2001-05-25 - 23:14 MDT

THE WONDERING JEW

Busy Age

Sometimes it seems the older we get, the busier we become taking care of our health or attempting to.

On the thirtieth of May, we will go to the Twin Cities to Mayo Clinic for a second opinion on what ever it is that Heather has been coping with for years. Doctors here don't seem to be arriving at any conclusions that mean anything. We will be gone from the 30th to the 8th of June. Now the circle of tests has started over in our town and we are headed to the mouth of the horse to see if they can make a proper diagnosis.

She has been periodically laid up for a few days, occasionally going into hospital to get rehydrated when she is gastrically ill. Most of the time she is functional but seems to be fatigued trying to do what she deems needs to be done.

I just was at our clinic today having the preliminary cast work done for a prosthetic device to cope with foot drop. Ticks me off that I can't get that one foot high enough off the floor to keep from stumbling and falling when tired. Normally I can cope by doing a high step on that leg and looking ridiculous, have fallen on the rug a time or two and was unhurt but see the need to do what they say.

Seems like both Heather and I need to keep a calendar with appointments and match them up with each other about once a week. Some times she will drop me off to an appointment and go do what she needs to do, often to another Dr's appointment at one of the other of our HMO's clinics. I take a book and a note pad to while away the time, no big problem -- usually I can get to the snack bar for coffee and goodies and then find a decent seat in good light and get lost in the world of fiction -- which nowadays doesn't seem to be as strange as truth (as we know it).

We look around us though and see so many people younger than us in so worse conditions than we are, that we give thanks that we are still able to be up and around trying to help each other.

Of course there are those people who are physically fit but are dealing with deeper problems in their life who are behind the eight ball one way or another.

Heather and I are among the lucky few who are at the moment, unthreatened. Not dreading another shoe being dropped but going about our business of coping and caring.

Realizing one's limitations and living within their parameter is one helluva big job for us, but we reluctantly do -- or suffer the consequences.

So we smell the roses along the way and rag each other a bit, while hobbling and dragging along. Limitations do not mean to us to be kept from having fun and good humor. In fact sometimes it seems to add to it.

So, for a week we will see new sights, meet new people and find a moment or two for fun.

Old Age is truly a Busy Age . . . . . . .

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