Aches and pains

Tomorrow starts my 'birthday week'.  Now I don't think we should celebrate birthdays for an entire week.  Normally it is just another day.  However, the greater number my age, the more I may need to increase it from one day to a weekend to a FULL ON week.  I declare that if I hit 90, I will celebrate a birthday month.

Once again, this age of my body has been on my mind.  I know that I am not by any means OLD.  I think I fit in the "middle age" category.  Of course that is also about perspective.  The older one gets, the range of middle age gets older.

The question of the day for me surrounds aches and pains.  Is it in an inevitability that I will ALWAYS wake up in the morning with something that is stiff and sore?  From my foot to my knee to my back to my shoulder -- they all take their turns at being stiff and sore in the morning.  I can't remember the last time I got out of bed and thought "I feel good today".

I have tried various remedies.  Medication, chiropractic, ultrasound, a new mattress...nothing seems to be working.  I am going to move into acupuncture and some other alternative remedies real soon.  And the idea of a hot tub has now entered my brain to be able to loosen up some of those crusty joints.

What does that tell me about the shell that is my body?  I believe I had a previous blog that lamented about my frustration with this.  And I still have those frustrations and regret regarding habits around exercise and eating.  However, I think I may have moved in to an acceptance.  I have accepted that I will be achy forever.  But do I really need to feel that way?

I know reader, you will have all kinds of ideas - exercise, don't eat junk, stop drinking wine (WHAA???) - and they are excellent ideas.  Today, I can't imagine an intense bit of exercising because I can barely walk most days until about 7:30 am when the fluid "gets a movin'" or coffee gets on-board.  So then I get in this vicious cycle of less exercise - more pain - less exercise - more stiffness - less exercise - weight gain - negative self-talk - less exercise.  UGH!

So I resolve (because it is that time of year right?) to deal with the aches and pains the best I can and move through what ever will be.   To find some movement that can be done in spite of the aches - swimming perhaps?  Serious about that hot tub perhaps?  Drink more wine perhaps?  Just kidding -- maybe.

I also need to remember a little perspective in 1910, I would have reached my life expectancy and would have been considered elderly.  When you think about it that was only 100 years ago.

I will celebrate this 47th birthday (48 if you count the first one) with as much vim and vigor as I can muster and gear up for the 5-0 because it will be here BEFORE I know it.  OH! MY!