Problems Experienced in Ageing and Retirement

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Boofy

New Member
hi all,

What problems do you face in retirement and ageing that you never thought about?
For myself who was always active and fit their whole life, the aches, soreness and decline in body capability. Never realized how important it would be to be fully capable in the back quarter.

Other things that get me day to day are maintenance on the home and meeting people that are still young in spirit.
Loving playing chess these days and keeping fit.

Be interested to hear what problem faced on the road.
 
You pretty much covered what I've discovered. At 76, I've finally learned no more lifting 50# feed sacks. My lower back is still grousing at me days later.

There are also the weather extremes. The body regulatory system isn't all that sharp at adjusting to high or low temps.
 
Welcome to SF Boofy, nice you found us.
My hardest hit frustration was having to slow down. What I used to do in 20 minutes
now takes hours or even days (like painting a room). I just had to look at it different.
When I could do it in 20 minutes, I had a hundred other things I had to get done.
Now I have all this spare time so it doesn't matter how long it takes. Do it slow, do it
right and rest if I need to.

1-no-strangers.jpg
 
Old age is a mixed bag, sometimes affectionately described as not for sissies, that rushes up on you, knocks you over, and runs off laughing. It is a time when the back goes out more than I do, but the view from the top of the mountain is much better.
Here's my perspective on the limitations of getting older:

People say old age is a new stage of opportunity and strength, but I’m mostly looking for my glasses, which are usually on my head. The great thing about hearing loss is that you don’t have to listen to people complaining about getting old. Afternoon nap time is not laziness; it’s a high-stakes, strategic, and a mandatory cruise from the recliner. Then there are the "noises."Every time I stand up, I sound like a bowl of Rice Krispies, snap, crackle, and pop.

The Social and Mental Perks: Experts call it down-aging, which is a fancy way of saying you act like you're 40 while your joints act like they're 90.
When you get older, you shed many skins: ego, arrogance, and the need to care what anyone thinks of you. My idea of a thrilling Friday night now involves watching a documentary about the Roman Empire and going to bed by 9:00 PM. As a senior, I now have the right to look completely baffled by new technology and still get help from younger people who secretly think I’m cute.
 
Like Boofy I have always been active and up until recently have personally done all the house repairs and upkeep as well as maintained our 30 acres of woodlands but as I start into my 80th year I now find that its not so easy. After 10 or 15 min of 'work' my back or knees say stop, half way to go to do something I stop and wonder what I was going to do, I have 3 reading aids, distance glasses, reading glasses, and magnifying glass and still cant read the print on the pill bottles or read the TV menu without getting up closer.
Given all that I still realise how fortunate I am to still be able to get around and do a little here and there at my age as I know of a number of much younger folks who have much larger daily challenges than myself. Keep using what is still working as much as you can, the use it or loose it seems to be very good advise, keep on keeping on folks.
 
I don't know, maybe it's because I was pretty much exclusively raised by an old person, but I've been dreading the aches, annoyances, and indignities of old age for a long time. So I guess my frustration is with those elderly who are surprised by those things now that they're old. What, you thought you were going to be that one-half of the one percent who escaped that in your old age?

My husband is like that even though I've been trying to warn him about all this for some time; he is just flabbergasted when he finds he can no longer do the physical stuff he used to. I just don't understand why people don't see this coming. Is it because they were never exposed to old people when they were growing up?
 
Interesting question, ripley. I think we all saw plenty of old people, we just never connected the infirmities with ourselves. We know if we're lucky enough to survive that long, old age is coming, but we're never really emotionally prepared for it. Except for those folks who have always been "old," even when they were young. 😄
 
Sunny said:
but we're never really emotionally prepared for it.
Click to expand...
I think that some of us are; I know that the people I met who were starting to think about it while still young and planning how to deal with it were all women. All of the men I've ever met seem(ed) to think they're all gonna be Superman 'till the day they die.
 
Some great thoughts in here...
I feel like 20-30 was slow.
Then kids 30-50 just flew.
50.... started moving really fast along with the realisation that time was now not in favour.

I always felt like I had good tolerance to risk in my health, trying new things and business but later in the game I look back and wish I had of just taken so much more risk and tried way more things.. we probably all feel that way to a degree but getting on I look back and ask what was I really scared of - we all dying so why did you not do the things you wanted more so.

I guess wisdom and perspective sharpen later on as does intuition around things, people and the world.
Shame we don't get that edge in our 20's or worse, shame we don't listen to those with said wisdom.
 
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