If somebody that is elderly tells you that "this is the BEST time of my life" they are a lieing POS!

Hell, I'm still relatively young at barely 35, but already have two bad knees, sciatica, and a compressed nerve in my shoulder.

But then, LE ages you in dog years.

I can't wait to see what 45 feels like...

At 46, I have to stretch, much more frequently than when I was younger, usually at the beginning of the day and before bed on a regular basis. Right now, I have a shoulder who's range of motion is not like the other side, healing is definitely taking its time.
Rest Ice Compress and Elevate have pretty much become a mantra for every injury after playing softball, a bike ride or, even when i'm giving a hand helping to move things.

kidcop says "It's not the age, it's the mileage" and while that is true enough as far as it goes, it's the age too.

I stay in decent shape, and I've never abused my body...ie, participated in recreational or exercise activities that are hard on the joints. My jobs have almost always been more mental than physical, but not sedentary.

At around 50, I became the poster child for "A good morning is when nothing NEW hurts." Shoulders, hips, knees, back...something (and sometimes everything) aches every day. Just part of getting older. I could still do pretty much everything I ever did, I just had to deal with aches and pains during and after.

At about 65, I had to start saying no to jobs I'd normally have taken on: Roofing, flooring, stoop gardening, mechanic work that required me to be on my knees or under a vehicle without a lift. Anything that required acute bending or kneeling, or extended out-of-position work. I either couldn't do it at all, or the price paid in aches and pains after just wasn't worth it.

Lately (I'll be 70 in October) I've noticed my grip is weaker, my balance is off and my endurance is shit. I've been building a stick-built greenhouse for my daughter. I show up at her place around 8:00am and by 1:00pm I'm done for the day - too tired to work safely. I've been taking a 1 or 2 hour nap every afternoon for a couple of years now. Actually started that as my schedule permitted 12 years ago when I packed it in and started on SS but now it's damn near mandatory.

I'm still active and the PA at my last annual said I was, and I quote, "Disgustingly healthy". I'm on maintenance meds for BP and cholesterol but my numbers are right in the middle of the range with them, my overall muscle tone is good and I can do anything I ever could - just not as hard or for as long.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
But then, LE ages you in dog years.

I can't wait to see what 45 feels like...

I'm turning 50 this year, and attend the academy at 43. No way I could do it now, just a few years later.

When I was in my late teens, early 20's I could tell it was going to rain two days ahead of time by the pain in my knees. When I was 25 it was the same thing with my hands and elbows. Old man shit way too young.


I always joke that I noticed the change in my 40s, the change being when I got into a hot car in the summer time. Most of my life I'd have been dancing around on the seat going "Oooh, damn! Hot!" At some point it changed to sitting there going "Oooh, damn, that feels good."

Any advice on how to stop the amount of hair growing out of my nose and ears would be appreciated. It seems that after age 50 I became a walking Chia Pet advertisement. Now in my 60's, it seems to be increasing even more! Does it stop at age 70?

quote:

Originally posted by cas:
When I was in my late teens, early 20's I could tell it was going to rain two days ahead of time by the pain in my knees.

Same. I have "old man knee" when the weather is changing.

Mine started in my early 20s, a few years before my first knee surgery.

FWIW - will be 80 in August. Own 2 small rural properties and still try to do as much of the work as I can. Do not stop working at things you can still do with some degree of safety. I have had fusion surgery in my neck and lower back, plus other issues that would bore you. Power equipment helps, just be wise about its use.
Regards to all.
Black horse4

quote:

Originally posted by Blackhorse4:
FWIW - will be 80 in August. Own 2 small rural properties and still try to do as much of the work as I can. Do not stop working at things you can still do with some degree of safety. I have had fusion surgery in my neck and lower back, plus other issues that would bore you. Power equipment helps, just be wise about its use.
Regards to all.
Black horse4

No excuse. Just because you are 80, doesn't mean you cant post more. You have a whole 38 posts. We expect to hear/read more of you. Thank you..

I would like to preserve a sharp mind as long as possible because of my job, but I don't think I really have that much control of it, so like all old smart guys, I plan to keep on keepin on and deal with it like everyone else.

On the physical front, the most noticable change is my lack of former strength. I was a weight and power lifter when I was young, ran 50 miles per week while doing that (stupid I know), cycled to work 26 miles per day etc. I THINK those things have helped me for where I'm at now, but have have lost LOTS, rather TONS of raw strength. Also lost lots of flexibility and balance. I do miss the strength however, because when I need it, it just isn't there, MIA. I seem to only miss it when I need it, versus wanting and using it all the time when I was young even though I didn't actually need it back then. But damn it came in handy back then. Sometimes for stupid shit like moving small cars sideways in parking spaces to confuse and piss off their owners, and moving other asundry large objects around for without a goal other than having fun and laughs. Funny thing though, I have zero photos to prove to anyone that I was an Arnold, as my wife says she can't believe all of it without photos. Good memories though. The other day I told a young man that he was stronger than I was when I was his age, after he picked up a 200 lb. cast cement planting pot and put it in the bed of my truck. I was lying to him but I wanted to thank him for destroying his back for my benefit.

I am 93, we had to quit skiing 11 years ago, because both of us had balance problems. Wife same age thinks she could still ski if she hadn't given her gear to DIL. I cut down dead apricot tree this afternoon just to keep busy, so keep on truckin' Chicoms didn't kill me in Korea still trying to get me with the Chicom crud. Screw 'em.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
Hell, I'm still relatively young at barely 35, but already have two bad knees, sciatica, and a compressed nerve in my shoulder.

But then, LE ages you in dog years.

I can't wait to see what 45 feels like...

Amen brother. And it catches up to you all at once.

quote:

Originally posted by HJrocket:
I am 93, we had to quit skiing 11 years ago, because both of us had balance problems. Wife same age thinks she could still ski if she hadn't given her gear to DIL. I cut down dead apricot tree this afternoon just to keep busy, so keep on truckin' Chicoms didn't kill me in Korea still trying to get me with the Chicom crud. Screw 'em.

Keep on flipping Death the bird!

Enjoy every day that you snatch out of Death's hands.

God Bless, you and yours.

77 come June. Got Leukemia, CLL type, lot of orthopedic surgeries & paralyzed right foot due to military connected spinal injuries. Feel darn good since I quit taking statin meds in March of this year. Need to get back to the gym as soon as they open. We are all still about 18 years old in our mind, only problem is the rest of us gets older. Hang in there!!!