| Are you growing older less than gracefully? Yeah, me | | | | Even at that age, I knew something wasn't right |
| too. There are parts of my body that I forgot I had, | | | | about that diagnosis. I decided I shouldn't have to |
| suddenly making noises I am not prepared to hear. I | | | | take sedatives to get through the day and quit my |
| guess I should be happy I can still hear, which is not | | | | high stress job, After taking a couple of those pills I |
| a given, what with exposure to loud music and all | | | | threw them away; a drugged life is no life at all. I |
| that stuff. I seem to remember that my parents | | | | started going to the health food store and taking |
| made these strange noises at a much younger age | | | | saunas and swimming. Between working, riding my |
| though-like in their 40's. | | | | horse, karate and workouts in the gym, I was busy |
| The funny noises are multiplied when a bunch of my | | | | about 20 hours a day-and the 'arthritis' went away |
| same-age friends gather together. When we get up | | | | (imagine that). |
| after sitting at the table and all make the same | | | | Since that time, my body has been through more |
| noises it just tends to be one of those hilarious | | | | than its' share of calamities. The body is still carrying |
| moments. At least we can still laugh at ourselves and | | | | me through my necessary chores, even if it is |
| declare that we have 'become our parents'. | | | | complaining more than I like. Women have a |
| Perhaps it has taken us longer to make the sounds | | | | tendency to just ramp up the ability to tolerate pain; |
| of bodily discomfort because we grew up learning | | | | we notice it but tolerate it until it interferes with our |
| about nutrition from a more scientific basis. Most of | | | | ability to enjoy ourselves. Men just tend ignore it to |
| us gave up asking our doctors for nutritional advice | | | | begin with, until they can no longer function (and their |
| when it became apparent that they had little or no | | | | wives demand they get themselves to the doctor). |
| clue about what could bring about optimal health. | | | | But here's the thing: pain is NOT a normal part of |
| Why should they? They were not in the business of | | | | aging. Pain is the way your body tries to let you |
| optimizing health, they were in the business of | | | | know that something is not right. That means you |
| making money treating sick people. | | | | are supposed to do something about it, not ignore it. |
| When I was 21 and extremely athletic, my body | | | | That doesn't mean take drugs to suppress the pain, |
| started to hurt. Puzzled, I went to my doctor, who | | | | it means find out what the cause of the pain is and |
| laughed as he patronizingly patted my hand. "You're | | | | fix it. If the cause is not taken care of, the brain |
| just getting old," he chuckled, "there's nothing wrong | | | | starts to burn unhealthy neurological pathways of |
| with you." Getting old-at 21? The stunned look on my | | | | pain (not a good thing). |
| face at the very idea that I was aging made my | | | | Excuse me, my body is talking to me again. What's |
| doctor laugh even harder as he ushered me out of | | | | that? Oh yeah...time to go get a chiropractic |
| the office with a prescription for Phenobarbital, a | | | | adjustment and lose some of that excess weight, |
| barbiturate sedative drug. He told me I had | | | | and (shudder) get some exercise. |
| osteoarthritis. | | | | |