Getting Old (Or, Just Like Dad)

I've noticed a few things this past year or so. I'm getting old.

So, I've had unofficial (i.e. undiagnosed) arthritis in my ribs since I was a teenager. In Junior High, I was having pain in my chest and it hurt to breathe. Mom and I wondered if I had asthma. She ran into my by-then-retired paediatrician and listed the symptoms for him. He suggested it could be tietze syndrome. I don't know if I have that, (you can google it to learn more) but I have noticed that my pain is linked to humid/rainy weather.

I didn't have much trouble when we lived in the dry climate of El Paso, but now that we're back in humidity, it's started again. My ribs, on one or both sides, get very tender. I sometimes can even notice them sticking out more. Swollen maybe? It's not as painful as it used to be, but it's still bothersome. It makes wearing a bra very uncomfortable, even if I have one of my wire-free ones one.

So I've dealt with that before, and I can deal with it in the future.

And now there are new pains.

(I'm not even talking about migraines.)

Lately, like in the last few months (i.e. winter), my left knee is getting, well, tight. My left leg is usually has tighter muscles after a good run, but now I can't keep it bent for too long. I'm notorious for curling up in a ball or sitting with legs all twisted. It used to lead my dad to say "ouch" when looking at me just sitting there.

Now, if I sit, for example, with my left ankle placed on my right thigh, I can't sit like that for too long. When I straighten my leg, I have to actually support it with my hands and the knee is very tight. And I remember all the times I've had to help my dad straighten his leg after sitting too long (like more than 10 minutes) with it bent.

I don't even know if this is arthritis. It doesn't hurt regularly, just gets tight and sore when I have to straighten it after having it bent for too long. It makes me feel old.

I have mentioned the essential oils I've been getting into and the muscle blend I love. My favourite oils, the muscle blend and frankincense, have been helping when those parts are sore.

Heck, just now I had to stretch out and pop my left ankle. It got stiff.

So, in a few weeks, I'm headed to Africa to climb a mountain. Yes, my HUGE news? I'm climbing Kilimanjaro!! It's not a technical climb, but takes a good week to do properly. Some parts are pretty steep. We've been training, of course, hiking as much as we can and trying to get as high (vertical) as we can. My knees and left ankle are usually sore after, but some deep blue and frankincense make me feel much better. The left achilles gets rather tight and makes ankle movement difficult.

Yeah.

I'm old.

At least I have some ways to help myself at home, and a great massage therapist to help me twice a month.