After my accident in January, I slowly recovered during the months of March and April. Then I got cocky, walked too far, did too much in the gym and started golf (par 3 course) too soon. Major setback.
When we went to the mountains in mid-July, I was a mess. My shoulders hurt, my left elbow would go into spasm and my right bicep was extremely painful, even when I lifted something as small as a can of soup. I was discouraged.
Then I got to thinking. Were my difficulties the result of the accident or were they normal for a person 80 years old? How was I to know? This is the first time I’ve been 80.
On the drive to Cashiers, North Carolina, I had to grab my shirt with my right hand, as if that arm were in a sling, to avoid excruciating pain. When we got to our condo, getting up and down from the chairs and sofas was almost impossible. I didn’t want to be there. Then two things happened.
When I was unloading the cooler from the car, I felt something that felt like a tear in my bicep. I thought I was a goner, but the next day I was better. My bicep didn’t hurt much at all. Then I started antibiotics for an intestinal infection, probably caused by my three-week stay in the hospital and rehab in January. Within two to three days, I started feeling better overall. When we returned from the mountains, I was a new person.
Now, I’m playing golf again and scoring as well as last year (still on a par 3 course); I’m walking 1 ½ miles three times a week and working out in the gym, although I’m being cautious with upper-body exercises. I have energy again and am getting projects done around the house. I haven't started working on my book, but I’m doing some planning.
If this is what it’s like to be 80 years, I’m in.
Seasoned Man
stevelem117@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment