It is not until you become a grandparent that you realize that life has gone full circle. The responsiblity that one plays as a grandparent is a hug life changing experience. I never thought about it until my daughter told us she was having a baby and she was going to raise it all by herself that my life was about to change.
There are so many things a grandparents has to remember.
How to make formula.
You must have wipes at all times in your house.
Keep extra soothers at your house there is never one when you need it.
Once he is a sleep do not wake him.
Sleep overs never go like you thought.
Somehow I thought I just through out all the baby things and now I am standing in Zellers in the infant deptment area and looking likje I have necver done this before. I was asking myself what do I need. Bottles, a recline chair with hanging things, receiving blankets, cream, wipes, formula,
soothers.
I tell you people look at you funny like "is she for real " I always speak first first" time grandmother." I don't get it they always giggle when I say that.
It did not hit me until you so nicely volunteer to have the child at 5 months old for 4days while mom goes away on a holiday. I must have been super human back then.
Tuesday, 12 February 2013
Sunday, 20 November 2011
The list goes on.......
It seems to me that I am loaded with sheets of paper with writing all over them. Ok, what's the list?
Have you noticed that as you get older the amount of lists you are hit with. Well, lets take a look at them.
There was always the grocery list, that one we have down, but of course I have never made a list to buy food. I love to go and shop. It has always been my favorite thing to do buy food for my family. The thought of wondering up and down the isles and picking up all the comfort food for the week. No, I never had a list I just went once a week and did it.
Until menopause....
I now have to write it down, plan the meals, check the freezer, ask my kids what they need and make a list. I have to check my wallet to make sure I have all the cards for the store you know the special discount card or point cards, make sure you have the shopping bags, and a quarter for the buggy. That alone drives me crazy. The stress alone causes a hot flash. My mother never had to do any of this stuff. Then you have to remember the food.... Ha so that is why you make a list.
Even when I have the list I seem to forget to read all the stuff I have on it. You know it is not organized like the store isles so I do forget something. Then I will have to go back again another day to get milk and something I forgot. When I was younger my mother use to go to the store almost everyday I thought she was nuts.
While we are on the topic of food and shopping did you know Zehrs give you 15% off on Wednesday if you are a senior. You only have to be 55 years old. It is like a club you go every Wednesday and meet with all the other silver tops.
Then Dr. Oz gave out a list the top 10 things you need to do to live a long life. Well, this one you will just love posted on the fridge.
1. Sit less and move more. Right most days Icrave to sit down and put my feet up.
2. Get ride of simple sugars. They do not want you to go to Tims anymore.
3. Breath and stretch everyday. I am just happy if I get my head on straight everyday.
4. Have sex. Thanks Dr. Oz. my husband will love you for this one.
5. Get 7 hours of sleep a day. I don't think he means all at once.
6. Have a bone density test done, and take Vitamin d and calcium everyday.
7.Take half a multi vitamin in the morning and the other half in the evening before bed rest. I will be happy I remember to take it once a day.
8.When making your dinner make half the meal vegetables. Thats a good way to save for retirement.
9. Check your poop everyday. I am just glad I still can do it everyday.
10. Eat a hard boiled egg everyday.
So thats the list to live a longer healthier life.
Then theres the daily list for the week....
*Call your parents to check on them. If you don't they will call you 4 times in the next hour.
*Return phone calls on the answering machine. Don't people know my email address.
*Pick up dry cleaning, because no one else in the house knows where it is.
*Walk the dog and clean up his poop. Poor thing is forgotten about.
*Run errands for your husband and kids. This will take half your day. That you will need a list for too.
*Lunch with a friend. Better be at Tims, you have too much to do to sit and enjoy yourself .
*Go to the doctors, dentist or your shrink. We know how long a doctors appt. can take and the dentist will be done with soon , dentures save time here, just put them in a glass. The shrink is the only appt, you want to go to. Their the only person who will take the time to sit and listen to you, that is if you do not fall asleep . To me that is the only time I get to put my feet up and have a rest in the chair.
Then come the Christmas, birthday , and the lists go on...Please give me a break enough with all the lists everyone keeps giving me....Do they think when one gets to fifty they can't remember things?
So now I know why older people use to always say" they were losing their minds". It really had nothing to do with Alzheimer's. They could not remember all the things they had to do. There was no Dr. Oz to direct them or the Blackberry to carry all the lists to do while they are out and about. Just to leave your home today you have to pack a bag, make a list , take your blackberry and remember your american express card. Or did they just go crazy with which list they had to read to keep their life organized.
Now this is where being blonde really helps as one ages. You can forget what you are doing and blame it on being blonde all your life....
Have you noticed that as you get older the amount of lists you are hit with. Well, lets take a look at them.
