Coping with age & serious illness. Anyone positive want to share?

Ageing and adjusting to a new normal is a challenge. Have had a bad concussion, heart issues, and just getting
through hormone and chemo for prostate cancer. Biggest issues are fatigue and depression.
Have done cycle touring since 2006 and would like to return to that.
My ever caring wife, positive friends, getting out for walks every day, hoping for a better future.
Is a never ending battle to find root cause for symptoms. Wish you the best.

Hello,
Aging is all about loss and letting go for me.
To me aging is about adapting to having less close relationships and less connections. But it's also about less responsibility for others and more time for myself!
I went through a divorce 2 years ago, through the loss of my three best friends and last year the loss of my dog. My health is declining and I live with daily pain. Yet, I do not take medications.
I turned towards traditional means of looking after myself. It keeps my mind clear.
Embracing aging means that I am learning to accept and embrace the loss of mobility, solitude and connection. Instead, I am embracing myself these days.
I live alone, but I am never lonely.
Please feel free to connect is this resonates with you.

@karinweiss
Good afternoon Karinweiss,
I appreciate your candidness in your writing; being honest with oneself and being introspective regarding who you really think you are can be a new and positive begining in your life. Everyone ages naturally and true, we can realize that some of our capabilities are diminishing but there are so many more aspect to we human beings then we think. I too enjoy being alone but unlike when I was younger and dreamed about a life alone in the wilds of different countries and locations, once I experienced those conditions, I could not possibly thrive without others; including pets.
Throughout the eighties I was involved in several different adventures throughout South America and those experiences helped repair my then broken self. I am 80 now and have a wonderful life with my Gal whom I met in 1990. I could never live my life alone again. We are a tribal people: I am Italian, French and Native American. I faced life and death situations, cancer, waring activities, other illness and life threatening medical procedures, a triple by-pass and so on. I would have given up at the end of my 80's adventures but when I met my Gal, i realized that sharing ones life with others, fulfills our completness. We ride our three wheeled recuments about 100 miles per week, stay in fairly good shape. Yes were slower, I am in pain fairly frequently, refused meds like you, good choice, but we just keep going. We stay involved within our community. I have a permanent colostomy, walk with two canes anyplace I choose to go, yet I am not through yet.
Please don't feel alone, don't resort to just being with you. You, all of us are so much more dynamic than we think we are, we just have to keep putting our selves out there. Take a walk in nature, sit by a stream or a fireplace. smile at folks as you pass bye, and help others when you can. By giving of ourselves to others, either in service or simple conversations, or simply saying hi to a stranger is so beneficial for everyone including you.
Pick a day to do something with someone else, even a stranger: go to your market and strike up a conversation with a stranger and engage everyone you pass along the way. A smile really helps. Just try something, as my gal puts, who is celebrating her 15th year of sobriety, "move a muscle, change a mood."
Write back and let me know how your doing. Please!
Sincerely, Jofree

Hello,
Aging is all about loss and letting go for me.
To me aging is about adapting to having less close relationships and less connections. But it's also about less responsibility for others and more time for myself!
I went through a divorce 2 years ago, through the loss of my three best friends and last year the loss of my dog. My health is declining and I live with daily pain. Yet, I do not take medications.
I turned towards traditional means of looking after myself. It keeps my mind clear.
Embracing aging means that I am learning to accept and embrace the loss of mobility, solitude and connection. Instead, I am embracing myself these days.
I live alone, but I am never lonely.
Please feel free to connect is this resonates with you.

