On becoming decrepit

 I have had back trouble since I was a teenager. Back then it was pulled muscles -- very painful, but manageable. Thangs got more serious in my 40s, with a wonky disc sending me to the hospital for a number of days -- they gave me some strong narcotic for the pain, but I was still in pain, just really dopey.

I recovered from that with a steroid shot in my spine and went along for the next couple of decades without much problem. Now though, I have new back problems! I thought it was the same thing - a protruding disc that was hitting a nerve -- but no, my new orthopedic doctor (my previous and much trusted doctor having retired) sent me for tests and found it was shrinking discs, spinal stenosis, and sciatica. Sigh. Turn 70 and everything goes to pot.

So I'm going to physical therapy -- what a blessing. I'm doing the exercises faithfully at home between appointments and I feel much better. I expect I will have to keep doing the exercises forever, but that's a small thing compared to managing pain without drugs. 

We want to take a few trips via airplane- visiting my husband's oldest friend who has moved to New Mexico, going to LA and San Francisco to attend concerts by their orchestras. I'm not at the point yet where I can sit for 3 or 4 hours without standing and walking, but I'll get there. Decrepit but determined!