There was always the grocery list, that one we have down, but of course I have never made a list to buy food. I love to go and shop. It has always been my favorite thing to do buy food for my family. The thought of wondering up and down the isles and picking up all the comfort food for the week. No, I never had a list I just went once a week and did it.
Until menopause....
I now have to write it down, plan the meals, check the freezer, ask my kids what they need and make a list. I have to check my wallet to make sure I have all the cards for the store you know the special discount card or point cards, make sure you have the shopping bags, and a quarter for the buggy. That alone drives me crazy. The stress alone causes a hot flash. My mother never had to do any of this stuff. Then you have to remember the food.... Ha so that is why you make a list.
Even when I have the list I seem to forget to read all the stuff I have on it. You know it is not organized like the store isles so I do forget something. Then I will have to go back again another day to get milk and something I forgot. When I was younger my mother use to go to the store almost everyday I thought she was nuts.
While we are on the topic of food and shopping did you know Zehrs give you 15% off on Wednesday if you are a senior. You only have to be 55 years old. It is like a club you go every Wednesday and meet with all the other silver tops.
Then Dr. Oz gave out a list the top 10 things you need to do to live a long life. Well, this one you will just love posted on the fridge.
1. Sit less and move more. Right most days Icrave to sit down and put my feet up.
2. Get ride of simple sugars. They do not want you to go to Tims anymore.
3. Breath and stretch everyday. I am just happy if I get my head on straight everyday.
4. Have sex. Thanks Dr. Oz. my husband will love you for this one.
5. Get 7 hours of sleep a day. I don't think he means all at once.
6. Have a bone density test done, and take Vitamin d and calcium everyday.
7.Take half a multi vitamin in the morning and the other half in the evening before bed rest. I will be happy I remember to take it once a day.
8.When making your dinner make half the meal vegetables. Thats a good way to save for retirement.
9. Check your poop everyday. I am just glad I still can do it everyday.
10. Eat a hard boiled egg everyday.
So thats the list to live a longer healthier life.
Then theres the daily list for the week....
*Call your parents to check on them. If you don't they will call you 4 times in the next hour.
*Return phone calls on the answering machine. Don't people know my email address.
*Pick up dry cleaning, because no one else in the house knows where it is.
*Walk the dog and clean up his poop. Poor thing is forgotten about.
*Run errands for your husband and kids. This will take half your day. That you will need a list for too.
*Lunch with a friend. Better be at Tims, you have too much to do to sit and enjoy yourself .
*Go to the doctors, dentist or your shrink. We know how long a doctors appt. can take and the dentist will be done with soon , dentures save time here, just put them in a glass. The shrink is the only appt, you want to go to. Their the only person who will take the time to sit and listen to you, that is if you do not fall asleep . To me that is the only time I get to put my feet up and have a rest in the chair.
Then come the Christmas, birthday , and the lists go on...Please give me a break enough with all the lists everyone keeps giving me....Do they think when one gets to fifty they can't remember things?
So now I know why older people use to always say" they were losing their minds". It really had nothing to do with Alzheimer's. They could not remember all the things they had to do. There was no Dr. Oz to direct them or the Blackberry to carry all the lists to do while they are out and about. Just to leave your home today you have to pack a bag, make a list , take your blackberry and remember your american express card. Or did they just go crazy with which list they had to read to keep their life organized.
Now this is where being blonde really helps as one ages. You can forget what you are doing and blame it on being blonde all your life....
Saturday, 5 November 2011
Mirror Mirror
Mirror mirror on the wall, tell me the truth before my face falls.
Am I red or am I blue, because I have forgotten who is who.
I have lines that go up and down, that is why I wear a frown,
I wash and cream and moisturize is that why my skin is thin
I am looking at a face I can not see, is it really me.
Growing old is not the easiest thing to do, but since we have no choice
we have to make the best of it. I know I went to bed everynight when I was younger but I am sure I did not wake up looking like this. 50 is the knock on the door, the question is "do we want to answer it?"
For the past 30 years we have been on automatic pilot with our wings spread and flying high. I don't think I have to worry too much about flying high but the spreading of my wings has just kicked in.
I have more wings then I need right now. My highs sag , I have that under arm wing thing going on,
and my breast are more familiar with my tummy then I ever was. So I have decided not to run any more I might just fall flat on my face from all the extra weight I am carring around or take off and fly (If I was to run too fast).
So there you are standing if front of that wonderful mirror that you wanted so much back when you were
in your twenties. You know the one , it is on the back of your bathroom door. Ya just where you want it. There is nothing like getting out of the shower and turning around and taking a good look at your well groomed body. Well, you know the mirror is only 2 feet wide thank God it makes you look skinny. You lose an inch on your waist line just looking in it. So that is one thing you do not want to get ride of when you down size. That mirror I am taking with me. The only problem is when you turn around you get the full view of your back side when you are looking in the mirror over the sink. Wow. Now where did that come from.
I mean the mirror over the sink. Who put that there.