@karinweiss I so agree with you, Karin. I worked good jobs all my life, and took my precious dusabled brother to San Diego with me for 13 yrs, was his Caregiver but daily monitored his nursing home messes (i took him with me since our sweet Mom was losing memory & he couldn't continue;( ; our sister took over both of them. However, she & brother did nit get along!). Altho i had a Strong Power of Attorney, My 2 younger daughters took my Brother away when he complained & eventually placed him in a nursing home! He was not happy after awhile. I had everything set up for him with me! I went back to work part-time but moved him to another home closer to my employer (which my CEO recommended. They were awful! So I found a Last home for him there from where I relocated him back to Albuquerque After they let him fall Two times breaking his toes, then his Rt.leg, from which he never walked again!) I could be rich if I had sued several bad entities! Back home to NM, he was hospitalized monthly for 7 yrs., and he finally gave up! He is now in Heaven and I am Alone. Missing him big time! I fell twice while caring fir him and fractured my sacrum, from which I've not recovered, am using a cane & my sweet 'adopted' Sister bought me a walker. I am Type2 Diabetic, now suffer from leg & toe severe pain. Went to PT for 2+ months paying $160 per month with zinsursnce, mind you Dr's don't know how to handle our health issues..I rely on Mayo Clinic's advice Better and I doctor my own pains. I don't want amputation, so pretty much I watch my diet. Its not sugar, its that our arteries/veins collapse and the blood flow doesn't circulate to our feet & toes. I research! Now I'm using heat and my own nice massager which my precious Number One Daughter got me yrs ago. This wk my Dr referred me to Vascular and a Podiatrist But l'll see what they recommend (Not Surgery!), then I'll do my own thing, as I've learned! Such a long story here. God bless you and your own wisdom als🙏🥰

I posted a comment a while ago about ageing and serious illness (hi @arollingf). I am 72, have had pipolar disotrder since my teens, and have recently been diagnosed with ALS. At the moment I am quite well - I am in the early stages of ALS and my bipolar disorder is well under control with medication. And I am getting older. It is hard to work out sometimes whether my odd symptoms are because of my two illnesses or simply because of old
age. Should I fight like a tiger, or simply accept that I am no longer the enthusiastic, active person I was when I was 40? My future is so unpredictable it is hard to plan for anything mor than a month in advance. I live from day to day. I still see family and friends and go out for meals, concerts and plays, but with a limited lifespan it is hard to prioritize how to spend the precious time I have left. I don't want to be an Old Lady watching television all day, but if I exert myself too much I end up exhausted. So I have a triple whammy to deal with (my late husband died 5 years ago). Anyone have any comments or suggestions for me? Anyone else dealing with multiple issues at once? I will conclude by wishing evryone a joyous Christmas, and good halth and much happiness in the New Year.
Ellu

@ellu. Hi, I just joined this. I relate to your post and your concerns. Im almost 65 and have a rare neurological disorder that is worsening. However, I have adapted to the changed and limitations by expanding my online zoom and streaming life. I now have friends all over the world I engage with daily or weekly in classes of interest to me, seminars , and just chatting time. I don’t have to worry anymore about not being able to get somewhere or have enough energy. I can lay on the couch and connect. Cell phone great too for having conversations via text or voice when I have one
Feel free to reply and I can provide more info. Probably helps I'm a gerontologist, lol! Wishing you all the best! Marnee

@marbe6161 Hi Marnee, thank you for your comments. I try to stay active in the community and keep up with family and friends. So far my symptoms are irritating, but not disabling. I am
starting on a new medication on Monday, and worry that it might upset the delicate balance of my lifestyle, but it may slow down the progression of my illness (ALS). My daughter lives in England, and she introduced me to something which is only starting to be introduced here in Australia. It is a yellow sunflower badge or lanyard. It signifies "I have an invisible disability". In
England they have signage on public transport saying that the person wearing this symbol has a disability which is not visible, so please give them a seat and be attentive to their needs. My daughter wore this badge for a few months after serious back surgery. She couldn't stand up for any length of time, and relied on kind people to offer her a seat and help her on and off vehicles. I hope it catches on here too. A Gerontologist! I think I need one of you too, now that I have tuned 72. Ironically, my mother, who is 95, is fit and healthy and still works in her garden! Wishing you all the best, @ellu