Ten years ago when Jeff died, I was in the middle of middle age, and suddenly, according the statistics being bandied about because of this current health crisis, I am “elderly.” I’m not sure how that happened, but the truth is . . . hmmm. I don’t know what the truth is. Maybe that I am older than I think I am. Or maybe I really am old enough to be at risk.
I saw a post on Facebook the other day that said you know you’re old when all your injuries are a result of sleeping weird, and that sure hit home. A few days ago, I went to sleep feeling great with all parts working, and I woke with a knee so out of whack and I could barely walk. Then a wrong step a couple of nights ago made it worse. Though the knee is marginally better today, for which I am grateful, I am using my Pacerpoles as if they were canes to keep the weight off that knee as much as possible.
It makes me feel sad for those poor demoted hiking poles. As recent as eighteen months ago, they helped me to maneuver cliffside trails, trek through overgrown forest paths, descend scree-laden desert tracks.
Now the poles only serve to get me from room to room, and they don’t even do much of that. Mostly, I stay in one room. The daybed seems a bit easier to navigate with a bum knee since it has rails that I can use to pull myself up, and it’s a bit higher than my normal bed, so it puts less strain on my knee when I stand up.
Apparently, not only am I in the “stay at home or else” group, I’m also in the “stay in one room” group. Perhaps even the “stay in bed” group.
Sounds elderly to me.
Luckily, I have books so I don’t need to go anywhere even if I could. I should start my car to keep the gas circulated and the battery active, but the thought of having to uncover the vehicle and try to sidle into the seat without stress on the knee is too much for me to even contemplate.
And I have food. I had a few leftover tea cakes I’d made for the open house to celebrate my one-year anniversary of home ownership. I’ve been doing a good job of staying away from such treats, so I’d forgotten I had them. (Before my knee decided to go wonky on me, I’d given up deserts in an effort to lose weight to protect my knees, but my body seems to be more interested in protecting my weight than my knees.) I decided if I was going to die from a novel disease, I didn’t want to die with cake in my freezer. How sad would that be! So I ate it. And I made a stir fry with odds and ends in my refrigerator. As you can see, I’m doing fine on the food front.
Well, I’ve been sitting long enough. I better go rest my knee.
My poor elderly knee.
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Pat Bertram is the author of Grief: The Inside Story – A Guide to Surviving the Loss of a Loved One. “Grief: The Inside Story is perfect and that is not hyperbole! It is exactly what folk who are grieving need to read.” –Leesa Healy, RN, GDAS GDAT, Emotional/Mental Health Therapist & Educator.
Bertram's Blog 
March 28, 2020 at 7:19 pm
Wonder what stir fried cake would taste like – we used to have a rule that whatever wasn’t eaten at dinner would be fried up for breakfast.
It does feel strange to go so fast from young at heart to old in body though.
March 28, 2020 at 7:36 pm
Fried cake would be good! Not so much in a stir fry, though.
March 28, 2020 at 9:48 pm
Cake helps all body parts to feel better!! 😊
March 28, 2020 at 9:59 pm
I know! My knee is so much better now.
March 29, 2020 at 11:05 am
Feel better, Pat. And if it helps, you’ve never come across as elderly to me. Wise, certainly, but not elderly.
March 29, 2020 at 4:17 pm
Thank you! You made my day.
March 29, 2020 at 4:34 pm
You’re welcome. 😊
March 29, 2020 at 11:45 am
There are exercises that might help with your knee. Trying looking them up. I doubt you want to go thru knee replacement like I did, but it might come to that if the exercises don’t help. I have been down that road. Good luck.
March 29, 2020 at 4:18 pm
Good suggestion. I have no intention of doing a knee replacement even if it gets to that point, which it hasn’t.