I remember paying a lot of money to have this bathroom redone but I do not remember that my butt was going to be exposed so that you could get a full Monty view. Next time we do a bathroom make over I am hiring a women in her eightys to do it. I am sure she will have thought about all this naked body exposure over fifty stuff. This is stuff nobody should ever see.
Then there is the medicine cabinet problem. Now if you thought it was full before think twice. There are the 8 vitamin bottles, the 3 boxes of osteoporsis pills, hormonal and estrogen bottles, evening primerose bottle (thats for the hot flashes), Grecian formula( for my husbands hair), asprin ( so our blood stays thin) a magnifying glass ( so you can read what you are taking) my hair dying boxes ( I always have two of those) and the many ,many jars and tubes of age defying creams. It is no wonder we can not find the advil any more.
Then there is the issue of where do you hide the depends. Like they are not small, remember the tampons you could through them in a draw. You certainly do not want to store them on an open shelf so the world can see them they probably would not fit.
There still is that issue of the mirror. Like where do you get a large magnifying mirror to put on the wall.. I need to know because have you ever tried to pluck an eye brow or line your eyes with your readers on. Now how is one suppose to do that... Then once I get that big magnifying mirror how big will my butt and boobs look.
Like really could this be more complicated....
Am I red or am I blue, because I have forgotten who is who.
I have lines that go up and down, that is why I wear a frown,
I wash and cream and moisturize is that why my skin is thin
I am looking at a face I can not see, is it really me.
Growing old is not the easiest thing to do, but since we have no choice
we have to make the best of it. I know I went to bed everynight when I was younger but I am sure I did not wake up looking like this. 50 is the knock on the door, the question is "do we want to answer it?"
For the past 30 years we have been on automatic pilot with our wings spread and flying high. I don't think I have to worry too much about flying high but the spreading of my wings has just kicked in.
I have more wings then I need right now. My highs sag , I have that under arm wing thing going on,
and my breast are more familiar with my tummy then I ever was. So I have decided not to run any more I might just fall flat on my face from all the extra weight I am carring around or take off and fly (If I was to run too fast).
So there you are standing if front of that wonderful mirror that you wanted so much back when you were
in your twenties. You know the one , it is on the back of your bathroom door. Ya just where you want it. There is nothing like getting out of the shower and turning around and taking a good look at your well groomed body. Well, you know the mirror is only 2 feet wide thank God it makes you look skinny. You lose an inch on your waist line just looking in it. So that is one thing you do not want to get ride of when you down size. That mirror I am taking with me. The only problem is when you turn around you get the full view of your back side when you are looking in the mirror over the sink. Wow. Now where did that come from.
I mean the mirror over the sink. Who put that there.
I remember paying a lot of money to have this bathroom redone but I do not remember that my butt was going to be exposed so that you could get a full Monty view. Next time we do a bathroom make over I am hiring a women in her eightys to do it. I am sure she will have thought about all this naked body exposure over fifty stuff. This is stuff nobody should ever see.
Then there is the medicine cabinet problem. Now if you thought it was full before think twice. There are the 8 vitamin bottles, the 3 boxes of osteoporsis pills, hormonal and estrogen bottles, evening primerose bottle (thats for the hot flashes), Grecian formula( for my husbands hair), asprin ( so our blood stays thin) a magnifying glass ( so you can read what you are taking) my hair dying boxes ( I always have two of those) and the many ,many jars and tubes of age defying creams. It is no wonder we can not find the advil any more.
Then there is the issue of where do you hide the depends. Like they are not small, remember the tampons you could through them in a draw. You certainly do not want to store them on an open shelf so the world can see them they probably would not fit.
There still is that issue of the mirror. Like where do you get a large magnifying mirror to put on the wall.. I need to know because have you ever tried to pluck an eye brow or line your eyes with your readers on. Now how is one suppose to do that... Then once I get that big magnifying mirror how big will my butt and boobs look.
Like really could this be more complicated....
Friday, 28 October 2011
Menopause
Menopause, now who thought of that name. I can only think it was a male and they were thinking " Yes at this age in a man's life MEN will pause to enjoy themselves." Of course, they did not give birth or have periods all through their younger days, and they are not going to have menopause. The clock will stop and they will get on the train of happiness. I knew it was misspelled, it is called Men do Pause.
Menopause creeps up on you a little at a time. At first you get a little warm then you get the sweats at night along with the cold flashes. It is so typical for women to have this. We just do not know what we want. Then you take to the internet to find out what it is and reread the package your doctor so kindly gave you at your last physical.
OMG the list....
It reads "If you have any or all of these symptoms you are probably in menopause:"
sleeping problems - weight gain - mood swings - night sweats - bloating - hot flashes- low energy
irritability - anxiety - urine leak - skin flushing - forgetfulness - headaches - vaginal dryness
joint aches - incontinence - hair loss - difficult concentrating - depression - brittle nails
decreased interest in sex - painful intercourse - vaginal infection - panic disorder
hormonal imbalance .
