3 things in 9 days...

[Catrin]

So the unexpected events train that started 9 days ago continue...and yes, I'm complaining a bit. The new front brake rotors are great, though if I had known this would turn up I wouldn't have bought the new computer when the old one died. Did I mention that I DO have a timing belt (I was previously told that I had a timing CHAIN, which doesn't need replacing, but my information was wrong), and it will be time soon to replace mine. Better replaced before it breaks....

So to add to that mix I saw my podiatrist today. He is good, and considered conservative, and brought up the question of surgery for my Hallux Rigidis - bone spurs and stiffening of my 1st metatarsal joint (apparently my high arches really aren't helping as my feet became more arthritic). NOT ANOTHER FOOT SURGERY, and hopefully not another surgery of any kind. We will go the orthotic route again. He made the case for having it sooner rather than later but no. Just...no.

There was no doubt I had a problem with my foot, I just didn't expect him to start with surgery instead of the conservative approach - which certainly says something. At least I understand now why shoes have become such a problem, which is why I went.

Hopefully things will calm now, that's been three things in 9 days and my savings account is going the wrong direction. Better than the alternative though!

[emily_in_nc]

Ugh, Catrin, it's the old "when it rains it pours" syndrome. Seems to happen all the time.

I feel your (foot) pain. I have arthritic big toes and am pretty sure I have hallux limitus, though I've never been to a podiatrist, but I've had pain and less range of motion in that joint for years, much more on the right but occasionally on the left as well. It goes through periods of flaring up and then calming down; thankfully, lately has been a calm period. I would hate having to have surgery for it and hope I never have to. Hope you can postpone doing so for as along as possible also. I know how much you enjoy your hiking so would hate for you to be out of commission for any length of time!

[Catrin]

Thanks Emily! Even if I were to allow them to "fix" it, it would only be a temporary fix as it would return since it's a progressive arthritic condition. Earlier surgery would help keep my cartilage longer, but we aren't talking about a "simple" cleaning out of the joint. I've had one foot (heel) osteotomy and am not about to go there again unless things get so bad that I've no choice. I had no choice in 2004 but it it isn't THAT bad yet, and hopefully won't get there.

Hopefully the custom orthotics will make it easier to find shoes that don't hurt. The recent experiment to try and find shoes for pavement walking was an eye-opener - I went through 4 pairs (thankfully REI accepts returns) and my final choice isn't perfect but wearable. Hiking and kettlebell swings are my two main choices right now for exercise and it would be bad if I had to stop either.

[Pax]

I swear, this whole aging body thing is really annoying, isn't it? I want my 25 year old body and my current mind... is that too much to ask?

[Catrin]

I think that would be the perfect solution! I told one of my sisters last night that I've enough arthritis at 56 for all three of us, so they shouldn't have to worry about it. Thankfully they've been unable to find some underlying cause connecting it all, for which I'm thankful.

[emily_in_nc]

I swear, this whole aging body thing is really annoying, isn't it? I want my 25 year old body and my current mind... is that too much to ask?

I dunno, I think I want my 25-year old body AND mind. I'm not as sharp as I was back then. Wiser, perhaps, but as sharp at learning new things? Nope.

[shootingstar]

Hope the orthopedic, shoe way or non-surgery way helps, Catrin.
I'm still working on getting full night's sleep back..

[Pax]

I dunno, I think I want my 25-year old body AND mind. I'm not as sharp as I was back then. Wiser, perhaps, but as sharp at learning new things? Nope.

I find being forgetful to be handy, much less angst, I realize I forgot why I got up and walked out of the room... so just shrug and go get some wine. :D

[Catrin]

Hope the orthopedic, shoe way or non-surgery way helps, Catrin.
I'm still working on getting full night's sleep back..

Thanks Shootingstar. Even it doesn't help much, I figure that I can live with this for a long time to come yet. I remember WELL what my 2004 foot surgery recovery was like, too well!

[emily_in_nc]

I find being forgetful to be handy, much less angst, I realize I forgot why I got up and walked out of the room... so just shrug and go get some wine. :D

LOL...that works! :D

[Catrin]

I find being forgetful to be handy, much less angst, I realize I forgot why I got up and walked out of the room... so just shrug and go get some wine. :D

Sounds great to me :)

[Crankin]

I agree with your decision, Catrin, and you must have been surprised by his quick recommendation for surgery. Hope you get some relief.
I don't see any difference in my memory or cognition. In fact, I think it's actually better now. Not that I was dumb before (:)), but I think all that writing I did for my second master's, and being with young people have kept me on my toes.
Physically, I've had chronic, weird stuff since i was 15. It's just worse now, though I deal with it much better. I do think I have some arthritis, but mysteriously, it all gets better if I stop exercising so much! That won't happen, so I am used to it.

