Getting Old Takes Adjustment:

 

When I was younger I thought I knew what getting older would be like but I had no clue. I have found that arthritis is painful no matter how I thought it could be. I have an extremely high pain threshold - much higher than most people. As an example when I went in to see  an orthopedic doctor and they took X-rays of my knees and they discovered my patella (knee cap) was in two parts. Or when I slipped on ice a few years ago and  fractured my ankle in two places and continued  to walk around on it without pain for three days until Carol convinced me to go to the doctor. Neither of  these injuries had any pain involved. 

So when I say that arthritis is painful you can believe it is painful. Those two surgeries I had on my knees now result in arthritis and it is painful but as long as I can still ambulate even with pain I do not plan to have them replaced. I have talked to people who have had the knee replacement procedure done and some it helped and some it did not so at my age I don't want to end up worse off than I am now. Also my ankle and hips are getting there and I don't see the value of getting knees done and not the other areas too.

All those years of holding doors for other people is paying rewards now as most people do the same for me. It is humbling but at the same time I am very grateful as struggling with a door is hard. When I was younger and could ambulate better I would park on the outer edge of parking lots and walk into the store. Now I am grateful for a parking place near the entrance. I used to do that because people who had difficulty walking would have a better chance to park closer to the door. Now it is me that looks for a closer place. 

If we are fortunate and take care of ourselves along the way we will reach our senior years in much better shape than I find myself  now - but I feel very fortunate to have reached my senior years and still be mentally sharp and ambulatory even if it is painful. My mother used to tell me getting old isn't for sissies and now I realize just how right that is.