Then they add to this the Pains that a women may experience at this time in her life...
Breast pain - joint pain - burning tongue - digestive problems - gum problems - muscle tension
itchy skin - tingling extremities.
That's great, I know now that I have been in menopause since I got married and had children. I have had all these symptoms for the past 26 years. So, this should not be something new to me. Come on... is this what we have to look forword to?
Now let's think about this for a few hours....
They tell you not all women have the same experience. It comes in different forms; mild, medium or severe . It is like ordering a steak, how would you like it after fifty? So if you have not begun get your order in quick...
They talk about women in menopause as being irritable, well just take a look. Would you not have mood swings, burning tongue (that's from swearing so much) headaches and sleeping problems if you were not in menopause. The list has 33 symptons. That alone gives me urine leak and depression.
While we are talking about urine leaks, this is a riot, you know if you laugh, cough, sneeze, exercise or run this could happen. I just want to meet the woman in menopause who has the weight issue as I do, (God only knows where that 20 pounds came from) how she wears her spanks while wearing a Depend . It is impossible to go to the bathroom or have a smooth look in your bike shorts wearing your Depend.
Then men wonder why we are not jumping into bed with them. Would you if your urine was going to leak if you should have an orgasm. You know you are going to have a hot flash with the water pouring out of your pours. Your skin is itchy and it is driving you crazy and you could experience a panic attack if he pulls the covers back and discovers you wear Depend to bed so you do not have to get up every 2 hours to go to the bathroom. Never mind the cute sexy teddies, you will not look good in them due to the weight gain, and you need your flannels to absorb the sweat and for the cold flash you get after that to keep you warm. Then there is the changing 3 times a night because the bed is so wet and he has to go downstairs to sleep if he wants to get any sleep at all. So now you know why we are so disinterested in sex. My husband just does not get it. He says it is all in my mind. I keep trying to tell him there is less in my mind these days and more in my body.
Then the information goes on to tell you how to keep fit and healthy during your menopause state. These are steps to help reduce the symptoms. (You've just got to love this now, I am sure a male doctor wrote this piece of information.)
Avoid caffeine- alcohol-spicy foods-dress lightly and in layers-eat soy foods
take calcium and vitamin d-exercise-practice kegel exercise to strengthen the muscles of your vagina and pelvis- practice slow breathing when a hot flash starts- remain sexually active, take yoga to help relax the body and mind- use water lubricant during sex. (Well doesn't that sound delightful)
Now really ....I can just see it now when my husband asks me what the heck I am doing in the bathroom, and I have to tell him I have metal balls up my vagina and I am practicing my kegel exercise for sex later
and I think I might be in a hot flash because I canot get a kegel out of me. Then you must remember to breath slow to help prevent the hot flash and try not to panic. Don't tell me that you do not want a large glass of wine and a cigarette after that experience.
Now that is why they invented The Dolphin, it just saves a lot to time, no mess and the experience is so wonderful you go to bed with a smile on your face. Ahhh
If you have have any suggestions to help calm down the menopause state please feel free to share them...
Menopause creeps up on you a little at a time. At first you get a little warm then you get the sweats at night along with the cold flashes. It is so typical for women to have this. We just do not know what we want. Then you take to the internet to find out what it is and reread the package your doctor so kindly gave you at your last physical.
OMG the list....
It reads "If you have any or all of these symptoms you are probably in menopause:"
sleeping problems - weight gain - mood swings - night sweats - bloating - hot flashes- low energy
irritability - anxiety - urine leak - skin flushing - forgetfulness - headaches - vaginal dryness
joint aches - incontinence - hair loss - difficult concentrating - depression - brittle nails
decreased interest in sex - painful intercourse - vaginal infection - panic disorder
hormonal imbalance .
Then they add to this the Pains that a women may experience at this time in her life...
Breast pain - joint pain - burning tongue - digestive problems - gum problems - muscle tension
itchy skin - tingling extremities.
That's great, I know now that I have been in menopause since I got married and had children. I have had all these symptoms for the past 26 years. So, this should not be something new to me. Come on... is this what we have to look forword to?
Now let's think about this for a few hours....
They tell you not all women have the same experience. It comes in different forms; mild, medium or severe . It is like ordering a steak, how would you like it after fifty? So if you have not begun get your order in quick...
They talk about women in menopause as being irritable, well just take a look. Would you not have mood swings, burning tongue (that's from swearing so much) headaches and sleeping problems if you were not in menopause. The list has 33 symptons. That alone gives me urine leak and depression.
