Use it or lose it

[susandennis]

At one point, when my mom was in her late 70's, she was having trouble walking. I don't remember the details but one of her friends at the home had a mobility scooter he wasn't using and offered it to her to borrow. She used it for a while and then gave it back.

She continued to have to walk farther than was comfortable and I asked her why she didn't get the scooter back or by herself one. In her famous don't argue with me tone, she replied, "Because if I don't use it, I'll lose it."

What I didn't say out loud was "what the fuck are you saving it for???"

Today I walked over to Uwajimaya which is not at all far and mostly pretty flat. Google says it's one half mile from here.

It took me a good hour with my feet up to recover. I think I've lost it. If I worked at it, I might be able to get a little back. But, I hate the process. And why? I am not my mother. I have a fine scooter and I have no problem using it.

I may well be missing something, and down the road, regret it, but today that's how I feel.

It's the same way I feel about food. I do not want food that 'tastes nearly as good as but healthy' I want the unhealthy original. I refuse invasive medical tests because a positive result just means more medical invasiveness.

And the older I get the more strongly I cling to these Rules For Me.

It's all the same bucket. And the older I get the more strongly I feel this way.

Comments

[halfmoon_mollie1]

It's the same way I feel about food. I do not want food that 'tastes nearly as good as but healthy' I want the unhealthy original. I refuse invasive medical tests because a positive result just means more medical invasiveness.

This. Exactly.

[bill_schubert]

I got that gene from mom. Not so much the food but the movement. She'd have been great at pickleball.

[susandennis]

She played pickleball a little maybe that's what she was saving herself for. But, then her knee got too bad.

[terrig]

I feel the same way. All the medical community wants you to do now is “go to the emergency room!” When you have an ache or pain. Their first priority is getting as much money out of you as possible.

When I go to the doctor for nothing more than a sinus infection all I get is “btw, you are due for this test or that test etc.” we’ll set you up for them. Ummmm…..no thanks. I have to say NO to a colonoscopy every single time I go in. Every single time I tell them to put a note in my records to stop asking me about it. Apparently they are either deaf, or ignoring me.

[mtbc]

Funny sometimes when they want you to then sign a I'm a bad patient, don't blame us form though tedious when it's every time.

[arlie]

I hate that "use it or lose it" aspect to aging. I doubt I have enough hours in the day to practice all the abilities I'd like to retain, even if I'd enjoy a life of constant mental and physical pseudo-therapy.

I try hard to keep the ones I'd miss the most - which, not coincidentally, tend to already be the ones I use the most, or at least the most regularly. But if it's not enjoyable in itself, or needed to keep independence and similar, it's unlikely I'll be keeping up on it, and it may simply be better to plan on losing it.

Still, I'm surprised your walk took so much out of you, given your amount of treadmill time. I'd imagined you as a tireless walker, at least on flat ground.

[cdayzee]

You're not alone in your thinking about medical tests & whatnot as my mom has the same mindset. She's been through a lot & is basically 'done' now. She had a bad experience after surgery last year so now she's sworn off any future surgery. As much as I hate to see her with this mindset especially when she refuses help, I do understand.

[seasonedrite]

What really baffles me is that you are walking on the treadmill pretty regularly yet the 1/2 mile walk is challenging. Do you have any idea why that is? It usually takes me 45 minutes to walk a mile. Is it that the treadmill walks are shorter?

[susandennis]

I walk at a 2 miles and hour pace for 20 minutes. It's flat, no puddles, no wind, and I hold onto the rail. It's really not even walking it's just standing up watching Jeopardy.

[seasonedrite]

laughed out loud