It sucks growing old

[johnpcapitalist]

For some reason yesterday afternoon I just wasn't paying attention and I tried to walk down those steps as normal and the next thing I knew my heel slipped right over the front of the step, I landed on my back, which hit the hard edge of one of the steps, slid down almost all the way to the bottom (the rooms all have 10 foot or more to the ceiling in this house, so, very long steps), and have carpet rash all over the backs of both arms as well as all the bruises.

Not sure if that's due to age, but I'm going with that as my excuse for why it happened. Otherwise what? Dumbass?

I don't think it's old age at all. I have had occasional falls on stairs most of my adult life, though I've never broken anything. It's not vertigo or anything like that. I do have extremely large feet, plus a tendency to wear socks in the house, which I'm sure are contributing factors. But I think the cause is going too fast or not paying attention. All it takes is one instant when you're not completely focused and something can happen. My home office is like yours -- in a furnished attic with steep stairs. Even on regular stairs (not just on steep ones like you describe), I always go down with my right foot first, with my body diagonally across the stairs. And even with all that caution, every so often I will stumble.

[MN-Skeptic]

Mrs asks me what day is it every morning.

I blame that on the pandemic. Pre-pandemic I had exercise class three times a week and that helped me keep track of what day it was. With nothing on my schedule, it's been a challenge to identify what day it is upon awaking. But that's the first thing I do each morning - think about what I did yesterday, what TV shows I watched for example, or was it garbage day - in order to identify what day of the week today is.

[johnpcapitalist]

Mrs asks me what day is it every morning.

I blame that on the pandemic. Pre-pandemic I had exercise class three times a week and that helped me keep track of what day it was. With nothing on my schedule, it's been a challenge to identify what day it is upon awaking. But that's the first thing I do each morning - think about what I did yesterday, what TV shows I watched for example, or was it garbage day - in order to identify what day of the week today is.

I don't want to make light of things if one of our members is dealing with a serious health issue affecting memory, in line with the overall tradition of this community.

However, MN-Skeptic echoes something I hear frequently among people who aren't diagnosed with a cognitive issue. Some call it "the Covid blur," where days with little going on run together into an endless gray haze. Even whole months are blurring together as well. For me at work, endless zoom meetings, most of which involve people with cameras off to hide either multitasking due to boredom or way-too-casual dress, make it hard to remember what is going on. I have to rely on extensive notes which I check frequently, because I don't have visual memory of things like what people were wearing, where I sat in the conference room, etc.

At home, I frequently need to check what day it is to figure out whether I'm cooking dinner for my partner or whether it's her turn to cook for me. I have multiple weekly alarms set on my phone for garbage night, etc. I never had that before.

If you're not dealing with a real health condition, it's possible you're experiencing something a lot of others are wrestling with. I used to know what day of the week it was, but after two years of isolation, I have to think for a little bit.

[Foggy]

Huh.

Alexa can tell me what day and time it is, which day of the week, whether or not it's raining or sunny or dark, all kinds of stuff.

But I always know, because I think about that stuff before I get out of bed. I have to work out 4 days a week. Ol' Wifehorn and I alternate cat feeding and other chores (today is my day for workout and cats).

Today is Friday, we get takeout for dinner, alternating Chinese and (usually) Mexican, we gave up on Panera Bread, they're always out of whatever you want. Today is Mexican day, so I'm on top of that.

The recycling bin is every other Tuesday, I'm always conscious of whether this Tuesday is "blue can day" or not. This coming Tuesday is not. But we will have a Virtual Meetup, I schedule those on Sunday.

And I spend time now and then figuring out what day of the week the first of next month is. March 1st is on Tuesday. March 20th is the Vernal Equinox. I am on top of this shit.

Honestly, the life I live, I couldn't function if I wasn't able to instantly tell you the date and time and what the meaty urologists say about the weather for the next few days. If there's any chance of snow I gotta move the cars!

[neonzx]

Huh.