While we are talking about urine leaks, this is a riot, you know if you laugh, cough, sneeze, exercise or run this could happen. I just want to meet the woman in menopause who has the weight issue as I do, (God only knows where that 20 pounds came from) how she wears her spanks while wearing a Depend . It is impossible to go to the bathroom or have a smooth look in your bike shorts wearing your Depend.
Then men wonder why we are not jumping into bed with them. Would you if your urine was going to leak if you should have an orgasm. You know you are going to have a hot flash with the water pouring out of your pours. Your skin is itchy and it is driving you crazy and you could experience a panic attack if he pulls the covers back and discovers you wear Depend to bed so you do not have to get up every 2 hours to go to the bathroom. Never mind the cute sexy teddies, you will not look good in them due to the weight gain, and you need your flannels to absorb the sweat and for the cold flash you get after that to keep you warm. Then there is the changing 3 times a night because the bed is so wet and he has to go downstairs to sleep if he wants to get any sleep at all. So now you know why we are so disinterested in sex. My husband just does not get it. He says it is all in my mind. I keep trying to tell him there is less in my mind these days and more in my body.
Then the information goes on to tell you how to keep fit and healthy during your menopause state. These are steps to help reduce the symptoms. (You've just got to love this now, I am sure a male doctor wrote this piece of information.)
Avoid caffeine- alcohol-spicy foods-dress lightly and in layers-eat soy foods
take calcium and vitamin d-exercise-practice kegel exercise to strengthen the muscles of your vagina and pelvis- practice slow breathing when a hot flash starts- remain sexually active, take yoga to help relax the body and mind- use water lubricant during sex. (Well doesn't that sound delightful)
Now really ....I can just see it now when my husband asks me what the heck I am doing in the bathroom, and I have to tell him I have metal balls up my vagina and I am practicing my kegel exercise for sex later
and I think I might be in a hot flash because I canot get a kegel out of me. Then you must remember to breath slow to help prevent the hot flash and try not to panic. Don't tell me that you do not want a large glass of wine and a cigarette after that experience.
Now that is why they invented The Dolphin, it just saves a lot to time, no mess and the experience is so wonderful you go to bed with a smile on your face. Ahhh
If you have have any suggestions to help calm down the menopause state please feel free to share them...
Monday, 24 October 2011
Checking all parts.
I remember the days when I used to feel that my biological clock was ticking. You would rush into the doctor`s office to make sure you were able to have a child and that all the parts were working and got advice to make sure tonight would be the night. Well when you hit fifty, you go to the doctor`s and the experience is so completely different, everything changes. Your appointment is not for ten minutes, you must plan to stay the afternoon.
First you sign in and they give you paperwork to fill out. You would think that it was your first time. No, they just want to make sure all your information is correct and that your health card has not expired. And then the five hundred questions about whether your health over the last five years has not changed. Well let me tell you, if my health and life over the past five years had not changed would I be going to the doctor`s on a sunny beautiful day. Now they know you are fifty, why don't they print this form in large print. So, out come the glasses and the pen and everything else you have in this bottomless bag so you can give all the new information.
Then, when you go in, you know you are getting older because the nurse is new and a lot younger then you. Everything is on computer and they always ask what your reason is for the visit. Now really, can't they see I have aged and that I just filled out the form and I am here because they suggest we do a full check up when one turns fifty. Really, no one in their twenties is doing this....
So, you have small talk with the doctor. You go over the past few years and bring her or him up to date.
Then they tell you to strip down and they will be back. So really, why did I get all dressed up and try to look real good so that they would think, ``Wow, she has it all together`` until you take off your clothes.
Then everything you were trying to hide just drops to the floor.
They do all the usual things, the breathing, the blood pressure, the eyes and ears and they tell you that all is fine in that department.
Then the breast exam, you always take a deep breath when that happens. Their hands are cold and it has been a while since they were felt.... God I hate that, mine have gotten bigger and for so many years when I was younger I had always wished for bigger boobs, why now...
Then comes the pap test... Gee, just what every women over fifty wants. As I was being examined, the lovely doctor told me not to worry if I start to dry up down there, that there are many new creams on the market to help with lubrication. Now I can bearly focus at this point. The last thing on my mind was sex... All I am thinking is... why did I not go to my beauty spa the week before oh ya because it was raining outside and now my forest has grown into trees. I think the doctor by now is thinking that there is something wrong with me. I am fifty and the bush has not been clipped. So you get through that and redressed and then the doctor hands you this kit. I mean, it is a package...
Now all I am thinking is, `Pay attention, there is a lot in this package,` and I now have to do all this stuff. I have to have a mamogram test (my breast squeezed), an xray of my chest, blood work done (poked with a needle), a bone density test (to make sure I will be able to stand up straight as I age), pee in this bottle before I leave, (God knows what that was for, I know I am not pregnant) and collect my poop (to make sure I don't have colon cancer) and mail it off to some place. Well that sounds real exciting, can't wait to get started on that project.
