Just turning 69 and feel fortunate that I'm in good health. No pain, good vision (thanks to cataract removal in July), and fairly good hearing. I've survived cancer, a motorcycle wreck, numerous car wrecks, a broken leg/ankle from skydiving and a ruptured appendix.

We walked 3 1/2 miles today with half of it on the beach - not easy.

I don't smoke, chew or drink and feel very blessed to be where i'm at. I spent my career at a desk sitting in a bank. Easy of the body - not so on the mind sometimes.

I need to loose quite a bit of weight but I've been fat for 20 years. My BP is normal.

I remember my dad and father-in-law always saying "This is the last truck I buy" or "This is the last......."

We just bought a new pickup and it sure the hell is not the last one.

Mike

Shoot, some really great comments in this thread so I gotta join in.

I'll be 72 next spring and feel pretty darn good overall. The hip is giving me some grief lately and my hearing is all shot to hell now, so there is that. I'm 5-10 and weighed in at 160 this morning.

We have 70 acres here on the farm but it is not an active farm as we sold off all the animals a few years back. I do keep the farm running fixing fences, clearing off dead fall and brush hogging and mowing about 10 acres of it. I split and stack 2 or 3 cords of wood each spring but to be honest, I did get a log splitter a few years back so it's not as bad as it sounds.

I never give much thought about how much time I have left. My dad made it to 87 but my mom checked out when she was only 59. Hell, does it really gain you anything worrying about it? I don't think so.

Good thread. Just turned 54. Starting my second year of my now individualized Low Carb Healthy Fat diet. The decrease in inflammation and loss of excess fat and increase in mental and physical energy was like taking a swim in the Cocoon pool. Not being dependent on any medication for the first time in a long time. Put me in the super-ager camp please.

I’m pretty much bound and determined that 2019 will be the start of a leaner “dry-fly”. I’m 48 and have gotten in worse shape every year it seems since fracturing my back. Two major surgeries and constant pain sucks ass. What sucks more is that no one has anything to offer for an improved life but drugs. Losing weight is the only thing that I think will help long term. I worry how I will get along physically as I get older if something doesn’t change. It could be worse... I could’ve been paralyzed, but the constant pain is disabling enough.

58 years old, I own a 1 man cabinet shop lifting 80 lb 4x8 sheets daily along with fully built cabinets. golf and fish in the summer time, salmon and steelhead fish in the winter along with shooting all year round, I'm about 30 lbs over weight, I have had a lifestyle change in the way I eat going high protein low carbs no more dinking 6 cokes a day and eating licorice.

I feel good over all but get sore if I push it. one thing I have lost interest in is doing maintence on the house, fence needs fixing deck needs to be replaced just don't feel like tackling jobs like that. I use to do it in an instant now I just don't really care. I would rather be doing something else. Honestly don't feel my age and hopefully don't look it.

quote:

Originally posted by Zebulon:
After a bought of non-life threatening health issues this year, I've been forced to ride it out and take stock of where I am in regards to my attitude and ability to handle aging.
This is not a call to morbidity, but I'd like to hear from anyone willing to share the concerns that at least some of you must be sharing in those wee, quiet times late at night. There are certainly physical, emotional and spiritual aspects involved here. You start where you're comfortable. I've never been here before...it's new territory. Thanks Guys......Zebulon

Beware the "wee quiet times late at night". It's a trap. You can't change the past, but can only live today. If you have one foot in the past and one foot on tomorrow, you're pissing on today ... so "they" say. Your body and mind with tell you what you need to do. Trust your instincts. They've gotten you here. I'm retired and have taken up cooking to eat better and try to stay active enough to be tired enough and satisfied enough to sleep well at night. And have a couple of dogs for company.

54 now. Lost a couple of friends the last couple of years, some younger and some older.Been watching my younger brother fight lung cancer. Been feeling it. Got lazy too and put on about 15 pounds that I had lost about 5 years ago. Recently started writing in a journal as I have been questioning a lot of things about life. Reading everybody elses responses here have really helped tonight as I realize I am not alone with how I’m facing getting older and all that comes with it. Looking forward to my shift ending at 6 am, sleeping a bit and then waking up and playing with my dogs. I’ll kiss my wife too. Been trying to get the motivation to start watching my diet again and getting back in the gym. Think I found it. Zebulon, thanks for starting this thread. ....

Being over 70, I follow these simple rules:
Never pass up an opportunity to take a piss. Never trust a fart. Never waste a hard on.

Life is good.

I'm 35 with two kids. Beard is getting white. Anytime I try to do heavy lifting I end up with an injury. So far torn pec and rotator. Year recovery times suck. Getting off the floor is painful. Other than that pretty good so far.

Come to accept my hair will be 100% white before I hit 50 and when shit breaks a lot of times it is never going to fully recover. If it does, it takes a lot longer.

I'm starting to think there's just not enough time to do all the things I want to do in life because of the things I have to do plus a little of the things I really want to do.

