6 Health Problems that Changed My Life

Senior health problems are the worst because, as any senior will tell you, it takes longer to heal after 78 and it throws your fitness routine off the rails. Longer to heal and recuperate the strength you had before. Right now, I’ve been off the tennis courts for weeks and just doing a minimum at the gym.

Among my senior friends—mostly over 60 and 70—accidents seem to be more frequent as we age. Whether from falls (yes, they happen to all seniors, even when fit), or from sports, over-training, or a surgery, a period of inactivity is horrible.

I’ve been recuperating from a 6-hour surgery for spinal stenosis since July 26. I can maintain some of my strength by daily gym workouts. I’ve had to give up my tennis matches. I’m told it may take four months for all the pain to go away.

Although the surgeon was pleased with his surgery, my sciatic nerve pain is still there. He promises I’ll feel better soon. In the meantime, my wife claims I’m grumpy, I feel tired, and I’m spending too much time on my butt at the computer.

What’s a 78-year-old warrior to do? I can’t play World of War Craft eight hours a day…at least my wife says I can’t. Anyway, it’s given me cause to reflect on previous injuries I’ve had over the years and how I bounced back from them. I’m writing this because I know there are many other seniors like me who are dealing with accidents, injuries and recuperation as well.

There was that time when…

1. I sprained my ankle. At 45, I sprained my ankle playing a pickup basketball game. I had a GP check it out to make certain it wasn’t broken. While there he asked when was my last physical. It had been nearly 20 years. According to charts I was 15 pounds overweight. The doctor suggested I join a gym and begin a routine of regular exercise. Now, I had been playing football, baseball, and basketball my entire life. I still thought of myself as a 20-year-old athlete, so his suggestion came as a shock. In truth, I had become a middle-aged working dad with no time for sports or healthy habits. After a few months at the gym, I was hooked and never looked back. Somewhere along the next 35 years I realized that getting fit was not a goal but a way of life. And I would need to have a better diet, more exercise, less indulgences and get enough sleep.
2. I learned to play tennis at 55 and had to change my workouts. Tennis is a great game that you can play all your life… if you can stay in decent shape. I admit I am a competitive type and when I take up any sport I drive myself hard to become the best. To me this meant changing my workouts to cross-train my body for speed and endurance. Prior to taking up tennis my exercise routines were designed to add strength and power, but I found out that’s not really needed on the tennis courts.
3. I had a major heart attack at 65. I had this attack on the tennis court and it was a doozy. I had seen some of my co-workers and friends suffer similar attacks and afterwards baby themselves until their eminent death. I wanted to return to my normal tennis and gym routines. I wanted to bounce back and have a full recovery. I didn’t want to sit home and gingerly protect my damaged heart. I was back in the gym six weeks following surgery and on the tennis courts after twelve weeks. Since that time, my failing heart has put me back into the hospital several times as it only operates at 40% efficiency. The last time, I got a Cardioverter implanted so that when my heart stops or beats irregularly, it shocks it back into rhythm. I still bounced back, getting back onto the tennis courts as quickly as possible.
4. I had a bad fall at age 75. Yes, it appears something happens every ten years that re-motivates me to another level of fitness. While climbing steps I missed the last one and landed with all my weight (185 pounds) on my left shoulder. Being left-handed this became an added burden. I worked on recovery, strength and flexibility of my weakened shoulder in the gym. Four years later I can do everything I could do before the fall. If I make it to 85, I will be on the lookout for my next challenge.

The Dangers of Falls to Healthy Seniors

The reason a fall is significant is the number of seniors who fall every year. The statistics are staggering, and a high percentage of seniors die from the fall or from complications following a fall. A life of exercise and fitness gifted my body with thicker bones and more muscle to withstand a bad fall. And by the way, exercise is also good for improving your balance.

5. I experienced excruciating back and sciatic nerve pain. I tend to ignore or play through pain, so I only started noticing the back pain six months ago. At first, it was diagnosed as Piriformis syndrome, and I sought treatment with physical therapists and my orthopedic doctor. But when the CT Scan showed extensive stenosis I was referred to the best spinal column surgeon in Guadalajara, Dr. Cruz Lopez. I’m still waiting for the problem to heal. Far from curtailing my sports activities, I’m simply in recovery mode for now.
6. I’ve had multiple concussions. As a youth I played football… too much football and I suffered multiple concussions. The last one put me in the hospital with a tube drilled into the skull. Today there’s much better knowledge, science and treatment for PCS (Post-Concussion Syndrome), but even so, I have been waiting for the “other shoe to drop.” So many of my football buddies have passed away. With every forgotten name or slow recall of a movie title I begin to worry about memory loss.

I wrote up this list not as a “poor me” purge, but to gain some perspective. As I grow older, I realize I’m not immune from poor health, accidents, and bad luck. I intend to always workout no matter what, and usually I find there’s some work-around to avoid using an injured body part while exercising. Don’t let a health problem end your fitness efforts.