Old
- by L.A. Law
- Posted on December 1, 2016
Old is a relative term. I never feel old. I feel young, vibrant, invincible. That’s why it took me by surprise one day 5 years ago when I was having trouble breathing and a pain in my chest. I ended up with lungs full of blood clots. Pulmonary Embolism. Fine one day, in the hospital the next and on the finest narcotics. I didn’t see that coming. I was eating healthy, walking on my lunch hour, and doing Pilates. I wasn’t the typical pulmonary embolism candidate and had no prior symptoms. I made a full recovery which took many months, almost a full year to get back to my prior self.
In the middle of that recovery, I began taking a ballet class. Dancing is a great form of recovery therapy! I practiced ballet for 2 years. I eventually stopped because I moved and the distance was just too far for my schedule. Since then, I have taken up hiking, tried hula hooping, and an exercise class. I don’t do these things everyday but I try to keep in shape in between my hectic and busy life. I could do better. But again, I feel young, vibrant, invincible. That’s why I didn’t think much about it when my lower back started bothering me a few weeks ago.
It was giving me a problem last spring so I went to the chiropractor for a few visits and it felt much better. When it started acting up again I tried some stretching and exercising and it felt better but then came back. I decided to go back to the chiropractor. It initially helped but then the pain increased. I went from being at work, walking and sitting and then the very next day, I could barely walk and could not sit or stand. After an MRI, I discovered I have a herniated disk. It is putting pressure on my sciatic nerve. I did not see all that coming! My back has bothered me periodically throughout my life but I never thought it would ever be so serious! I have been in bed for 2 weeks now, going a little crazy.
So much for feeling invincible. Maybe there was warning signs all along that I missed? Maybe I have to pay better attention to my body. Does this make me old? I suddenly feel old. Maybe once I can move around again those feelings of being young, vibrant and invincible will return. And maybe I will keep them in a reality check and listen better to what my body is trying to tell me.
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Old is a relative term. I never feel old. I feel young, vibrant, invincible. That’s why it took me by surprise one day 5 years ago when I was having trouble breathing and a pain in my chest. I ended up with lungs full of blood clots. Pulmonary Embolism. Fine one day, in the hospital…