Getting old

[S.A. Boggs]

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Sam

[JB White]

I'm not getting old. Not when a panting woman asks me "How old did you say you were?"

Sometimes I have to wonder whether she's amazed at my sexual virility, or if she's getting exhausted scrapping my spitballs off the ceiling.

[Sunray]

Getting old ain't for the faint of heart. Turning 65(Canada Pension paper work is astounding) in 11 days and have places that hurt I didn't have 10 years ago.

[Merc]

Getting old ain't for the faint of heart. Turning 65(Canada Pension paper work is astounding) in 11 days and have places that hurt I didn't have 10 years ago.

All of this has occurred since I turned 65, 10 years ago: new shoulder, new hip, spinal fusion, rotator cuff, A Fib ablation and survived a severe case of Valley Fever that I picked up in AZ in 2013. TSA guys shake their heads when I go through screening. I’m as well now as I’ve been in a very long time although arthritis is everywhere. Still riding my 1976 Schwinn World bike every chance I get and staying actively interested in everything (Civil War, WW1, WW2, guns, coins, watches, knives, bayonets, antiques, target shooting, fishing, travel, etc., etc.). Modern medicine is amazing.

Edit: For those of you that haven’t been to the desert Southwest, Valley Fever comes from a fungus that lives in the soil in parts of CA, AZ, NM and TX. Its spores are active in the spring and fall when conditions are right and can cause a very serious illness if you’re unlucky enough to inhale the spores. Most natives have built up an immunity to Valley Fever, but visitors are fair game. It takes a good eastern doctor to recognize the symptoms of Valley Fever since it’s something he doesn’t see that often, if ever.

[Allen]

All of this has occurred since I turned 65, 10 years ago: new shoulder, new hip, spinal fusion, rotator cuff, A Fib ablation and survived a severe case of Valley Fever that I picked up in AZ in 2013.

How did you make out with the spinal fusion? The "doctors" wanted to do that procedure on me 10 years ago but I declined because the co-workers that had it done were still in pain afterward and walked around like Frankenstein, one went out on permanent disability afterward. I put up with crippling intense pain for about a month a warded it off with nothing but Ibuprofen to lessen the inflammation. I still have numbness in my right index finger (trigger finger) but that is all the discomfort I have now.

[Merc]

How did you make out with the spinal fusion? The "doctors" wanted to do that procedure on me 10 years ago but I declined because the co-workers that had it done were still in pain afterward and walked around like Frankenstein, one went out on permanent disability afterward. I put up with crippling intense pain for about a month a warded it off with nothing but Ibuprofen to lessen the inflammation. I still have numbness in my right index finger (trigger finger) but that is all the discomfort I have now.

The fusion was done in 2016 to relieve the severe sciatica in my legs. I knew right away that the surgery worked because I was pain free for the first time in years. The healing process took almost a year. I went for a few rehab sessions last summer after I threw my back out and learned a few stretching and core strengthening exercises that has almost eliminated the stiffness and pain. The Dr. told me not to expect to be totally pain free due to the “considerable” amount of arthritis in my back.

It sounds like you’re doing OK. Certain spinal conditions can heal themselves if given time to heal and something to control the inflammation. It sounds like a nerve is being pinched somewhere causing finger numbness.

The one and only procedure that I had that didn’t work 100% was the shoulder replacement. I still get some minor pain occasionally but it’s something I can ignore. I had to give up golf, no big deal.

[Allen]

An MRI revealed that my C3 and C4 vertebrae's (lower neck) had what looked like corrosion (calcium?) on the inside tunnel where my spinal cord is causing a permanent pinched nerve. Some portions of my vertebre's appeared black indicating low bone density or perhaps just not there any longer. At the height of the entertainment my back, right shoulder, arm and hands hurt. I used to drive with my arm pressured against the center console arm rest because the pain was so great my arm felt like it was going to explode. The numb finger is just all that is left from it all now.

Glad everything worked out for you. The co-workers who now appear to be zombies didn't fair so well.

I am starting to get arthritis now too in my pelvis so walking is hard to do at times. It seems to be temperature related because it is now mostly gone but I'm sure will be back in force next winter if not before.

Getting old sucks.

[Merc]

An MRI revealed that my C3 and C4 vertebrae's (lower neck) had what looked like corrosion (calcium?) on the inside tunnel where my spinal cord is causing a permanent pinched nerve. Some portions of my vertebre's appeared black indicating low bone density or perhaps just not there any longer. At the height of the entertainment my back, right shoulder, arm and hands hurt. I used to drive with my arm pressured against the center console arm rest because the pain was so great my arm felt like it was going to explode. The numb finger is just all that is left from it all now.

Glad everything worked out for you. The co-workers who now appear to be zombies didn't fair so well.

I am starting to get arthritis now too in my pelvis so walking is hard to do at times. It seems to be temperature related because it is now mostly gone but I'm sure will be back in force next winter if not before.

Getting old sucks.

The numbness in your right index finger seems minor in comparison and sounds like something you can live with. I forgot to mention I had carpal tunnel syndrome that resulted from a broken bone in my right wrist in 2011. Lots of tingling and burning at night. Surgery was simple and recovery took about 6 months. The left hand tingles and burns now when I do certain things but not at night.

The rods and screws that aligned my spine worked well to relieve the stinosis. Given the amount of arthritis I have, I’m sure that I’ve not heard the last from my back.

Arthritis is an unfortunate part of the aging process. Our bodies were probably designed to last for about 50 years. The extra 40 years is pushing our body’s limit physically and we are just wearing out. The pain starts when joints break down and cartilage wears away.

The hip replacement surgery I had in 2010 turned out well. I was up and walking within a few hours after surgery. The recovery period was about 6 months. Unfortunately, replacement hips from that period were all metal-on-metal. My hip is MOM but wasn’t recalled. My blood is tested as part of my annual physical for the presence of various metals which are always far below the upper limits. The new hips are constructed differently. They learned a hard and expensive lesson.

[Merc]

Forgot to mention, my cousin needed spinal fusion surgery about 35 years ago. He had 3 surgeries before the last surgeon got it right. I have steel rods and screws that keeps my vertebrae in alignment and he has a steel cage. He was off work for about 18 months but was able to return. Techniques and methods change over the years.

[Jiminvirginia]

Well, turned 61 today. One of these days I'll grow up.