Effects of Aging?

[Dawg52]

I'm 62 and haven't really noticed any major changes. Seems like every time one of these threads pop up I say I need to lose 5lbs or so. I wonder when I'm going to finally knock those out? Maybe I need to keep them in case I get sick so they can serve as a cushion.

 

[Nemo2]

.... the majority of people who have arthritis, who are very overweight, who are on meds for serious health conditions that make them feel too weak or sick to exercise, etc. probably don't exercise.

I have been diagnosed with 'extensive arthritis' throughout my back, (and knees), and lately I'm Quasimodo until I pop a Tylenol in the morning.....but......I'm (internally) motivated to exercise, and do as much as I can.....as the day progresses, I feel much better.

It's very easy to see, though, how non-motivated people, (and those who have never felt the benefits of exercise), in the same situation might just collapse into an easy chair.

 

[eytonxav]

I have dinner with some former work colleagues about every 3-4 months. We had dinner last week, and one of the group had some pretty dramatic health changes from when I saw him last November. He is probably 73 or 74, and has developed nerve damage/neuropathy to the point he is having difficulty walking and falls frequently. Also, has a Parkinson's like shake in his left hand. What shocked me, was that there was no evidence of any of this at our November dinner. Just reminds me how quickly one's health can change for the worse as we age. We had another former member of our dinner club who deteriorated over a 2-3 year period of time, and we could see that happen gradually. He passed away a few years ago.

 

[braumeister]

I'm 62 and haven't really noticed any major changes. Seems like every time one of these threads pop up I say I need to lose 5lbs or so. I wonder when I'm going to finally knock those out? Maybe I need to keep them in case I get sick so they can serve as a cushion.

Probably.
There have been several good studies showing that the older you get, the better off you are if you're slightly overweight.

 

[Danmar]

It's very easy to see, though, how non-motivated people, (and those who have never felt the benefits of exercise), in the same situation might just collapse into an easy chair.

Agree. Ive seen this a lot. I'm usually pretty "stiff and sore" when I first wake up but I find some exercises like a stationary bike actually make me feel better. So after a couple cups of coffee and a peruse of my "chat rooms" I'm ready to go.

 

[ls99]

On the lighter side. I recently had my "wellnes check", one of the questions is if I fall.

I answered, sure, several dozen times a week, sometimes more. The nurse's eyes eyes got pretty wide, and seemed to look for bent or dented body parts, bruises. Then I told her it was intentional. Part of my workout routine of practicing jujutsu falling techniques.

Later the NP summarized, you are in great shape for 69 year old. Then she ordered up an invasive rear end examination. I am sure she was smirking internally. But did keep a straight face.

 

[imoldernu]

After reading the entire thread... to date, the challenge was to make a meaningful statement befitting my four-score years...
It boils down to a philosophy about getting older, so I went to the favorite quotes from people who shared their wisdom about aging... literally thousands of thoughts from the worlds wisest thinkers.

This one fits my considered and humble philosophy.

“Prayer of an Anonymous Abbess:

Lord, thou knowest better than myself that I am growing older and will soon be old. Keep me from becoming too talkative, and especially from the unfortunate habit of thinking that I must say something on every subject and at every opportunity.

Release me from the idea that I must straighten out other peoples' affairs. With my immense treasure of experience and wisdom, it seems a pity not to let everybody partake of it. But thou knowest, Lord, that in the end I will need a few friends.

Keep me from the recital of endless details; give me wings to get to the point.

Grant me the patience to listen to the complaints of others; help me to endure them with charity. But seal my lips on my own aches and pains -- they increase with the increasing years and my inclination to recount them is also increasing.

I will not ask thee for improved memory, only for a little more humility and less self-assurance when my own memory doesn't agree with that of others. Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally I may be wrong.

Keep me reasonably gentle. I do not have the ambition to become a saint -- it is so hard to live with some of them -- but a harsh old person is one of the devil's masterpieces.

Make me sympathetic without being sentimental, helpful but not bossy. Let me discover merits where I had not expected them, and talents in people whom I had not thought to possess any. And, Lord, give me the grace to tell them so.

Amen”
― Margot Benary-Isbert

 

[aja8888]

After reading the entire thread... to date, the challenge was to make a meaningful statement befitting my four-score years...
It boils down to a philosophy about getting older, so I went to the favorite quotes from people who shared their wisdom about aging... literally thousands of thoughts from the worlds wisest thinkers.

This one fits my considered and humble philosophy.

Thanks, some keen advice in that quote.

