The Old Coot moves to the slow lane

People keep asking me, “Hey Coot, you okay? I see you walking slow, stumbling. Are you waiting for a knee or hip replacement?” 

The answer is: Yes, Yes, No. Yes, I’m okay. Yes, I slow walk. No, I’m not waiting for a hip or knee replacement. So, to clear the air, I’m providing the following. What the heck! I’ve been writing about the aging process since the Old Coot took over my identity in 2004. 

I have a nerve disorder that affects my arms and legs. It’s reduced their strength; the nerves and muscles aren’t communicating with each other as much as they should. It’s harder to get around or to lift heavy items. 

So yes, I walk slower and stumble a bit and while a ten-pound sack of potatoes isn’t an issue, a 40-pound bag of concrete is impossible. I may miss coming up with an Old Coot article every once in a while, but it won’t be due to my nerve disorder, though I’ll most likely use that as an excuse. If you’ve got it, use it. That’s what I say. It’s a lot better than the dog ate my homework kind of thing. 

The name of this condition is Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease. Now that’s some name! Only an old coot like me could be affected by something so odd sounding that it seems a joke. But, Dr. Jean Martin Charcot, Dr. Pierre Marie and Dr. Henry Howard Tooth (Two Frenchmen and a Brit) are the scientists who identified it for what it was in the early 1900’s. It was named after all three of them. 

I was told I’ve had the condition for 10 or 15 years but had no symptoms until a year or so ago. It’s not the end of the line. I can slow down the progression with physical therapy that I do on my own wherever I am, three times a day. Move it or lose it! All us old guys know the truth of that. It’s just a little truer at the moment for me. I have excellent guidance that works to keep me in “Peak Performance.”  

I’m not trying to get sympathy (or a built in excuse to get out of stuff), but just to remind the younger crowd (anyone under 70) that this complicated mechanism we travel through life in, though quite amazing, has so many complicated components you have to expect a malfunction as you age. 

Think of it as an automobile with 250,000 miles on the odometer. We have to adjust to the little quirks that pop up. I can no longer hop in a pool and swim a mile, but I can swim, somewhat. I can’t peddle my bike on a 40 miles round trip, but I can get around town and knock off a 10 or 20-mile round trip once in a while. 

And, that’s the point I’m trying to make. We have to adapt to life as it comes, and move forward, and not waste time focusing on “what once was.” Wow! That’s a little too philosophical even for me. Bottom line – I’m a happy guy and expect to continue to chuckle at my missteps and stumbles and those of society in general. It’s what an old coot is expected to do. And, no one is more of an old coot than me.

Comments? Complaints? Send to – mlessler7@gmail.com.