Very , very happy I never smoked. I can see where friends my age who did are paying a price. Heavy drinking takes a toll too.

Physically, my body is in the mid-to-late 50's. My neck and back are shot as the physical demands of my previous career are taking their toll. I will fight arthritis and degenerative bone disease for the rest of my life. But I'm still active and push my way through the pain every day because the alternative is not appealing to me. I must keep moving lest I end up crippled, overweight and completely miserable.

Staying active and eating correctly (and in smaller portions, dammit!) is my plan going forward. I still enjoy fine bourbon and beers with friends, but in fewer quantities and intervals. Acknowledging that although I have the technical ability to do many physical projects and repairs, sometimes it's worth paying a professional to do it because the overall cost is less than the physical pain and medical bills from an injury to my back. Taking care of my mom also reduces the time I have to do personal projects now.

The difficult part for me is the mental aspect. Truthfully acknowledging all the above is a true mental hurdle every day, but my wife says it's an indication that I'm finally showing some maturity. But dammit, my brain is still half the age of my body! Speed still thrills me, as does seeing the curves of a fit, beautiful woman of any age. But the fact is the body just doesn't keep up with the brain anymore. For someone like me this truth can easily crush my spirit if I let it.

I enjoy life and appreciate what I have - both material and spiritual. Having lost enough friends along this journey has shaped my attitude towards getting older. I refuse to have a "bucket list", but instead I use the term "event horizon" to acknowledge the fact that at some point I'll probably end up in a nursing home drooling on myself and unable to do the things I truly enjoy. The time between today and that point in the future is the time I have to cram in all those things I still want to do and accomplish in this life. These things include not just the fun and adventures, but also the positive and long-lasting contributions which make a difference in other people's lives.

Someday God is going to call me home, and I'm ready for that. I just hope it's not anytime soon because I've got too much stuff to do yet. Retirement can't come soon enough!

One morning I woke up and peered into the mirror, thought to myself, damn I'm starting to get old, I wonder what's on TV.

Hmmmm, let's see.

Five knee surgeries before 45, L4-5 spinal fusion at 40. I continued to play volleyball on a traveling team, raced bikes (road and mnt), hiked, climbed, really did not feel my age. At 54, still played volleyball pretty hard, fast rec cyclist, tracked bikes and a car or two, skied, hiked, lifting, etc. Then turned 55, blood clots with an emboli storm went on blood thinners, bounced back. Diagnosed with esophageal cancer, had chemo, radiation most of esophageous and half of stomach removed. Recovery has been a little slower you could say, got back into the gym doing fairly well, trying to get back into volleyball (26 lb weight loss is helping with vertical), cycling is a little more challenging as is trying to maintain weight. All in all, I took a huge hit with cancer, but am starting to get back to where I was prior to diagnosis. Now I live life between 6-month scans and have a sense of urgency to get a lot of stuff done (this kind of overshadows the loss of ability). Really thankful for all the prayers I have gotten during my time of recovery. Could not have done it without them.

Eh, what the hell, nobody gets outta here alive.

At 75 I'm finally feeling old. I've always been very much into outdoor activities and for the past 35 years of my life I've worked out on a regular basis. Ran marathons, lifted some and just kept moving. On the other hand I lived pretty hard especially in my 20's and on into my early 30's. Drank a lot, ate all the wrong things at the wrong times and really put a strain on my body.

In September, I had a major surgery on my lungs and heart. 9 hours in the OR and 20 days total in the hospital. Good God that took a toll on me. I lost 30 lbs, mostly muscle. It's been hell trying to regain my strength, but it's coming along. All of this has brought me to the realization that even with what would be considered a full recovery, I'm no longer a young man and things I used to be able to do are now, and will be impossible. I don't like it, but I'll adjust to this new life style. It's what I look at as the 4th stage of my life. First was the young carefree kid. Then the fun loving 20-30 something. Then the well adjusted middle age man and now an old fart.

quote:

Aging?.....How are you guys handling it?

Not well. The psychological impact of aging is more distressing that I would have imagined.

Reading about the things that some here have encountered (and overcome) is both sobering and inspiring. Regardless of where you are now, may the New Year be the best yet.

I don't ride the MTB as hard any more cause the crashes hurt more.

I'm 46 now. I've been handling my post-divorce (5 years ago) middle age single life by pushing limits I didn't (or couldn't have) when I was young. Living a life that makes the middle aged married guys and even the younger married guys I work with dumbfounded.

I lost 20 pounds mostly by just eating less and limiting carbs to some extent. Now at 5'6" and 160-ish pounds. No significant health issues except marginal high cholesterol. My nearsighted eyes can't focus close with my distance lenses anymore though. I really don't want bifocals, but can't avoid it much longer.

And I date younger women - the hot/crazy matrix is very true. 45/28 is one such example. And way more attractive than when I was younger. My ex was very pretty when we met, but after divorce she got fat like most everyone else.

I will say it helps to keep your hair in your head, not to gray too much, and not to wrinkle too much. Lucky DNA I guess.