When I was young, the habit of the old to cheerfully chat about medicines and operations seemed the most tedious past-time in the world. You're still alive! Go enjoy it! If you're feeling a breeze blowing off that undiscovered country -- seize the day and pick flowers while you may!
I still wouldn't put medicine among my top 100 topics. But now in my middle age (to be optimistic), I'm beginning to develop a mild scientific interest. It is not so strong yet that I feel like hanging around with doctors.
For instance, I discovered over the past year and a half that the skeleton and joints don't disfunction singularly, nor in pairs. Breakdowns run (or limp) in relays. When one gives up the ghost, it hands the baton off to the next ache, pain, or disability.
A year and a half ago my son and I hiked to a gorgeous lake in the North Cascades. It was a perfect day. Apart from the limp the rocky trail imparted to my left heel on the way down. Naturally I ignored it and kept hiking. Three doctors later, they agreed, as much as doctors ever do it seems, that I was dead. No, just joking. Two of three said I had a bone spur. And they all agreed, even the one who doubted that, what to do about it -- lots of rest, soak in hot water, and wait.
But I love the outdoors, and need exercise. So next came months of limping -- I refused to take an inexpensive taxi except at the worst -- and walking on grass and getting yelled at once for it, lots of soaking, and the nastiest shot I ever saw (the old ladies hanging out in the clinic ran out of the room when they saw that giant needle and the obviously radioactive bluish chemicals in it. Unfortunately, I didn't have that option.)
I needed alternative exercise.
So i started swimming in the excellent pool at the school at which I am now employed. Hardly anyone swims there, except in summer. I've been swimming regularly for almost a year. One goal was to swim a length underwater, and I met that.
Then the bone spur handed the baton off to my right knee, and to a lesser extent my left knee. I was relieved that the one finally faded -- mostly -- because I thought it might stay with me forever. But the knees concerned me at least as much. I thought like Luke Skywalker -- "My father had it, now you have it -- knee degeneration is strong with this one, Obiwan!"
Back to the doctors. I figured I'd need an operation, as Dad eventually got, but they looked at the XRay, and said no -- yeah, you guessed it -- stop walking so much. Especially don't climb mountains. (And I had hardly climbed any this year!) Swimming is OK.
The bone spur, having run its race, continued jogging for several months, more relaxed, feeling no great rush to add to my im-ped-iment.
So back to the swimming pool! Now I reached my greater goal, swimming two miles in a day. Mind you, I still couldn't avoid climbing the occasional small mountain. I only walked more than 10 miles once all through 2019, a day of truly awesome scenery and photography in Rhododendron nirvana. I also took some Ibuprofin, very occasionally, and gave acupuncture a try, both of which seemed to help some.
And now, thank God, that one seems to have disappeared, too! (At least for now.)
Except for the new pain, in the left elbow and (worse) left shoulder. This has kept me mostly out of the swimming pool, aside from a one kilometer swim or two, half strokes with the left arm, the past two weeks.
So I've gone back to climbing the little mountain behind my apartment, or at Temple Rock, or walking along the beach at Old Stone Man. I'm looking forward to getting home in a week, and hitting the cross-country ski trails with my sons and / or the dog.
Impressive relay, gents. Take a break, please, aches and pains. I won't say, break a leg.
And I don't fear the shoulder pain as much: this has the feel of one that shifts around and comes and goes, which I've weathered before. I've been slowed down, but not stopped, and I don't walk with my arm.