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Profile picture for trooperdogg1960 @trooperdogg1960

@diverdown1 Beautiful picture! Ain't it fun gettin' old?! All I got is lumbar radiculopathy, lumbar and cervical degenerative disc disease, esophageal lukoplakia, vitreous degeneration in left eye, vitreous opacities right eye, age related nuclear cataract left eye, spondylitis without myelopathy, restless legs, peripheral polyneuropathy, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, idiopathic peripheral neuropathy, osteoarthritis, severe spinal stenosis, and trigger finger. Thats just the current stuff. Now with all those, I seem to forget things alot. I get angry and frustrated easily. My feet burn when I sit and get extremely painful when I lay down. The epidurals I get only help a little. Other than that Im fit as a fiddle. I dont let these stop me from participating as an organ donor, previously through CORE KidneyUCLA, Mayo Organ Center in Scottsdale and now active at Scripps Green Hospital in La Jolla CA. I fight mental fog and depression using neuroplasticity exercises. This involves using my non-dominate hand, taking new routes, experiencing new things to create new neural pathways and build new neurons through neurogenesis. This fights depression as it strengthens my agency. Physical activity is daily regardless of pain and motivation. You gotta keep moving in order to keep moving. And I cant stress enough, Motion is Medicine. I fight depression by fighting depression. Its a mindset. Removing negativity by removing negative words from my vocabulary. I dont create new hobbies but I expand the hobbies I enjoy. Walking every day around our lake in nature has been the most therapeutic both emotionally and physically. When I hurt, I walk. When Im angry I walk, Mindfulness while walking is an amazing tool. I wish someday to see the Caribbean from a boat as you did. Perhaps, I will. Someday.

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Replies to "@diverdown1 Beautiful picture! Ain't it fun gettin' old?! All I got is lumbar radiculopathy, lumbar and..."

Great post Trooper!

My lumbar spine is a disaster area - stenosis, spondylolisthesis, scoliosis, degenerative disc disease, and on and on. I've had both knees, right hip and left shoulder replaced. (No lumbar fusion yet as I maintain a strong set of core muscles.) When I was in my 30s and 40s I ran and finished 25 marathons with a personal best of 2 hours and 51 minutes.

I'm 71 now and my last marathon was January 1999 in Carlsbad - just up the road from La Jolla!

Now I'm in the gym - 5x/week on a spin bike/45 minute HIIT sessions, work with a trainer 2x/week, and get "dry needled" twice a month.

Things are good as long as I believe they are good. Of course aging brings its share of problems and pain. Aging also brings the gift of perspective and gratitude.

You sound like a very grateful person Trooper, ailments aside. That takes incredible courage! Thanks for writing and thanks for your inspiration!

Joe