So a few months ago I was hanging out with a couple friends in a hot tub. And we were were talking some deep topics, but they have an Alexa device thing out there. I said "Alexa!, are you eavesdropping?" .. She didn't answer so I changed the conversation.

[filly]

A friend recently took his 93 year old mother in for cognitive testing:

"What day of the week is it?"

Answer: I don't know

"What month is it?"

Answer: I don't know.

"What season is it?"

Answer: I don't know.

"Now I am giving you a pen and please write a sentence on this piece of paper."

She writes: "It's time to go!"

[Foggy]

Yes, but people like that often have crystal clear memories of things that happened 50 or 75 years ago. I bet she's a really interesting lady.

[Mrich]

Yes, but people like that often have crystal clear memories of things that happened 50 or 75 years ago. I bet she's a really interesting lady.

My dad can't remember he ate lunch 10 minutes ago, but I love to hear his stories about growing up in the 30s. He played on a baseball team that went to the state prison to play their team, and he said those were the most well behaved ball players he'd ever seen. And several years ago, the last time he saw his brother (8 years ago; he was 84 and his brother was 90), they talked for hours about the trouble they got into together as kids. It was hilarious!

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

Hubby's Mom is 91. When she begins storytelling, we begin recording.

[Shizzle Popped]

A couple of years ago my mom, who suffered from advanced dementia, was in the hospital following a stroke. They came around one morning to do a cognitive test and started asking a whole bunch of questions there was no way she would know the answer to. We had explained about the dementia before they started the test. They came around to the year:

Doctor: What year is it?
Mom: 1994 (With absolutely no hesitation.)
Doctor: Who is president?
Mom: Bill Clinton

I couldn't remember right off the top of my head but she was right about who was president in 1994.

That kind of cognitive test following a stroke is kind of meaningless for a patient several years into dementia. I moved to where my mom couldn't see me but was in the doctor's field of view and shook my head every time she asked a question my mom wouldn't have known the answer for before her stroke.

[jez]

My turn for growing old issues.

I have developed a new hernia. This one is along my hip/upper thigh. Called an Inguinal Hernia. Yeah, it's as loverly as it sounds. I thought at first it was just another HS cyst/lesion. Nope. Kept getting bigger and bigger and more hurty. Called the surgeon that fixed my umbilical hernia last year (almost exactly a year ago, actually) and described it to the nurse. She said sounds like an inguinal hernia, come on in on Tuesday. So, looking at another surgery, probably in a couple of weeks.

On the plus side, I'll make my deductible and out of pocket by the end of the month.

[AndyinPA]

Good luck!

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

Keep us posted, jez!

[Foggy]

Heal quickly, Jez!!

[jez]

So, no hernia. He had no idea what it is. He want me to have some scans done, so looking forward to that.

[AndyinPA]

Still wishing you good luck!

[jez]

So. Update. In short, the butt swiftly expanded with a cyst/ abscess/blister/whatever and as I was about to go to the ER for excise and drain, it went boom.

All the bodily fluids leaking. never got any better, pain for worse. I am in the hospital since ER visit Saturday. Surgery tomorrow to try and clean the crap out. Because it is still draining heavily.

[Phoenix520]

Ow, ow, ow!

[AndyinPA]

Feel better soon.

[Estiveo]

[Lani]

YIKES!! Hope the hospital is giving you some good drugs and the operation helps.

[raison de arizona]

Ack, sorry to hear that jez! Hope they can fix you up and make you feel better soon.

[roadscholar]

You’ll get past this, hon.

[p0rtia]

[Kriselda Gray]

So. Update. In short, the butt swiftly expanded with a cyst/ abscess/blister/whatever and as I was about to go to the ER for excise and drain, it went boom.

All the bodily fluids leaking. never got any better, pain for worse. I am in the hospital since ER visit Saturday. Surgery tomorrow to try and clean the crap out. Because it is still draining heavily.

Oh yikes!! I'm sorry you're having to deal with this and I hope you get better quickly!!!!