 

[NW-Bound]

I've been reading the 'biggest unanticipated downside of ER' thread, and some of the comments have given me pause:

I didn't want to hijack that thread, but what sort of changes are we talking about? Loss of strength/endurance? General tiredness or lack of energy? Or...? I know the answers will be anecdotal, and everyone has a different biological age, but it'd be helpful to get a better idea of what to expect.

All of the above, and then some more.

However, it happens at different rates for different people. I believe that being active and having healthy habits slows that rate down, and do what I can to help myself. I am not athletic, but have a BMI of 23.7 as I write this, still work around the house, including climbing up to the roof if necessary, walk a couple of miles a day, etc...

In the end we are all going to die. Some sooner, some later. Some die peacefully, some grimace with pain. But we are all going to die.

 

[Amethyst]

I remember talking to my Mother about this "prayer" many years ago. The wording was slightly different, but it was basically the same as in your post.

She and I agreed that it boiled down to "Don't be a self-centered bore." Good advice at any age.

After reading the entire thread... to date, the challenge was to make a meaningful statement befitting my four-score years...
It boils down to a philosophy about getting older, so I went to the favorite quotes from people who shared their wisdom about aging... literally thousands of thoughts from the worlds wisest thinkers.

This one fits my considered and humble philosophy.

 

[athena53]

Later the NP summarized, you are in great shape for 69 year old. Then she ordered up an invasive rear end examination. I am sure she was smirking internally. But did keep a straight face.

Just do it. I'm healthy, eat a lot of veggies and my first Test we Do Not Discuss at the Dinner Table 15 years ago, at age 48, turned up a nasty that could very well be cancerous by now-except it was removed. Ugly disease, very preventable.

 

[Bestwifeever]

DH had a yearly physical two weeks ago at 68, got the usual kudos for his incredble condition being comparable to someone in their early 50s, and last week had a thoracic aortic aneurysm revealed in a screening for something unrelated. It's always something. You're in perfect health until you're not. Keep going until you can't.

 

[Nemo2]

DH had a yearly physical two weeks ago at 68, got the usual kudos for his incredble condition being comparable to someone in their early 50s, and last week had a thoracic aortic aneurysm revealed in a screening for something unrelated. It's always something. You're in perfect health until you're not. Keep going until you can't.

+1

Ain't it the truth? (Hopefully, as with me, they'll do another scan and determine that he doesn't have it.)

Good luck!

 

[MRG]

Just do it. I'm healthy, eat a lot of veggies and my first Test we Do Not Discuss at the Dinner Table 15 years ago, at age 48, turned up a nasty that could very well be cancerous by now-except it was removed. Ugly disease, very preventable.

I was informed that due to my sister developing CC(her first test at age 73) I'm now considered higher risk, I guess that means 5 years between tests.

 

[athena53]

DH had a yearly physical two weeks ago at 68, got the usual kudos for his incredble condition being comparable to someone in their early 50s, and last week had a thoracic aortic aneurysm revealed in a screening for something unrelated. It's always something. You're in perfect health until you're not. Keep going until you can't.

My mother always said that a soon as you let them take an image of your innards they'll find all kinds of things you never knew were a problem. DH had a scan in late June when he fell and hurt his back badly. In addition to the 2 compressed vertebrae they found an aortic aneurysm and a lesion on his lung that looked suspiciously cancerous. It took a couple of weeks for him to get a vertebroplasty to repair his back (VERY effective) and a couple of weeks later he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. Primary care doc thought they should get on that lung lesion right away. Oncologist said heck, no, don't go sticking him with a needle biopsy- huge risk of infection. DH died of the leukemia a few months later.

I haven't had an X-ray since I had pneumonia 20+ years ago and have never had a CAT or PET scan. Hoping to avoid them!

 

[Bestwifeever]

+1

Ain't it the truth? (Hopefully, as with me, they'll do another scan and determine that he doesn't have it.)

Good luck!

Don't think I haven't read your aneurysm thread (and am so happy for you that the diagnosis went in another direction!). He'll have another scan in six months to see what's changed or not.

My mother always said that a soon as you let them take an image of your innards they'll find all kinds of things you never knew were a problem....

Ignorance can certainly be bliss--but much better in this case for DH to know about this now and have it monitored. The initial report said "something" had been found that needed to be followed up on but that only DH's doc could advise as to what it was. We almost cheered to learn what it was vs the other possibilities.

Lots of things are going to pop up as we get older--the best I will hope to say is we had a good run.

