How's that for an end-of-the-year blog title? Who needs a New Year's resolution when you cap off the previous year with a bold statement like that? Making such a bold proclamation can mean only one thing: I'm really serious. And now you all are witnesses, there's no turning back.
I'm sure you are curious where this is coming from, so I will tell you: it turns out this aging thing is real. I have seen evidence of this fact all around me; however, I have somehow avoided most of the pitfalls of this reality. I still wake up feeling good, no aches or pains. I can still do all the things I love to do: walking my two dogs twice daily, playing tennis, traveling, skiing, and biking. I even had the chance to scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef this year (a bucket list item) for the first time in over a decade. Bottom line: I still got it.
That said, there are signs. For one, no one gasps when I tell them I'm 60. I pause to give them ample time to properly react and say something along the lines of "no way you're that old" or something similar. It used to happen, but now I notice a lack of shock on their faces. I used to think 60 was old. Now my feelings have changed. Sure it's old for some people, but not me!
I have said it before; mentally, I'm about 27. According to Spotify Unwrapped, I'm only 17. This is all to say, how can my chronological age be so off?
HRT to the Rescue
One thing that was slowing my roll was perimenopause, something I was both late getting and woefully unprepared for. In the spring, I noticed I wasn't sleeping well, something I'm really good at. Sleeping is one of the love languages, so it was concerning.
Often, I would wake up all sweaty, go to the bathroom, and then get back in bed just to have my head spin about every possible disaster scenario it could conjure up. Probably as a result of my not getting adequate sleep, I noticed I was getting lit fast. My temper was quickly going from 1 to 10. Let's face it; there's an awful lot to rage about these days. Don't get me started...
I was also getting hot flashes and other symptoms, so when I went to my primary care doctor for my annual visit, I mentioned the sweating and the rage issues. She asked if I would be interested in Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).
Well, holy hell. What the actual fuck? My symptoms vanished almost immediately; I started sleeping soundly again, but it begged the question: Why are women not put on this treatment the second the first flash hits them? Or right after the first month of non-sleep and the raging that comes as a result.
God knows now that the XGeners are hitting the "pause," there's no lack of information on social media and online about perimenopause. You would think we invented it. For the long, silent boomers who suffered through this for decades without talking about it? We don't thank you, but sorry.
I didn't even have most of the more serious effects of the oncoming menopause, the brain fog, joint pain, and a host of other not-so-great symptoms. I have friends who have suffered for over a decade with symptoms. Some were leery as a result of old studies that indicated a link between some cancers and HRT.
Fortunately, those studies have been debunked, and even the government agrees and has removed the black box warnings on HRT medicines. And that agency is led by an absolutely crazy idiot, but don't get me started on that.
I'm donning my feminist hat for a minute to say: If men were impacted, they would be handing out estrogen patches and progesterone tabs for free on every street corner or pharmacy. Let's face it: if men were impacted by half of the physical challenges women face as part of simply being a woman, the world would be radically different. Tampons, like toilet paper, would be free in public bathrooms, and a diagnosed case of PMS would be grounds for dismissal of most violent crimes.
So I'm talking directly to all those women who are bravely rawdogging perimenopause: What are you waiting for?? There is no prize or compensation at the end for you, and studies are indicating that the benefits (reduced heart disease, for example) are best reaped when HRT is started within 10 years of the onset of symptoms.
I'm assuming some of these women are the same ones who brag about not using painkillers during childbirth, the mother martyrs. We all know a few of them. I was a max-dosage deliverer myself, which goes back to my "scream-before-it-hurts" methodology.
The bottom line: Being a woman isn't easy. Our equipment is 10X more complicated than men's because we create life. There is nothing more powerful than that. Period, or in this case, no period.
I would say we all owe it to ourselves to take the easy path whenever possible. And, heads up, there are not a whole lot of these easy paths ahead, my friends, so take it!
Do yourself a favor and watch this video. Dr. Roy Casagranda discusses the evolution of our species and the incredibly important role as teachers we play as women after we transition into menopause. The only other species on the planet besides humans that have this transition are sperm whales and chimps.
Time for PT
At that same doctor visit, I mentioned that I had some concerns about my knees. I'm pretty tough and don't complain a lot, but my knees are important as I love tennis and skiing, and both require full function. So she wrote me a script for 12 weeks of physical therapy (PT).
At my first appointment, I filled out the questionnaire for my therapist, a very serious young woman. The questions were like "on a scale of 1 to 10, how hard is it to...get out of bed, get off the toilet, tie your shoes, etc. I didn't have any pain or difficulty doing any of the activities.
After reviewing my answers, she seemed confused. So you're not in pain and have no issues doing any of the normal daily activities? It turns out most people seek physical therapy AFTER they are injured.
Being a very small person, I've always been a big believer in crying out in pain well in advance of the actual pain. Wards off the eventual suffering that way. This is basically the same thing. When asked about pain, I said "not yet," and told her about my knee feeling "different." Like everything is working, but maybe not everything is correctly assembled?
When she asked what my ultimate goals were, I immediately said that I want to be able to play tennis and ski mountains in my 80s. She almost cracked a smile before she realized I was being serious. I have a mom, if you all remember, who can still beat me on a tennis court, ski, has 7 hole-in-ones in golf, and does pilates twice a week. I wrote about her in this blog.
The truth is that I want to be ahead of what's changing, and I'm happy I did. What I learned is that my body, like everyone else's, is unique. What I needed to work on is different; my IT band, for example, is very unforgiving, even more so than the rest of my rather rigid body, so she showed me specific exercises to do after tennis, for example.
I was a star pupil and learned a lot about what my body needs to stay strong and active, so I encourage all of you to fake an injury and try physical therapy. Just kidding, but seriously, get to know your body and what you need to do to keep it going.
Training with Sherrie
Some of you know that my little sister is a personal trainer, so she has been on me for years to start training with her. Now, for those of you with siblings, can you imagine anything worse than being trained by that sister you tortured as a child?
She has always been freakishly strong and, despite being a few years younger, was always bigger and stronger than I was. When we were young, I would assign Sherrie to be the horse who had to carry me around on her back as a fun game. She was happy as long as she could play with me. That said, you can imagine why I was a bit reluctant to take her up on her offer to train me. Paybacks, as they say, are a bitch.
Fortunately, it appeared that her desire was to help, not payback. Thank God! Laura and I have both done a few sessions with her, with instructions on how to do the same at home. She is as strong as an ox, so she does as she speaks. She always says, "You're never too old to get strong." Preach!
The reality is that multiple studies are showing that there is no age limit to getting stronger. One study actually showed that people over 65 who lift heavy weights regularly can actually build bone! Lifting can also help with cognitive decline and decrease the odds of injury.
Yoga is another great activity that helps with flexibility and balance (both things us sassy seniors need more of) and can help with mood and stress.
A final bottom line: we can all defy the aging process to some extent. It just takes a conscious effort to do so and persistence, so don't just take it. FIGHT IT! Getting old is for lazy losers!
I'll close by quoting Nike: "Just do it."
Happy Holidays
Sorry for the long gap between blogs, but I've been on a tear since mid-September, having a ball and traveling the world, so perhaps a travel blog is in my future. We have several months of shitty, cold weather on tap, so that means more blogs to come!
I hope everyone has a lovely holiday, whichever ones you happen to celebrate, and 2026 brings you a stronger body and good health.
All the best and until next time, my friends,
Barb
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