The effects of the aging process catch up to us all
By Lethbridge Herald on August 6, 2022.
LEAVE IT TO BEEBER
Al Beeber
Lethbridge Herald
Anyone who is reaching the age they can collect Canada Pension early knows what their body is starting to do.
As we get older, we aren’t the same people we were physically in our 20s or 30s or even 40s. Being able to age gracefully is a privilege so many people never get a chance to experience, their lives being shortened prematurely by disease or tragedy.
But for those of us who are creeping forward in our years, we know that we are dealing with limitations that we either never considered before or we used to dismiss.
A couple of us were talking about that while I was shooting the Raymond parade on July 1. Roy and I had driven around the route trying to find a place to park so I could take photos but after about 20 minutes, I told him I needed to use the bathroom. Ditto with Roy so we drove back to his house at the east end of town in a neighbourhood that didn’t exist when I was growing up there.
We got talking about the life changes we were both experiencing and it dawned on us that we are the people we used to either laugh about.
And when you’re young, it’s easy to make jokes about people who are aging. Being one who is the first to crack jokes about myself, I still do because life is too short not to be able to laugh.
But certain things that seniors end up dealing with unfortunately have happened to me.
Consider fluid intake for instance. I have one coffee a day at most and if I suspect I have to cover a lengthy assignment, not even one. And I know I’m not alone. Get together with friends and one of the first topics that inevitably comes up is how often we all have to get up in the middle of the night.
A few months ago, my optometrist discovered I have a cataract developing in one eye so instead of new corrective lenses at my next appointment, he’s going to be having me get surgery. I remember when my grandma had cataracts removed and she was way older than me – I think.
From what I’ve read and heard from experts, asthma medications can make a person more susceptible to cataracts but since I hardly take my meds – now there’s a seniors statement for ya – I’m more inclined to think it’s my advancing age.
Because of the cataract, I spend a lot of time taking turns closing my eyes out of paranoia to see if the vision is worsening in one. So far so good, I think. It’s definitely on my mind constantly and will be as time progresses.
Being a guy who suffers from misophonia, a sound sensitivity issue, I’m also getting more cranky when it comes to loud noises in the house.
I can’t bear hearing a television in another room or any loud noises at all. I first saw a doctor about this condition probably six years ago and its progressively getting worse and more annoying – and not just for me.
But I was also the first among my friends who needed hearing aids although more have since done testing and either gotten them or are thinking about it.
My hearing loss is in the middle tones which doesn’t ease the misophonia symptoms because I still hear the highs and lows all too clearly.
And of course, so many of my friends who are in the same age group have had or need hip replacements or new knees.
Today, I’ll be undergoing an MRI for my back and hip issues, one which was originally scheduled for next February but it was moved up because of urgency.
Part of me thinks it’s fantastic to get the MRI done earlier but that whole urgency thing is kind of worrisome since my luck is always bad.
So much for joking about aging – karma has bitten back big-time. But aging is a privilege and as we experience what life brings as we age, we need to face life with dignity grace and a sense of humour.
The aging process could be depressing if we let it but we need to go with the flow and make the best of every day we have.
As we age we may not be as robust as we were when we played hockey or softball or ran because we actually wanted to. But we can still live life on our terms. We just need to adapt.
Soon, my friends and I may be those people cruising 40 km/h down Scenic Drive or up Whoop-Up barely able to see over the steering wheel but we’ll be doing it with head-banging music cranked up loud and arthritic middle finger raised up high in return to the ones being shown to us.
With age comes knowledge and awareness and my generation is learning that just like generations before us did and generations after us will.
Our music, though, will always be better.
26-25
Mr. Beeber: “Grow old along with me – The best is yet to be – The last of life, for which the first was made.” – Browning. Thank you for posting this. For me, too soon I got old and too late smart.