 

[ls99]

Just do it. I'm healthy, eat a lot of veggies and my first Test we Do Not Discuss at the Dinner Table 15 years ago, at age 48, turned up a nasty that could very well be cancerous by now-except it was removed. Ugly disease, very preventable.

On the calendar for the 23d. BTW it not my first one, last one was 10 yrs ago, time flies. I'm sure the prep does not taste any better.

 

[gcgang]

My mother always said that a soon as you let them take an image of your innards they'll find all kinds of things you never knew were a problem. DH had a scan in late June when he fell and hurt his back badly. In addition to the 2 compressed vertebrae they found an aortic aneurysm and a lesion on his lung that looked suspiciously cancerous. It took a couple of weeks for him to get a vertebroplasty to repair his back (VERY effective) and a couple of weeks later he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. Primary care doc thought they should get on that lung lesion right away. Oncologist said heck, no, don't go sticking him with a needle biopsy- huge risk of infection. DH died of the leukemia a few months later.

I haven't had an X-ray since I had pneumonia 20+ years ago and have never had a CAT or PET scan. Hoping to avoid them!

So sorry for your loss.

But Sometimes they even find things they think are a problem, but are not. I was having problem with intestinal cramping. Got some sort of scan, MRI or what, and my internist said, you've got diverticulitis, but you've also got the weirdest spleen we've ever seen, go see this cancer Doc, you've probably got lymphoma.

Got a different doc, after several more scans over six months, including the dreaded PET, and my wife freaking out that I wasn't doing anything about this, even though I had no cancerous symptoms, I relented and had my spleen out. Benign hemangioma. But ended up in ICU for two weeks with blood clots, being further diagnosed with a clotting disorder, for which I'm taking Coumadin for the rest of my life.

As Roseanna Rosannadana said, it's always sumpthin.

 

[NW-Bound]

But on the other hand, there are so many maladies that do not hurt at all while in development. When it starts to hurt, there may not be much to do but to check out a hospice. I would not blame any doctor for crying "wolf".

 

[MRG]

On the calendar for the 23d. BTW it not my first one, last one was 10 yrs ago, time flies. I'm sure the prep does not taste any better.

Taste!!
Are you sure your doing it properly?

 

[Winemaker]

I had severe abdominal pains several years back, went to family dr. and she ordered a sonogram of area. Technician went absolutely bonkers while doing test but she wasn't able to tell me anything; she wasn't a reader or qualified to say anything.
When I reviewed the results with family dr., and of course all the pain was gone by then, she gave me a clean bill of health. However, she said I had all kinds of cysts on my kidneys, it was normal, and they come and go. One she said was the size of a grapefruit!
It's been at least 10 years since I've had those pains.

 

[misshathaway]

My mother always said that a soon as you let them take an image of your innards they'll find all kinds of things you never knew were a problem. !

Sometimes that's a good thing. I had what turned out to be gallbladder pain but before it was diagnosed they thought it was some kind of female problem so they sent me to a gynecologist and after imaging and lab tests she discovered very early stage, so not responsible for my symptoms, uterine cancer. I ended up with a hysterectomy but it was so early that I didn't need chemo. I am well past the 5 year safe period and very thankful that it was caught by accident when it was.

 

[NW-Bound]

I just remember this story. A guy at megacorp was in the hospital because of pneumonia. The X-ray discovered lung cancer in an early stage!

So, they cut that small section out, and started monitoring for further development. He was still OK a few years later, when I left megacorp. They told him he was very lucky. The cancer would have spread, and lung cancer is often incurable once it is finally diagnosed.

Talk about luck! And here we are, often fretting over the market going up or down when our life could be over in an eye blink.

 

[ls99]

Taste!!
Are you sure your doing it properly?

In case you are a newbie to the procedure, there is some liquid stuff to quaff to get the bottom end cleaned out. The input liquid is the not so great tasting stuff. I know nothing on the output part.

 

[MRG]

In case you are a newbie to the procedure, there is some liquid stuff to quaff to get the bottom end cleaned out. The input liquid is the not so great tasting stuff. I know nothing on the output part.

No newbie here. In the grand scheme of things, I don't recall how the stuff tasted. First was ten years ago then.

I had to have a sigmoidoscopy last. I'd had food poisoning, spend a couple days in the bathroom, then to the ER. As soon as I met the GI, he tells me that I have to prep right then as something showed up on the CT they did in the ER. The liquid diet was no problem, but the prep after the prior days events was just not right.