Aging is not for the faint of heart. Whether you’re approaching middle age, knee deep in the thick of it, or somewhere beyond – you know what I’m talking about. Physical changes that seemingly appear overnight. Insidious and somewhat subtle changes that unsuspectingly sneak up and catch you off guard. Like those little aches and pains that cause you to exclaim, “Whoa, what the heck was that?!?” Or, the sudden appearance of a few wrinkles here and some grey hairs there. Not to mention those pesky 5-10 pounds you simply cannot lose. Alas, aging happens to us all and unfortunately, there's not much we can do about it. Surprisingly, however, getting older also shows up in other unsuspecting places.
I've heard people are taking statins to lower cholesterol – know anything about those? Whenever I meet with my girlfriends, our conversations typically include a litany of current health issues. It never fails. We talk about our individual health issues, the health issues of family members, and sometimes the health issues of other friends. And, we don't discriminate – we talk about it all. High blood pressure. Colonoscopies. Blood sugar and PSA levels. Heartburn. The number of weeks we had to wait for an appointment to see our doctors. Everything.
When did this happen? Think back to the time when you were in your 20's or 30's. Can you imagine being a 25-year-old swingin' guy or gal, at a cool, hip, and groovy party – talking about your cholesterol levels? When I was a little girl, I remember hearing my older relatives talk about stuff like this. Never in my wildest dreams did I realize that years later – I would become one of them.
Aaargh! The evidences of getting older are not necessarily staring back at you when you look into the mirror. Who knew?
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