Aging Brings Changes

I appreciate the outpouring of concern over my pain-in-the-neck. The MRI results are in and is seems there are some small missing pieces of bone, some missing cartilage, a couple of bones sitting crooked and some discs in an unhealthy condition. The resulting chronic headache, neck and shoulder pain, and numbness in my arm and hand are limiting my mobility and affecting my life. I plan to meet with a neurosurgeon, hopefully sometime sooner rather than later. I’m not getting any younger, after all. Like all of us, I’m getting older. We all know what that means. Aging can and does bring countless changes. Chronic conditions related to aging are sometimes inevitable. According to the National Council on Aging, the top five chronic conditions affecting older people, beginning with the most prevalent, are: high blood pressure (almost 2/3 of the 65+ population), high cholesterol (almost ½), arthritis (about 1/3), heart disease (about 1/3), and diabetes (more than ¼). There are other conditions, of course. These are simply the top five. For these, the best, most effective prevention and treatment, in most cases is proper diet and regular exercise. Remember what I’ve said before about getting returns on our investments...? Most of what ails us can be eased, if not completely alleviated, by lifestyle changes that include maintaining a healthy diet and following a program of regular exercise. I’m not talking about an effort to lose a few pounds. I’m talking about a healthy and active life lived with enthusiasm. Eat and drink good things to provide healthy fuel, full of nutrients, and don’t put harmful substances into your body. Move your body to strengthen it and keep it fit. Not only does your level of fitness correlate to your aging well, it really feels good to be strong. Not all health problems are cured or staved by a healthy lifestyle, though, and you may, at some point, face ailments that are simply out of your control. If that happens, being strong and healthy is a tremendous benefit. Speaking of that, let’s get back to the issue of my pain-in-the-neck. What’s going on in my neck isn’t simply about aging. It’s related to trauma I experienced several years ago. Notwithstanding my injuries, I’ve enjoyed all these years of wonderful living, with very few limitations. Time is catching up with me, though, and I’m feeling the long-term effects of what happened to me. During the course of my physical therapy, it’s been easy to recognize that weakness isn’t what’s causing my problems. Many first possible causes were quickly ruled out, because I’m strong. There are still plenty of questions to be answered, and I’m looking forward to that. I’ll keep you posted.

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