Everyday I ache. It's not a complaint, just a fact of life.
As long as I keep moving it's not too bad, and that's not too difficult of a task with two young boys.
But when I do sit and put my feet up, it's pretty much guaranteed I'm going to be what is referred to as "stove-up," a term originating from the cowboy days when one had suffered physical abuse on the wrong ends of livestock hooves.
But these days it means I'm going to be so stiff that I look about 30 years older (funny how that number used to be a lot higher and keeps shrinking) than I actually am.
Fibromyalgia? Auto-immune disease that confounds blood tests? A form of arthritis that just hasn't shown wear on my joints? Some kind of mysterious "brain cloud" like Tom Hanks' character suffered in "Joe Versus the Volcano" (yes, I'm dating myself here)?
Though I've looked into it, taken and discarded the medicine (those nightmares from withdrawals were humdingers!) and generally looked into every natural cure known to man (my bok choy was tasty in my salad today), I have yet to feel like others around me who are my age look like they feel every day.
So, are they just really much better at hiding their pain than I am or is there something going on health-wise that comes genetically (NOW I know how my dad felt) or manufactured (death to high fructose corn syrup!)
I know I'm not the only one who is affected by unexplained pain coming at a younger age than expected. Maybe this is just growing old and I refuse to accept it. Afterall, my theme song pretty much is the line crooned by George Strait that goes, "I'm much too young to feel this damn old."
But at the end of the day, when I've kicked my feet up and am too afraid to move or just fighting through the aches and pains to keep up with the boys, I admit it scares me to look ahead 10, or even 5, years to where I might be. And, I know I'm not the only one in this boat.
So, tell me what has worked for your mysterious aches and pains? Should I just concentrate on losing weight and exercising (couldn't hurt!!)? Get over the oddness of various medications? Smell like Bengay? Or do I just accept the fact I cannot do the things I used to anymore (... Nah).
One thing is for sure, I'm not going to be jumping into any volcanoes!
