What did you do today? 2019 version.

[pb4uski]

Did my volunteer work this morning... last time for the season as we'll be heading for FL in a couple weeks. Then a few errands.

DS and I took a nice, leisurely last ride around the lake in the pontoon boat yesterday afternoon, and then took it out... it's on the trailer in the yard and I'm pecking away at cleaning it for winter storage.

The guys that take my dock and lifts out came today as they said they would so that is out of the water and done.

[Gumby]

Worked in my garden. Pulled out the okra, which is finished for the year, then dug up all the sweet potatoes that were inter-planted with the okra. Picked off the last of the peppers and tomatillos and then pulled up the plants. Harvested rhubarb and made sherbet from it. Pulled up all the basil plants and made and froze pesto. Used one of my second sown bibb lettuce for a chicken salad lunch.

[Souschef]

Just received the new walker I ordered for a member of our congregation. I have it assembled and will deliver it tomorrow.

[Ronstar]

Went for a hike and found enough straight downed tree limbs to make 5 hiking sticks. Brought MIL to her FA. Went to a farm fall fest. Got a new battery for the lawn tractor. Just wouldn’t start for its last mowing of the year.

[NW-Bound]

Fixed up the drip watering around the house, in preparation for traveling this weekend.

Don't want to come back and find the plants and the just started winter vegetable all dried out and dead.

[iloveyoga]

IMG_0001.jpg woke up in south beach Miami.

[FreeBear]

Mourned the end of our 3-4 month boating season. Just too damn cold , windy, and wet. Put me in a major funk.

“Celebrated” with lunch with DW at a favorite ethnic restaurant. Went for long , slow bike ride. Slow because we were full of food and it was cold. Did I mention it’s getting coldstart...

In the evening, got reacquainted with my electric guitar. Made a bunch of noise and felt better. The of the hibernation season...

[W2R]

I went to the dentist yesterday. Actually that is apparently quite a Big Deal after total knee replacement, but I got clearance from my orthopedic surgeon so with 2000 mg of amoxycillin a half hour beforehand it was a "go".

Anyway I got my teeth cleaned, and finally got the filling replaced that fell out on August 13th (the day of my knee surgery). I was surprised that no novacaine was needed and yet it was pain free. Also found out that I have no further cavities so that's it for now.

Now that I am off pain medications and back to driving again, I drove to and from the dentist, 45 minutes each way. I took F with me just in case it turned out to be too far for me to drive so soon after resuming driving, but I didn't need his help. Afterwards we went out to lunch at our favorite place. Then I drove us home (he lives right next door to me). And of course, following all that a nap was in order.

[Gumby]

Took the young wife to the range today. She did quite well with the Mini-14, especially for her first time shooting it. I knocked out a couple magazines on the M1A, but I spent most of my time helping her and spotting. It was a beautiful sunny day and we really enjoyed the fall colors.

[38Chevy454]

Did my in-ground pool closing up and winterizing today.

[Walt34]

Dr.'s office called and said the stress test showed there is nothing wrong with my heart, all is perfectly normal. This was not the normal stress test that I've had before, this was having an IV in and then "stuff" injected while on the treadmill, wait and get some type of scan (MRI? I forgot to ask) go eat, wait an hour, get on the treadmill again and run up to 80% predicted heart rate, get injected with more "stuff" and then get scanned again. All told I was there for a good five hours, and I'm glad I have good insurance, this one isn't gonna be cheap.

The doc ordered the test because I had mentioned being somewhat short of breath at the gym, and that I couldn't do some things I had been doing a year or two ago. Or I could do the exercise, but I had to slow down or take breaks between them. And I'd had a blocked heart artery five years ago that resulted in having two stents put in. That got my full and undivided attention.

Question: How is one supposed to know if a decline in physical ability is a normal part of aging and what is a potential problem? While I don't expect to be as active and able at 69 as I was at 35, how does one tell whether concern is warranted?

Oh well, I guess no news is good news.

[braumeister]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Walt34 Question: How is one supposed to know if a decline in physical ability is a normal part of aging and what is a potential problem? While I don't expect to be as active and able at 69 as I was at 35, how does one tell whether concern is warranted?

A good question. My opinion is that you're probably the best judge of whether you're just slowing down or perhaps running into an actual problem.

I had a stress echocardiogram about a year ago, and found it very interesting. I have high total cholesterol; it has been up near 300 all my life. That doesn't bother me, and I don't take a statin or anything else to lower it. My doc is OK with that as long as I let him rule out any other underlying problems. So I've had the carotid scan, the abdominal aorta scan, and other things that all came in normal. So he wanted me to do the stress echo as he said it would let him rule out any narrowed arteries that could kill me.

It turned out fine, just like yours, so the doc is finally off my case about my cholesterol. They only took me up to 105% of my predicted maximal heart rate, but I could have gone on for longer.

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Walt34 Question: How is one supposed to know if a decline in physical ability is a normal part of aging and what is a potential problem? While I don't expect to be as active and able at 69 as I was at 35, how does one tell whether concern is warranted?

Good question.

I've come to the conclusion that if the decline is accompanied by the frequent urge to shout, "You kids get off my lawn!" there is nothing to worry about.

[Ronstar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Walt34 Question: How is one supposed to know if a decline in physical ability is a normal part of aging and what is a potential problem?

There is definitely decline in physical ability due to age. It happens to all of the pro athletes. And it happens to us normal people also. I've noticed a steady decline in running times, biking mph, and amount of weight lifted over the past 20 years.

And a 61 yo friend of mine was getting up between 160-170 bpm heart rate while we were hiking recently. And he is healthy.

And if a doc finds all to be ok, I don't think I would worry about physical decline unless something else pops up.

[Dtail]

My DGF had a back fusion surgery for the 2nd time today. It appeared to go well.
Being healthy while retired makes all the difference.

[Chuckanut]

I celebrated Columbus Day.

[Moemg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Walt34 Question: How is one supposed to know if a decline in physical ability is a normal part of aging and what is a potential problem? While I don't expect to be as active and able at 69 as I was at 35, how does one tell whether concern is warranted? Oh well, I guess no news is good news.

If you figure it tell me !

[NW-Bound]

We all age and lose physical abilities in the process.

The problem is we age at different rates, and it is difficult to compare to the norm, if we even know what the norm is.

[Music Lover]

Was at Home Depot with GF earlier tonight and as always she ends up in the appliance aisle checking out gas stoves. Anyway, we didn't get one (today) but going down the fridge aisle I walked past this...you can now buy a fridge with a Keurig built into the front door. Sorry for the sideway pic:

fridge.jpg

[GalaxyBoy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Music Lover ...you can now buy a fridge with a Keurig built into the front door.

It's official: They have run out of ways to improve refrigerators.

Today I mowed for the first time in over a month as it's been so dry the grass simply isn't growing. A tiny bit of rain lately seems to be greening it up in the shaded areas and more rain is predicted tomorrow. I edged the driveway in anticipation of the driveway sealing guy coming in a week or so, weather permitting.