:44 am
I totally can relate. I lost my balance partially due to the nerve damage of my ankles from the chemo. I used to be able to do all the things you mentioned. I was so afraid of slipping in the bathtub that I wanted to have a grab bar. Well, we ended up remodel the whole bathroom… I know… heard many stories like that, and I ended u being one of the stories. I’m still practicing balance on one foot though…
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January 31, 2017 at 10:13 am
I’m sorry to hear you had to have chemo. I hope things are good now. And I know how one grab bar can change into a total gut job of a remodel. Always something! I think practicing balancing on one foot might be useful in any number of daily things. PS: I love your watercolors!
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January 31, 2017 at 12:28 pm
I am cancer free, just have the side effect still. I’m still taking the watercolor class. Thank o=you for liking it!
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January 31, 2017 at 7:00 pm
Isn’t it good to be done with the damncancer for the time being? And moving on to new things. A watercolor class! What an excellent idea! Grab bars are another excellent idea. Who knew? Well. Now we do.
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January 31, 2017 at 11:08 pm
Well, this semester, I added a poetry class. I enjoy it so far!
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January 31, 2017 at 7:45 am
Love the title – and it’s a coincidence that just this morning I congratulated myself on NOT falling over whilst putting on my socks.
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January 31, 2017 at 10:14 am
LOL! Congratulations! I still aspire to be able to do that. There should be a medal or something…right?
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January 31, 2017 at 10:55 am
Absolutely. Some days, even a badge for “Participation” would be warranted!
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January 31, 2017 at 7:04 pm
I celebrate having socks! Excellent wool socks in many colors and designs. I celebrate getting them onto my feet any old way I can! Lovely socks, so warm and cozy. I celebrate stepping down the long stairway sideways step-step on each one until I reach the bottom – Excellent stairway! Celebrate. Live. We. Are. Still. Here. So good to see you all!
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January 31, 2017 at 12:55 pm
I gotcha beat….I am 61…………………..lol!!!! I hear ya!
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January 31, 2017 at 1:04 pm
Aha–as of today, I also am 61. We should form a club and invite Dawn to join us only when she’s qualified. 😉
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January 31, 2017 at 2:45 pm
This made me laugh, in a good way. Aging is hard in sooo many ways, yet I do enjoy being wiser as each year passes.
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February 1, 2017 at 2:03 pm
Glad that this made you smile! If we have to get older, might as well smile while aging!
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February 3, 2017 at 1:06 pm
But look at how great your sense of humor is holding up! I’d say it’s getting better with age 🙂
Who needs to run on a treadmill anyway? Katie prefers long walks in the park 😉
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February 10, 2017 at 12:25 am
I’m a wee bit behind you, turned 55 last week. Recently I had a conversation with my brother-in-law, who is two months older than me, about how all of a sudden we’re now stiffening up just from sitting and it takes a few steps to unkink after standing back up. I said now I know why old people walk funny.
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