Then they give you the prescriptions to better health. My doctor goes on to tell me I must take at least 500 mg of Vitamin D and 1500 mg of Calcium everyday and they come in the size of horse pills. I should eat blueberries, spinach, broccoli, half the vegetables and fruit in the grocery store everyday. And to top it all, keep eating yogurt for breakfast. Gee, that sounds like fun.
Now they did tell me white bread is a no-no and all those good things like donuts and white sugar are not so good for you as you age. (Well, that just messed up my stop at Tim's in the morning). I should try not to eat processed sandwich meat like ham and turkey meat. (Well, there goes lunch too). The doctor did tell me to excercise daily, like take walks, ride a bike or swim. Great since I will not be eating while I am working any more I now can take up swimming. Then went to tell me that there are a lot of seniors clubs that are open to fifty year old people. And make sure I am seeing the eye doctor at least one every other year.
Seniors clubs? Wow, so thats it, I am a senior now. Shit, last week I was so happy and feeling great.
Then the doctor closed with, ``If you have any worries or concerns about your health to come right back for another session.`` Ya like I have extra time for another session of this... I think I was in shock when I left, I could not think of any questions. The only thing from all this that I can remember is that the doctor did say a good glass of red wine and dark chocolate was good for your health.
My God by the time I got to my car I was exasuted. I must have sat there for twenty minutes. I was just trying to recall what just happened. I was not sure what to do next. I could not go to Tim's for a coffee
to help think things over. I was afraid to go home, I might eat a sandwich on white bread with processed meat, and I was not sure I had enough money to go to the grocery store to buy all the fresh fruit and vegtables that I am supposed to eat. Ok, so what am I supposed to do now?
Somehow the LCBO sounded like a good idea and the doctor did think a good glass of red wine never hurt. Great, so that is where I ended up.
Life is funny...
Now think back to when you were pregnant, all the doctor told you to do was eat lots of good green leafy foods and not to drink booze for nine months. You know it was a lot easier having a baby than living in your fifties. Your appointment was only ten minutes and you went in with a Tim's in your hand so you hand something to drink while you waited for your appointment.
So did you get your package or appointment yet for your senior check up? lol lol
First you sign in and they give you paperwork to fill out. You would think that it was your first time. No, they just want to make sure all your information is correct and that your health card has not expired. And then the five hundred questions about whether your health over the last five years has not changed. Well let me tell you, if my health and life over the past five years had not changed would I be going to the doctor`s on a sunny beautiful day. Now they know you are fifty, why don't they print this form in large print. So, out come the glasses and the pen and everything else you have in this bottomless bag so you can give all the new information.
Then, when you go in, you know you are getting older because the nurse is new and a lot younger then you. Everything is on computer and they always ask what your reason is for the visit. Now really, can't they see I have aged and that I just filled out the form and I am here because they suggest we do a full check up when one turns fifty. Really, no one in their twenties is doing this....
So, you have small talk with the doctor. You go over the past few years and bring her or him up to date.
Then they tell you to strip down and they will be back. So really, why did I get all dressed up and try to look real good so that they would think, ``Wow, she has it all together`` until you take off your clothes.
Then everything you were trying to hide just drops to the floor.
They do all the usual things, the breathing, the blood pressure, the eyes and ears and they tell you that all is fine in that department.
Then the breast exam, you always take a deep breath when that happens. Their hands are cold and it has been a while since they were felt.... God I hate that, mine have gotten bigger and for so many years when I was younger I had always wished for bigger boobs, why now...
Then comes the pap test... Gee, just what every women over fifty wants. As I was being examined, the lovely doctor told me not to worry if I start to dry up down there, that there are many new creams on the market to help with lubrication. Now I can bearly focus at this point. The last thing on my mind was sex... All I am thinking is... why did I not go to my beauty spa the week before oh ya because it was raining outside and now my forest has grown into trees. I think the doctor by now is thinking that there is something wrong with me. I am fifty and the bush has not been clipped. So you get through that and redressed and then the doctor hands you this kit. I mean, it is a package...
Now all I am thinking is, `Pay attention, there is a lot in this package,` and I now have to do all this stuff. I have to have a mamogram test (my breast squeezed), an xray of my chest, blood work done (poked with a needle), a bone density test (to make sure I will be able to stand up straight as I age), pee in this bottle before I leave, (God knows what that was for, I know I am not pregnant) and collect my poop (to make sure I don't have colon cancer) and mail it off to some place. Well that sounds real exciting, can't wait to get started on that project.
Then they give you the prescriptions to better health. My doctor goes on to tell me I must take at least 500 mg of Vitamin D and 1500 mg of Calcium everyday and they come in the size of horse pills. I should eat blueberries, spinach, broccoli, half the vegetables and fruit in the grocery store everyday. And to top it all, keep eating yogurt for breakfast. Gee, that sounds like fun.
