Never Old Before

During the past four weeks, it seems as if all the vagrancies of old age have finally set in!  During those weeks, we have have been dealing with Gerry's sudden onset of pain and sleeplessness, which have been serious enough for him to end up in the hospital in very bad shape.

Before now, he has been very healthy, not taking any meds, physically fit, extremely active, a daily skiier or tennis player, or walker.

Then there was this sudden onset of pain.  Despite a variety of tests,  the medical evidence has not led to a clear answer, diagnosis or specific treatment.    The pain persists, and the insomnia, so we are still in search of answers.   There are medications, but Ger has always been very very sensitive to meds, so our theory is that those really only make things worse.   And they are not a long term answer.

Thankfully, one can read about all sorts of possibilities on the internet.   We have found one that describes perfectly the symptoms, the onset, the sleeplessness, etc.   Idiopathic describes it best. Idiopathic means sudden onset and unique to the individual.

We are still hopeful that a nerve specialist will be able to provide some answers.  It will take time to get connected with the one whose name we have.  Perhaps there will be some kind of localized injection to offer relief.

But the bottom line is,  these things happen when you get older!!  That's what I read in every single description of these symptoms!

Gerry has never been old before, [despite the fact that he is 80] until this suddenly hit.  The tests did show arthritis in the lower spine, but that has probably been there all along.  But the pain is not located there.  It is more on the flank and further up.   It seems like an arthritis problem  would have been more gradual in its arrival, while this was all at once.  There was no injury.  Just pain.

Neither one of us has ever really been old before, or felt limited, or handicapped, or even slowed down.  It is hard to get used to.  That is true for both of us.  But  for him it is a much more complete and sudden and radical change in his life and routine and activity.

The whole episode is a mystery indeed.  I did read one very encouraging word.  This nerve pain which had a sudden onset,  can also have just as sudden a remission.

That is our hope and our prayer!!

May it be so!!