Things get interesting after 70

[question everything]

said my spouse's former internist some years back, before we turned 70.

OK, I thought. So I will walk more and jog less. I will walk slower. At the gym, the "heavy" weight will be 8 lb, not 10.

And then at a doctor's office she showed me a chart of the lymphatic system that I have seen before. But then she added: it gets old...

At another appointment the nurse practitioner (I always prefer nurse practitioners) said this was true. She came from geriatrics and there are physiological changes at the older bodies.

And then I noticed changes: that what used to be occasional skin infections are now permanent. And old dental work need to be replaced.. Hearing aids, old cataracts need to be lasered over (YAG).

Thus, when things don't work they way they used to I have to remind myself that my body cannot do or tolerate what it used to.

Last year, before the Covid we had some very cold days. Normally I would still go to the gym, dress appropriately. But I decided that perhaps I should be more careful in these cold days. Spouse had severe cold and I did not want to bring anything home.

And so, when we are told that the booster shots should be given to people with "compromised immune response" - well, this is us.

Another change - when you got to go you got to go. Hope Depends is not around the corner.