Now they did tell me white bread is a no-no and all those good things like donuts and white sugar are not so good for you as you age. (Well, that just messed up my stop at Tim's in the morning). I should try not to eat processed sandwich meat like ham and turkey meat. (Well, there goes lunch too). The doctor did tell me to excercise daily, like take walks, ride a bike or swim. Great since I will not be eating while I am working any more I now can take up swimming. Then went to tell me that there are a lot of seniors clubs that are open to fifty year old people. And make sure I am seeing the eye doctor at least one every other year.
Seniors clubs? Wow, so thats it, I am a senior now. Shit, last week I was so happy and feeling great.
Then the doctor closed with, ``If you have any worries or concerns about your health to come right back for another session.`` Ya like I have extra time for another session of this... I think I was in shock when I left, I could not think of any questions. The only thing from all this that I can remember is that the doctor did say a good glass of red wine and dark chocolate was good for your health.
My God by the time I got to my car I was exasuted. I must have sat there for twenty minutes. I was just trying to recall what just happened. I was not sure what to do next. I could not go to Tim's for a coffee
to help think things over. I was afraid to go home, I might eat a sandwich on white bread with processed meat, and I was not sure I had enough money to go to the grocery store to buy all the fresh fruit and vegtables that I am supposed to eat. Ok, so what am I supposed to do now?
Somehow the LCBO sounded like a good idea and the doctor did think a good glass of red wine never hurt. Great, so that is where I ended up.
Life is funny...
Now think back to when you were pregnant, all the doctor told you to do was eat lots of good green leafy foods and not to drink booze for nine months. You know it was a lot easier having a baby than living in your fifties. Your appointment was only ten minutes and you went in with a Tim's in your hand so you hand something to drink while you waited for your appointment.
So did you get your package or appointment yet for your senior check up? lol lol
Friday, 21 October 2011
Getting dressed for fifty.....
Getting ready for the last fifty years of your life has its ups and downs.
When I was in my twenties no one told me I needed to use moisturizers, creams or exercise and eat healthy. Life was a ball. I was away at school eating cafeteria food, drinking with friends, staying out late at the bars, smoking whatever got passed around and life was great. I am not even sure my make-up was washed off every night, never mind scrubs, cleansers and moisturizers who thought about that back then. We wore high heels that killed our feet, jeans you could not bend over in, and teased our hair with half a can of hair spray. We thought that was living. Life was grand it could not get any better.
Oh ya, don't forget about the freedom of sex... everyone was doing it. What more could you ask for, then a cigarette from a friend, no one ever told us we would die of cancer or aids.
What about the toxins we drank, smoked and breathed during those days. Yes, every house hold had bleach, comet, body powders anything to make us feel we were clean . At least we looked and smelled clean. Those were the days our moms stayed home to make sure the family was running well. It was our mothers who taught us to be the perfect Mrs. Clever and that we would grow up and the world was going to be a better place, because we did as we were told. We wanted to be, just like mom.
So, here we are today in a world where we find out that all those chemicals we lived with are hurting us and our environment. Our bodies, our minds and the environment has paid the price, just look around today, we have changed not only in our physical frame but in the way we live. You can not smoke at the local donut shops, everyone buys coffee before they leave for work, we plug in our cars, we spend millions on skin care products , and very few women stay home to raise their children.
The big problem was, that by the time we reached forty, scientists started to discover all these problems and are now trying to clean up this environmental mess that we have created. The real killer is, that now we need glasses so that we can read what the heck we are using to make life better. Our brains, eyes and body are starting to slow down, so that we can prepare for the fifties. It is such a pain, now is the time you need your eyes, your brain and your physical ability to function and darn it all they start to go. We need to be able to read all those labels and think smart so that we do not mess up the next fifty years. Ok, so now we decorate our homes with reading glasses in everyroom, , and spend more time in the bathroom, we are still working like mad dogs, exfoliating, cleansing and moisturizing ourselves, we buy organic food and clothing, then run around the block everynight. Now we have to work even harder at what we are doing and change how we are living so that we can enjoy the next fifty years. Getting older is a lot of work... and all we really want to do is get dressed and have fun.
Do you remember the past like this? Are you in the same boat as me just trying to stay healthy and have a little fun? Share your thoughts.......
When I was in my twenties no one told me I needed to use moisturizers, creams or exercise and eat healthy. Life was a ball. I was away at school eating cafeteria food, drinking with friends, staying out late at the bars, smoking whatever got passed around and life was great. I am not even sure my make-up was washed off every night, never mind scrubs, cleansers and moisturizers who thought about that back then. We wore high heels that killed our feet, jeans you could not bend over in, and teased our hair with half a can of hair spray. We thought that was living. Life was grand it could not get any better.
Oh ya, don't forget about the freedom of sex... everyone was doing it. What more could you ask for, then a cigarette from a friend, no one ever told us we would die of cancer or aids.