[Catrin]

I agree with your decision, Catrin, and you must have been surprised by his quick recommendation for surgery. Hope you get some relief.
I don't see any difference in my memory or cognition. In fact, I think it's actually better now. Not that I was dumb before (:)), but I think all that writing I did for my second master's, and being with young people have kept me on my toes.
Physically, I've had chronic, weird stuff since i was 15. It's just worse now, though I deal with it much better. I do think I have some arthritis, but mysteriously, it all gets better if I stop exercising so much! That won't happen, so I am used to it.

I think that anything we do to challenge our brains really helps with that as we get older, that is why they say it's so good to learn a new language. I don't have time for that...but I am finally starting to read all of that epic poetry that I've wanted to. Just completed a years read-a-long of The Odyssey (Fagles translation) with a few friends via a private FB page. Having finished that I've started The Faerie Queene (Spenser). That may not be in a foreign language but the vocabulary and spelling is archaic enough that I figure it can't hurt - although that isn't why I'm reading it. It's proving easier to follow than I had thought, though perhaps spending a year with Homer wasn't a bad way to start. THAT was interesting, we read a book every two weeks to make it easier for multi-tasking busy adults to keep up. At least that was the plan, only 2 out of 7 completed but I think everyone enjoyed what they read.

Interestingly enough, for me, all of my arthritis (and there is a lot of it) improves with exercise as long as I don't enter the over-use range. If I exercise too little then ALL of my arthritic pieces and parts complain. It's a challenging balance!

Yes Crankin, his recommendation was a bit of a surprise as he is quite conservative. There was no pressure or anything like that, and he only recommended it to conserve cartilage. He wasn't surprised at my response, I think he felt that he had to give me the option.

[emily_in_nc]

+1 on learning a new language! I've spent extensive time over the past couple of years learning Spanish, and living in Mexico for a year gave my brain a real workout. However, I can tell that learning Spanish has been harder for me than French was back in high school/college. I just don't have as good a memory as I did back then, though I still understand the concepts, of course.

I do lots of reading and although some of it is easy mysteries and such, I do try to challenge myself by reading historical fiction and other genres that are a bit more challenging. I'm currently participating in a 2016 "Read Harder" challenge that has had me reading things like science books, books by authors of different ethnicities, etc. It's been fascinating.

Since I'm no longer working, I have to try twice as hard to keep the old noggin active. Fortunately, traveling full-time as we do and planning for these travels, is also a great brain exercise; dealing with maps, finding our way around new places, and visiting historic sites, etc. Even cycling and figuring out routes has got to be as good a brain exercise as crossword puzzles, I think!

[ny biker]

+1 on learning a new language! I've spent extensive time over the past couple of years learning Spanish, and living in Mexico for a year gave my brain a real workout. However, I can tell that learning Spanish has been harder for me than French was back in high school/college. I just don't have as good a memory as I did back then, though I still understand the concepts, of course.

I'm trying to learn a new programming language for work, and am experiencing something similar. It seems to take more effort to learn complex things than it did years ago. Although I guess motivation and interest level is part of it -- I have no problem learning and remembering new roads in areas where I plan vacations or bike rides. And I agree that it is a great brain exercise dealing with maps and finding routes. (Honestly if I could find someone to pay me a decent wage to plan bike rides, I'd take it in a heartbeat.)

[emily_in_nc]

I'm trying to learn a new programming language for work, and am experiencing something similar. It seems to take more effort to learn complex things than it did years ago. Although I guess motivation and interest level is part of it -- I have no problem learning and remembering new roads in areas where I plan vacations or bike rides. And I agree that it is a great brain exercise dealing with maps and finding routes. (Honestly if I could find someone to pay me a decent wage to plan bike rides, I'd take it in a heartbeat.)

Yes, I agree with all of this! In my last few years at work (software engineering), I still learned a ton of new things -- different devices, protocols, etc, so my brain was obviously still firing on all cylinders. But the things that were less interesting to me, I tended to tune out, especially once I knew I was a short-timer. At that point, who cared? :D

And a job planning bike routes would be a blast -- have you ever thought of applying at Adventure Cycling? I remember seeing job ads for them in the past. Probably doesn't pay all that well, but what fun!