does everyone fall apart at 40?

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I've been going through that new patient's/new doctor's routine and it is driving me mad.

My weight & BMI have been dismissed as not applicable thankfully. My BMI came back as borderline overweight for my height but anyone who as met me will tell you I'm not overweight and thankfully as I was standing there in full lycra at the time, the nurse concerned agreed it was nonsense (I'm a size 10-12) - quite refreshing for a change but my blood test results are driving me mad. 1 test leads to another, which leads to another and another...

1st blood tests came back with 2 issues, 1 low potasium (explained by reduced adreanal gland function) & 2 slightly elevated blood sugar (yet again - it has always been borderline)
2nd blood test - repeated 8 weeks later to check on the potasium levels show they are now OK but my platelet count is low - so needs another repeat in 8 weeks time (in the new year). (this is probably explained by a viral infection - I always seem to catch something visiting the dr's.)
3rd blood test (a week today) is for blood sugar repeats but with a 2 hour stay at the Dr's. How I will come out without an unwanted 'bug' remains a mystery.

I'm a moderately severe asthmatic, but fit: my bike is my transport. healthy - seems to be up for debate!
I'm known to have reduced adreanal gland function (side effect of my asthma meds) & also have a pituitary adenoma. I also picked up a nasty dog bite earlier this year but had had the preventative rabies shots before hand and the addtional 2 shots in the required time period.

I turn 40 just after Christmas and want to know if anyone else is falling apart or is it just me?

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I'm a few years behind you and I feel better than ever! Actually I sort of don't, but that's probably due to a moderately heavy weekend on the homebrew.

I'm a naturally worrier so try not to go to the doctors unless I really must, and my wife is usually the judge of that.

 

[fossyant]

Not fell to bits myself, just yet.

1. I no longer bounce as well - taken 4 years for my shoulder to be good again after getting knocked off.
2 Think my body doesn't responds well to surgery - bounce back fast, but it doesn't like being opened up, even minor stuff, shoulder took 12 months to be pain free after surgery, and my latest op has surprised me how long it's taking to recover. I'm 43 next month.

Still doesn't stop me riding, despite Doctor's 'protests'

 

[fossyant]

PS I still haven't had the over 40's MOT.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

PS I still haven't had the over 40's MOT.

Not sure I want that ordeal - I'll never pass it!

 

[summerdays]

I haven't had an over 40's MOT ... but then I'd worry whether I'd need a retest

I didn't find turning 30 or 40 had any major problems from a number point of view (one of my friends ignores any birthday ending in 0). However I do feel as if post 40 (well it took till past 41), I seem to have more niggles. Nothing major just things such as low iron, investigations and aches and pains.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

Since May this year, I've been plagued by minor things. I'm 43 and have started with osteoarthritis (left elbow only) after a nasty car crash (non fault).

Then my sinuses have been an issue since may as well, always dried up, except when riding where it leaks in long sticky strands that go all the way to my top tube.

Then I've picked up plantar fasciitis and now my daughter reckons I've suddenly become gluten intolerant (bloating, swelling, gassy, diaorreah). I'm currently going thru a ten day self test, so hopefully I'm not as I love my wheat based products.

Had sports massages which picked up I'd damaged my third lumbar, this has never bothered me, I didn't know until they pressed on it.

Apart from that I'm ok....., my bloods are spot on, blood pressure is within range and my pulse is low too. I'm 3 stone overweight tho, hopefully this will go back down to pre May weight now I'm riding again.

Edit: I can't believe I forgot about my cancer scares, first one in 1996 (27 yrs old) and then second one which led to a mastectomy in 2006 (nope I didn't know blokes could have them either).

 

[BrumJim]

Better at 40 than I was at 30. But there again, I haven't been particularly activity/sport orientated in earlier years, and doing a lot more now.

 

[middleagecyclist]

Forty five and still too fat but fitter than i've ever been. Normatensive, resting HR around 50bpm, four stone weight loss, no asthma probs for 3 yrs and no need of regular inhalers either. All down to cycling in my book. Of course I could have a massive MI and cardiac arrest next week but who knows what is round the corner of life?

 

[carolonabike]

I'm better at 50 than I was at 40, or 30 for that matter. So try not to worry, I'm a great believer in "if it ain't broke don't fix it"

 

[lulubel]

I'm 40 next year, and apart from a few more aches and pains when I've pushed my body hard, and symptoms that appear to be the onset of early menopause, I haven't noticed anything different. I think it's normal, to be honest. Once our bodies have finished growing, they're on path to wearing out!

I'm a moderately severe asthmatic, but fit: my bike is my transport. healthy - seems to be up for debate!
I'm known to have reduced adreanal gland function (side effect of my asthma meds) & also have a pituitary adenoma.

What asthma meds are you on? I've always believed mine knock my immune system for six (although haven't found this listed as a side effect anywhere) because I seem to be the first person to pick up every bug that's going.

Your post really made me appreciate my doctor, by the way. Every time I visit him for my depo injection, he asks me how I am. I say, "Fine," he says, "Good," and we leave it at that!

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

What asthma meds are you on? I've always believed mine knock my immune system for six (although haven't found this listed as a side effect anywhere) because I seem to be the first person to pick up every bug that's going.

Your post really made me appreciate my doctor, by the way. Every time I visit him for my depo injection, he asks me how I am. I say, "Fine," he says, "Good," and we leave it at that!