What about the toxins we drank, smoked and breathed during those days. Yes, every house hold had bleach, comet, body powders anything to make us feel we were clean . At least we looked and smelled clean. Those were the days our moms stayed home to make sure the family was running well. It was our mothers who taught us to be the perfect Mrs. Clever and that we would grow up and the world was going to be a better place, because we did as we were told. We wanted to be, just like mom.
So, here we are today in a world where we find out that all those chemicals we lived with are hurting us and our environment. Our bodies, our minds and the environment has paid the price, just look around today, we have changed not only in our physical frame but in the way we live. You can not smoke at the local donut shops, everyone buys coffee before they leave for work, we plug in our cars, we spend millions on skin care products , and very few women stay home to raise their children.
The big problem was, that by the time we reached forty, scientists started to discover all these problems and are now trying to clean up this environmental mess that we have created. The real killer is, that now we need glasses so that we can read what the heck we are using to make life better. Our brains, eyes and body are starting to slow down, so that we can prepare for the fifties. It is such a pain, now is the time you need your eyes, your brain and your physical ability to function and darn it all they start to go. We need to be able to read all those labels and think smart so that we do not mess up the next fifty years. Ok, so now we decorate our homes with reading glasses in everyroom, , and spend more time in the bathroom, we are still working like mad dogs, exfoliating, cleansing and moisturizing ourselves, we buy organic food and clothing, then run around the block everynight. Now we have to work even harder at what we are doing and change how we are living so that we can enjoy the next fifty years. Getting older is a lot of work... and all we really want to do is get dressed and have fun.
Do you remember the past like this? Are you in the same boat as me just trying to stay healthy and have a little fun? Share your thoughts.......
Wednesday, 19 October 2011
Thinking Fifty
Turning fifty...I never really thought about it as in writing it down on paper, but it was always on my mind.
I used to wonder what the old people did when they turned fifty. I remember my aunt used to wear her blouses outside her pants, nothing was ever tucked in and her hair was always in rollers. Not to mention older people used to smoke a lot back in those days. The radio was always on in her house and she was either ironing blouses or cooking on the stove. She didn't have a big career, college was a dream back in her days. I don't think anybody really went to college back then. They lived during the second world war, the depression and they had the milk man. So, looking up to an aunt when I was a young girl was nothing special, thats just what life was like back then ...simple.
They never talked about menopause, I am not even sure they had that back then. PMS, cancer, hot flashes, mood changes, and didn't most women die before they turned fifty. Well, at least that is what it looked like to me when I was a young girl. I was just learning about my biological changes and discovering who I was, and looking for a role model.
Perhaps, thats is why so many of us have feared turning fifty and are trying to put our act together. We have grown up in such a different world than our great aunts. We had colour televisions, and now DVDs, dishwashers,blowdryers. We have gone from eight tracks to CDs , the Beatles to Lady Gaga. We used to read Seventeen magazine, Cosmo and now the big O. Back then, whatever we wanted to know about life, boys, dating,sex, etc. We called our friends and shared Cosmo. Oprah was not around to give you Lifeclasses.
They keep telling us that these are going to be the best years of our life. Ok, then let's share these years together and learn, grow, share, laugh and cry together. Now is the time to get going and make new friends. We women have been harvesting our goods for years, so come on board and plant your seeds.
I used to wonder what the old people did when they turned fifty. I remember my aunt used to wear her blouses outside her pants, nothing was ever tucked in and her hair was always in rollers. Not to mention older people used to smoke a lot back in those days. The radio was always on in her house and she was either ironing blouses or cooking on the stove. She didn't have a big career, college was a dream back in her days. I don't think anybody really went to college back then. They lived during the second world war, the depression and they had the milk man. So, looking up to an aunt when I was a young girl was nothing special, thats just what life was like back then ...simple.
They never talked about menopause, I am not even sure they had that back then. PMS, cancer, hot flashes, mood changes, and didn't most women die before they turned fifty. Well, at least that is what it looked like to me when I was a young girl. I was just learning about my biological changes and discovering who I was, and looking for a role model.
Perhaps, thats is why so many of us have feared turning fifty and are trying to put our act together. We have grown up in such a different world than our great aunts. We had colour televisions, and now DVDs, dishwashers,blowdryers. We have gone from eight tracks to CDs , the Beatles to Lady Gaga. We used to read Seventeen magazine, Cosmo and now the big O. Back then, whatever we wanted to know about life, boys, dating,sex, etc. We called our friends and shared Cosmo. Oprah was not around to give you Lifeclasses.
They keep telling us that these are going to be the best years of our life. Ok, then let's share these years together and learn, grow, share, laugh and cry together. Now is the time to get going and make new friends. We women have been harvesting our goods for years, so come on board and plant your seeds.
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