I turned 62 in January, but sometimes I feel like 82.
I work in a service department for healthcare workers. They can call with problems about programs, iPads, smartphones, printers. The average age of my colleagues is 31. I spend most of the day on the phone. People are constantly queuing, so there is never a moment of rest. Every day I run into the fact that I can't keep up with technical developments. It's all getting too complicated for me, everything has to be done quickly and it's very busy.
If all goes well, I will soon have a new position within the same company with less stress and colleagues my own age.
Due to a late diagnosis of neglected bronchitis, I am now a COPD patient. I suffer from atrial fibrillation, high blood pressure and I wear hearing aids. Luckily my eyes don't bother me much. I've had the same perscription for my lenses for years.
Some days I suffer from osteoarthritis more than other days, but it is especially annoying in the fingers.
I consider myself lucky that I can still use them though
In March 2021 I contracted Covid 19. Although I have not been very ill in that time, I still experience the consequences in the form of Long COVID. It affects my stamina, memory and concentration. But those are also things you learn to live with.
Unfortunately, my wife Karin suffered a stroke in October 2021, which has turned our world upside down again. Fortunately she is back home and can handle herself well if I work at the office 2 days a week, but she still needs a lot of help with certain things. She is paralyzed on the left side, but she can walk short distances with aids. Unfortunately she can no longer use her arm, but she manages well and is admirably positive.
So, I am now a provider, carer and maid. I actually have three jobs, pity I just get payed for one...
I have to keep a lot of balls in the air, but I get used to that too. The only thing is that some nights I am so tired, a fall asleep on the couch at 9.
With all that is going on in the world around us, I sometimes feel the need to retreat to my man cave, where I keep my 80's stereo set (still working brilliantly by the way), old vinyl records, my cd's, my books, modeling tools and kit stash.
Surrounded by good memories and listening to the music that I played as a dj from my 22nd to my 26th. It was the age of punk, new wave and synthesizer music. I still have most of it on vinyl, mostly on 12” singles. Simpleminds, U2, Ultravox, XTC (the band), New Order, but also Randy Newman, Ry Cooder and Tod Rundgren. Indeed, from present day's perspective, everything was simple.
In that respect I am completely emphatic to what Brad posted.
To sum it all up, although our health is not 100%, we are (mostly) in good spirits, and we enjoy every day we can spend together. We just keep plodding on, one day at the time.
Sometimes you're the bug and sometimes you're the windshield.
Chest out, chin up!
Willem
