My walking stick and I

This is a tale of declining mobility, which can be a challenge for any ageing boomer. Since I have been living solo, I have acknowledged that I never leave home without my walking stick. I wear a large shoulder bag, and clamber down a few modest stairs, using the banisters for this. I hold my walking stick in my other hand, in the approved fashion.

I must say that using my walking stick as part of a care plan has changed my confidence to resume my daily walks. I now even walk around a large local shopping centre. The objective is to avoid falls and potential fractures. Maintaining mobility for us seniors is vital for our muscle strength, and for our increased enjoyment of simple pleasures, like walking in the sunshine.

Of course, being an older lady with a walking stick has changed my self-perception. It shall change yours too. I’ll be approaching seventy years old soon enough. Guess I just ain’t no movie star, I can send ethereal wrinkly snogs from afar! We have to manage our senior esprit de corps with a sense of humour.

Quitting is just not in my nature, and probably not in yours either. So I am persevering with my chiropractor and podiatrist. These impressive health professionals offer a range of drug-free solutions.

Like some of my older lady friends, we are postponing our trip to the orthopaedic surgeons, for our knee reconstructions. But males can have bad knees too. My old doctor had two knee reconstructions, and my old stepfather had three knees done, with only two knees! These things happen.

My care plan, with the assistance of my GP, and his nurse, includes a few annual subsidized visits to my chiro and foot doctor. This benefit is greatly appreciated by the clientele. I have exercises for my posture, sporadically aching back, and my gait.

Generally, it is a quite normal part of ageing that our muscle strength and bone density can diminish, and our joints become stiffer. Down the track, there are a variety of mobility and living aids available for ageing folk, or for younger people living with a disability. It is best to be accepting, and balance reasonable exercises with sedentary activities.
I sit down for a while, reading, writing, and crafting for charity. Then I set off to do my chiropractic exercises, or stroll around, or do a bit of garden maintenance.

Personally,  I  take Vitamins D and C, with calcium. Some people take a multivitamin. Wise seniors should eat an adequate amount of protein as well. Currently, meat can be very expensive, so we can seek other vegetable forms of protein. Browsing for recipes can rival Jamie Oliver and Nigella!

At least I’m still driving. My walking stick and I just renewed my driver’s licence for another ten years. You might say I never get tired of being an optimist. Like my elders, I can one day imagine myself beetling down a highway to geriatrics. I would be buzzing on an electric scooter for neighbourhood travel.

“Teens, out of my way! Here comes a grey!”

For longer journeys there would be taxi vouchers ablaze, to keep up to date with medical appointments.

In the interim, I shall practise improving my walkified muscle strength. Anyone can join in at any tick of the clock. We are part of a fun team, my walking stick and I!