Damn, I’m getting old!

Posted bymeadandreaPosted inLive your best life
Jamie’s photography always makes me look better than in real life 😂

Happy New Year, everyone, wow! 2022 is my 60th year; I never thought I’d make it, but here I am. 😊

Every month, I get many questions, not just about my life with AS, but all sorts of stuff. I try to answer as many as possible, but my response is often brief.  I’ve picked out the top five from 2021 and added more substance, so here we go.

How’s the book going?

I’ve had this question a lot recently, and to be honest, I’m finding it really difficult. I’ve just finished Chapter 10 (out of 32), so I’m not even halfway through.  I had hoped to be around the halfway mark by now, but over the last few weeks, I’ve had a bit of a confidence crisis, believing it’s not good enough and that I’m wasting my time.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve always heard little voices telling me how rubbish I am. They’ve regularly appeared throughout my career, especially when I’ve taken on more responsibility, or someone has been unkind with their words. They’ve been more vocal recently, and whilst I tell them to bugger off, they’re a bit stubborn – sometimes they listen, sometimes they don’t. Anyway, I had a good word with them over the Xmas break, and I’ve started writing again, so watch this space.

Do you live in Cornwall now?

No, not full time. Jamie and I have been holidaying in St Agnes on the North coast of Cornwall since the late 90’s. It was always our dream to spend more time there. We sold our house in Surrey and split the proceeds between our place here in Hampshire and a cottage in the village of St Agnes. We spend half our time here and the rest in Cornwall. We didn’t want to move lock, stock and barrel as our children and grandchildren are close by, and our love of football means we can still get to the home games easily.

Hampshire’s beautiful; we love it, but I don’t think we realised how different living in the country would be.  Everyone wears tweed and funny hats with feathers. We regularly hear shooting, and the local deer visit our garden daily to munch on our plants; they particularly like tulips. I’d never seen a Partridge before moving here. I thought they lived in pear trees, but apparently not; we see them in fields. Pheasants are ten a penny, moles dig up the grass, and we had mice!

Now I don’t mind mice OUTSIDE! But they stop being cute when they’re partying in your loft at night when you’re trying to sleep. Anyway, a very nice chap called Shane came to our house to have a word with them. I’d never had a pest control van in the driveway, but it’s common around here. Shane discovered where the mice entered our loft and blocked their little route. Apparently, they don’t live in our loft full time; they just visit at night; what for, who knows, but that’s the country for you. Shane also had many stories about rats, which I tried to shut my ears to, but unfortunately, I’m now fully briefed on the size of the rat problem in London!

How much exercise do you do daily, and how much do you weigh?

This was the most asked question last year. My optimal weight is 55kg (8.6 stones) but fluctuates.  I weigh 56kg, but I’m on a mission to lose that over the next few weeks.  I’m incredibly strict about not letting my weight get out of control, as it would damage my AS. That said, I firmly believe in the 80/20 rule and never deny myself threats. Jamie and I mostly eat healthy food cooked from scratch with lots of fruit and veg, but I also love a takeaway.

Looking at my stats for the last 2 years, my Fitbit tells me I average about 12k walking per day. I also do weights 3-4 times a week, core once a week and Yoga 4-5 times a week, so I’m very active. I’ve got a big appetite and eat three meals a day so I need to be active to maintain my weight.  I never diet, I don’t cut out any food groups, and whilst I don’t eat a lot of red meat, it’s still part of my diet.

Do you have Botox?

Ha ha, I always get asked this, even in the pub, and I never know whether it’s a compliment, as I think people look a bit weird with too much Botox, especially when they get older. I love the meme…

“Remember when the plastic surgeon was a taboo subject? Now you mention Botox, and no one raises an eyebrow”.

I did try it about 5 years ago; it was expensive, and I didn’t like it. I couldn’t frown and thought my face looked a bit plastic. I only had a small amount, too.

There are three key ingredients to good skin care – retinol, glycolic acid and hyaluronic acid. I use all three. Hyaluronic acid helps hydrate your skin, glycolic acid exfoliates dead skin cells, and Retinoids reduce fine lines and wrinkles by increasing collagen production.

Skin care is important to me, and I’ve become pretty knowledgeable. When I was young, we didn’t have the same career options as people do today. I just bumbled along and ended up in technology Sales. Whilst I loved my city career, I wouldn’t have chosen it. I think I’d have been a beautician or something similar.

How do you manage pain daily?

The last question and the most important. If I’m honest, with great difficulty sometimes. I had a flair-up before Xmas and had to increase my medication, which I hate. It’s subsided now, thank goodness.

A year after being diagnosed with AS, I ended up in A&E in the most severe pain imaginable. Those who know me will appreciate how desperate I was as I NEVER go to A&E, even when I ruptured the tendons in my arm. The result of this visit was a week on drugs, feeling completely spaced out. The combination included Diazepam, Tramadol and Amitriptyline; I’ve never had to take any of those drugs since.

The A&E nurse explained (“sternly”) that if I wanted to live my best life, I had to be able to deal with “flare-ups”, and that meant increasing my pills instantly rather than “putting up with the pain” and ending up in the state I’d been on arrival in her department.

So, to answer the question, pain management is vital. Self-help is critical. I continue to exercise as much as possible, which is difficult when you’re in a lot of pain.  I have to use all my willpower and positive mindset to do everything I can to stay in control. Oh, and yes, I take more pills!  We’re all responsible for our happiness, and I’m not into feeling sorry.  I certainly don’t want to make everyone around me miserable.  I’m not saying I’m an angel, and Jamie might chuckle when he reads this paragraph, as those closest to us have the most to put up with 😊.

Thank you for reading and sharing my blog. I wish you a happy and healthy 2022, and here’s hoping it’s AMAZING.

xxxxxx

Published by meadandrea

Blogger, writer, author, love to travel, photographer

2 thoughts on “Damn, I’m getting old!”

  1. Hi Andrea,
    Happy New Year to you both.
    Don’t listen to those little voices.
    You are truly an inspiration.
    I always used to think I was a rubbish teacher, having low self confidence.
    Your 60th year. Wow!!
    It’s my 70th. Eeek!
    Love your blog.
    Lots of love
    Cathy.

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