My asthma has deteriorated as I got older, instead of growing out of childhood asthma (since birth), it got much worse (I've been resuscitated twice over the years because of it). Also I can't take some asthma meds - they cause heart issues in me, and I can't have NSAIDs at all or have any dairy in my diet either (all relating to my asthma). Currently I have 3 inhalers and 4 set of tablets for it that I take each and every day, and then there are some more tablets than I have on standby. I have managed to come off 2 lots of medication whilst I was on the aborted RTW, and so far not gone back on them - not sure I will get through the winter without having to return to one of them though. My steriod inhalers (Clenil 250mcg) is at twice the level it should be but the alternative is oral steriods and generally my GP's have prefered me to stay on inhaled steriods rather than take the oral ones even if my dosage is too high (and has been for 10 years or so). I was seen at the asthma section of my local hospital (prior to me going off to try a RTW) and basically they changed a couple of meds and said there was little else they could do except put me on oral steriods permanately (not great and trying hard to avoid, but need them when ill/injured because I don't produce enough natural coritisol) or they would give me a nebuliser for home use - something I really do not want. I manage my asthma by staying fit and avoiding its triggers, so no perfume, make-up, scented candles, changes in washing powder, any smellies, varnish, paint, etc.

My asthma is bad enough to cause major concerns when I have had to have surgery - the last op required 2 senior registrars in attendance.

As a rule my last GP pretty much took my word for it when I was ill, the receptionists knew if I rang up and said it was urgent, I meant it and I would be able to tell my GP which antibiotics were needed and if I needed to take oral steriods etc, but given I have only met my GP once so far (to get a my repeat prescription set up) I don't yet have that relationship that I had with my old village practice and we now live 250 miles away from where we used to before the aborted RTW. I tend to avoid taking antibiotics unless whatever I have is affecting my asthma.

 

[ColinJ]

Ha ha - where do I start!

• The most obvious thing to worry about is my current health problem - dvt(s) in my leg(s) (they stopped looking once they found one, since the treatment is standard.) causing very serious bilateral pulmonary embolisms which almost killed me in August. My body is gradually healing, though there is a significant risk of a degree of permanent damage to my cardiovascular and/or respiratory systems.
• Arthritic wear and tear in both hip joints and my right knee. I struggle a bit walking down steep slopes, but general walking and cycling are not affected. I can't run any more because my hips hurt too much. My finger joints feel painful if subjected to too much vibration or cold. (Winter bike rides can be painful!)
• I damaged my right shoulder a few years back. For over a year, it was so bad that I struggled to put shirts or even get my arm over my guitar! That seems to be gradually getting better.
• My eyesight is gradually getting worse. I struggle to read small print now, or anything in poor light. Nothing that wearing reading glasses doesn't sort out though.
• My hearing hasn't been great since I was a teenager. I blasted myself with too much loud music when I was young and have about a 50% hearing loss. That problem hasn't got worse as quickly as I expected it to. I'm not good with soft voices, mumbling, unfamiliar accents or noisy environments, but can generally cope as long as people speak clearly.
• My teeth have seen better days but I don't need false ones (yet)!
• My hair is thinning, receding at the front, falling out altogether at the back and going grey everywhere else. (Apart from that, it's great!)
• I suffered carbon monoxide poisoning about 10 years ago and I'm pretty sure that I suffered a degree of brain damage from that. My memory has been poor ever since, I get confused, my attention span is bad and I started suffering from motion sickness, which I never had before then.
• I get a lot of backache, but I think most of that is caused by being overweight, and having poor core strength and flexibility. I think I could improve that a lot with exercise and stretching.

That probably does sound like I'm falling to bits, but I still feel that with a bit of luck with getting rid of the blood clots and 6 months of hard exercise after that, I could get back to a very good level of general health and fitness and work around most of the remaining problems. I'm not ready for the pipe and slippers yet!

PS I should have mentioned that I'm nearly 57. I was in pretty good shape in my 40s apart from shooting up and down in weight all the time.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Ha ha - where do I start!

• My eyesight is gradually getting worse. I struggle to read small print now, or anything in poor light. Nothing that wearing reading glasses doesn't sort out though. ...
• I suffered carbon monoxide poisoning about 10 years ago and I'm pretty sure that I suffered a degree of brain damage from that. My memory has been poor ever since, I get confused, my attention span is bad and I started suffering from motion sickness, which I never had before then.

...

yep - know those 2 as well. 2 bad head injuries in 6 months as a teenager (one of them being knocked off my bike whilst cycling to uni and the other leaving me with a permanent dent in my skull) has left me with eye issues including partial colour blindness due to retina damage, mypoia and very bad stigmatism which can't be corrected by contact lenses and I'm still 'getting over' the carbon monoxide posioning I had back in September of this year - that affects my speech to a small degree. My OH notices it the most, I can't seem to say words correctly anymore (or it is the wrong word completely) and have to really concentrate of pronouncing words - assuming I can actually get the words from thought to saying which seemed to be the process that was affected the most for me.
As for attention span - don't know, still can't work yet given I can't yet walk around a small supermarket, but can cycle 40 miles or so in a day, from the dog bite issues with the leg. hummm really does sound like I'm falling apart

 

[Alun]

Ha ha - where do I start!

Colin, you old crock !
You'll still get around the SITD and the SoM when you get over your current health problems !