Getting old isn’t for sissies…or snowflakes
July 13, 2019
….its funny (kinda) that after all the years living in my remote cabin it is in the middle of civilization that I find myself needing help, and trust me it truly was not a good experience. Going to bed after a week or more of pain free life one did not expect to waken to a body that was weak and at times felt like I would collapse. Then add to that the off the chart pain in my hips, back and shoulders and you have the makings of a somewhat new experience for me.
I say somewhat because way back when I was doing the finishing work on Roses cabin apparently my brain decided to shut down for a bit and I left the door to the porch open where the generator was running. I think you get the picture… first my legs felt like rubber and I was down on my knees as I crawled over the the WW11 German field phones we had set up. Rose was down as if almost by teleportation and got me out into the fresh air I still could not talk coherently but she figured it out that the generator was the cause. She drove me over to the Aleska pipeline pump station, which has a full time medic on duty and he put me on oxygen and within an hour or so I was back in shape.
Yesterday however I fought my pain and breathing problem for a couple hours but it just worsened and I called my son to come over. I figured he could take me to the local commercial ER if it continued to worsen. But like a concerned son he called ahead to 911 and the EMT’s beat him to my apartment. Long story kinda short, they got me to a hospital ER and found my normal heart problems were not the cause and I left almost cured because….. during the night my massive headaches came back. But personal diagnosis came to the conclusion nothing more than a sinus headache caused by an infection.
Moral of this story is
you never know
when you may wake up
and it could be
your
last day
on life’s road
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Glad you’re ok. Getting old with assorted health issues is (as we said in the Army) “part of the drill.” But, it’s tougher to deal with than I once thought. Being thankful for what we can do, coupled with little victories when they happen, helps get me through. Still, there are days when I get out of bed in the morning “wondering” You built endurance by living in Alaska. I did it by being in the Army for almost thirty years. So, we both suck it up and move on. It pisses me off when young people today freak out when some truly minor and insignificant thing happens to “ruin their day.” Like they only get ten “likes” on a stupid Social Media post. Good luck dudes when one day you get diagnosed with serious cancer or heart disease. These unfortunate people are doing nothing to develop endurance while they can. So, you are 100% correct. Getting old sucks and is tough.
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Thanks for giving me a laugh this morning when you wrote about their ruined day because of only ten likes…. excellent observation of the snowflakes of today, opps I mean the youth of today.
…and as you said “Getting old sucks and is tough”
but I would humbly add
and with no choice we must put our heads down and take
whatever comes our way on life’s road.
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Glad you’re better. Another reminder to make every day count. We don’t know how many we have left.
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Amen and its a shame we do not start to think seriously about this until we get older
who knows we might have made different choices earlier in life.
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Wow, that’s more than a little unnerving. Like the above posts, I’m glad you’re ok too, Pete. Must’ve scared the crap out of you though.
Like Mike said, this stuff shows up more & more as time & age advance and most of us are reluctant to call for medical thinking it’ll pass. Times though when it’s necessary.
Glad you’re ok.
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Geez, Pete! So glad your son is handy now – a wonderful help and backup for you. Take care :-)
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Thanks Terry and I am sure if I was still in Alaska my daughter would do the same.
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Very true, Pete… Be thankful for each, and every day. I try to make each one productive at least in some small way.
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I only wish I could be productive but I just can not seem to get active again and I beleiev thats the reason for the visit by the EMT’s
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Hi Pete,
Your comment is so damned true.
You Never know what comes next…
Therefore Carpe Diem !
73 Uwe
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