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Ups and Downs

I'm actually writing this post on December 31st, 2024. Last night my guy and I had a hilarious video call with our favorite person for her thirtieth birthday. I can't remember the last time I laughed so much. She and her boyfriend were making a birthday cake and going out to be with friends, which made me so happy to hear, too.

After that I went back to work on this art quilt, but my shaky, cramping hand knocked over a can of flavored sparkling water I was drinking, dousing one corner and soaking a dish of beads. So I had to clean and dry that out, and then spent the rest of the night winding up yarn balls to exercise my fingers.

Absolute delight to utter frustration, all in a few hours. That's the rollercoaster of my life as a senior these days. Yet I got to see my girl's face and laugh with her. That made it okay to be so clumsy.

I'm having trouble multi-tasking these days, and I get easily confused if I try to do too many things at once. As someone who has been an excellent multi-tasker since grade school this upsets me, but I'm adapting to my new limits. Now I focus on doing one thing at a time, and no talking to anyone else or being in anyway distracted while I do it. Also? I need to stop drinking in my sewing room. :)

My blood sugar was down 16 points this morning, which is a good trend with which to begin 2025. Along with my weight, I need to get it down even more in the weeks to come before I see my doctor. That means more exercise and a stricter diet, but that's life as a diabetic. I'll try to take an extra walk today.

My left hand is giving me a lot of grief this week, and I've developed a bad case of stenosing tenosynovitis in two of the fingers, which is both painful and delibilitating. That's life as someone who has had arthritis for 35 years, and I have learned to be grateful for whatever use I have left in my hands. I'll soak them in hot water later when I wash the dishes.

Why write about these mundane issues, and how I'm coping with them? By the time this post publishes on the blog I expect I'll be in worse shape, not better. This stage of life is about managing decline, not achieving recovery. Unless someone invents a cure-all anti-ageing drug, I'll never recover from old age, diabetes or arthritis. It's best to face your limitations and hardships, be thankful for what you can do, and try to find joy in life while dealing with them. That's the message I hope to give someone today.

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Comments

Maria Zannini said…
re: managing decline.
That's a good way to put it.

I tend to worry more about my mental health. We live such isolated lives. When one of us goes, I worry for the one left.
February 12, 2025 at 4:55 AM
the author said…
I'm hoping that I won't realize I've become mentally unhealthy. As for being the one left, which is a 50-50 chance given his age and my health, we'll cope. That's the one thing both of us are good at, thankfully.
February 12, 2025 at 7:13 AM
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