Skip to main content

What's it like getting old?

I can certainly assure you of one thing, it's not a lot of fun. Besides all the knowledge and experience gained, making it more difficult dealing with younger people who think they know it all, and even the fact the body doesn't always want to do what the mind tells it (two things I might touch on further at a later date), the most difficult part of getting old is the fragility of the body, and the greater susceptibility to injury. Especially the back.

On Christmas day, I hurt my back shaking up a jar of dijon mustard. [No comments please!] For 2 days, despite wanting to go for a bike ride, the pain was so bad, I wasn't even able to do the simplest of tasks. What's even worse, I thought I was pretty much over it on Monday, when for no apparent reason (at least none I could determine), I experienced the same debilitating back pain again that occurred on Christmas day.

Fortunately after this episode, and another 3 days of rest, I felt well enough to go on the annual SoCal New Years Day ride, albeit an abbreviated version. I even managed to do one lap of the hammer zone ride on Saturday. I felt fine after both rides, and was even surprised I hadn't lost too much speed, considering I was off the bike, and basically laid up [so to speak] for a week. I was even starting to feel good about the start to the new year.

But, and there always seems to be a but, this morning as I was starting to get ready for my bike ride, my back acted up again, as I was putting on my riding jersey. Unbelievable, I thought! What is going on? I could barely move. I sat down until the pain subsided somewhat, and then managed to apply some heat and ice to the affected area.

So right now the pain has pretty much gone away, at least I don't feel much worse than the previous two days [when I rode], which is surprising considering how much pain I was in. I'm actually even considering going on a ride. I'm just not sure how  good an idea that might be.

[note]AFTERNOON UPDATE

I actually went out for a short bike ride this morning. Only did 17 miles because I didn't want to push it, and possibly aggravate it some more. Fortunately, so far I'm no worse for wear, but we'll have to see how I feel tomorrow.
[/note]
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The results are in

And I am iron deficient, big time. [Which would account for my low hemoglobin] Test Result Ref Range IRON 30 59-158 mcg/dL TOTAL IRON BINDING CAPACITY 231 250-420 mcg/dL IRON SAT 13 20-50 % My Ferritin levels were good, but that could be because Ferritin is also an "acute phase reactant", that is sometimes increased with acute or chronic disease. Folate and B12 levels were also within the normal range. The only problem now is determining what is causing the iron deficiency, which in the case of men, is [very] rare. My oncologist has given me a Globin Fecal test to perform, and has scheduled me for a consultation with a colorectal surgeon to discuss performing a colonoscopy, which could be problematic because of my large spleen. In the mean time, I've decided to start taking an iron supplement, it's only the quantity that is causing me some consternation. I've been told by a very knowledgeable person that to overcome an iron deficiency, I need to be taking 300 mg o...
5 comments
Read more

This is just one of those days

It's one of those days you just want to sit around the house and do absolutely nothing, or watch some movies you have recorded. It might even be a good day to read a book, if you were so inclined, which I am not. As you should be able to see from the view out my bedroom window, it is raining outside. The rain started last night, and hasn't let up since. I can't complain too much though, as this is the rainy season, and we do need the rain. Plus Monday's are typically my day off from exercise, so I will surprise everyone, and not complain. I just feel sorry for anyone who might be visiting from, say Argentina, like a friend of mine (fellow MCLer), who happens to be in Cambria today. He might be a little disappointed. Fortunately the rest of the week, when he will be in LA, will be nice, and the real intent of his trip was to visit his son in Tahoe, who works at one of the ski resorts, and ski, so I know he's not complaining too much either. This weather will actually...
6 comments
Read more

When is enough, enough?

Today I learned, Lance Armstrong, the most drug tested athlete in the history of sport, is being accused of doping, again . This time by the US Anti Doping Agency (USADA), who claim they have collected blood samples from him in 2009 and 2010 that were “fully consistent with blood manipulation including EPO use and/or blood transfusions.” Really! What took them so long? The French have been trying to make allegations of drug doping stick for years, ever since he won his first Tour d'France, but to no avail. And now the USADA claims to have evidence to support that claim, and they've waited almost 3 years before releasing this evidence. Needless to say, I am skeptical. Then there's this from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO): Increasing the federal excise tax on cigarettes by 50 cents per pack eventually would increase Medicare and Social Security spending, slightly. Eventually? What is the CBO suggesting here? That we should encourage smoking, because if we don't, in...
11 comments
Read more