Some Catching Up

I’ve been a little busy lately with medical crap.  I feel like my Honda … runs great for having 163,000 miles on it but it’s in the shop more than it used to be and needs lots of tests.

I’m not going into a lot of detail here yet, but some of the health issues that have come up recently (and some that have returned from three years ago) now have been diagnosed.  That means I can at least call it something and takes steps toward managing it.  More tests and doctor appointments are in my near future plus some new meds I’ve never heard of.

Did our parents prepare us for this aspect of aging?  That question is mostly for boomers.  My parents were in generally good health till their 70s and they seemed to accept health issues, weight gain, etc. as a natural and expected part of aging.  I’m a bit of an idealistic rebel, however, in that I expected to have the great health I’ve been blessed with until my 90s.  Delusional, I know.  Although I call it optimism.

The particular medical issues I am dealing with right now are not really age-related.  In fact, they aren’t related to anything; no family history, no behavioral patterns, just random shit that can happen to anyone.  Or so it seems.  As advanced as medical science is, these issues are hard to diagnose and difficult to treat.  The diagnosis is more or less accurate but my symptoms are very mild compared to most people living with this thing.  I am almost embarrassed to sign up for a support group I know of; others might look at me and ask why am I there.

Speaking of catching up, I had a two-and-a-half breakfast catch up with a former boss this morning.  He actually works mostly in North Carolina these days but still has a residence here in Maryland, close to where I live.  He was a very influential person when we worked together about ten years ago and I am so glad we kept in touch.  He has even returned to my company, which I never thought would happen, and has a great job.  I take every chance possible to remind him how much he helped with my career development and I tell the story about a specific conversation he and I had just months after he became my boss, in which he gave me advice that I still use to this day.  That conversation probably saved my job too because it started with me recognizing that he wasn’t satisfied with my work at that moment.   That advice, shortened to one simple thought:  don’t give me problems, give me solutions.  And you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.

Well, it’s a sunny Sunday afternoon and I will now post this and go out and play a little.  Thanks for visiting.