Smarter

Let me start this post with saying I refuse to “grow old gracefully.” Yes, I watch “What not to Wear”, yes, I understand the Lindy Hop and Rockabilly Swing are young in culture and athleticism, blah blah blah.

Saying that, I don’t want to be younger. I do enjoy being my age; things are less of a big deal, I actually like myself, and I’m happier than I ever have been. But I also like wearing skulls and short salsa dresses, even if Clinton says I shouldn’t. I love the Lindy, even though Gary and I are often one of the oldest couples doing it.

OK, so combine this stubborn individualism with being brought up in an era that says work through your pain. Get as strong as possible. Practice practice practice. Heck, when I was running track back in high school I thought I was so lucky to have the boy’s track coach actually give me advice, I did everything he said. (Girls got kicked off the field when a boy made himself known.) Anyway. Lately I’ve also been influenced by a specialist doc who said I was at risk for osteoporosis. He said “you need lots of weight bearing activity.”

So I took that and ran. Literally. It’s not his fault. This particular doc doesn’t see me that often. So how could he know I added to what I was already doing (dance practice, dancing out, dance lessons, and weight lifting) with running, walking, treadmill, biking, hiking…you get the picture. My knees started to hurt. So I did more. They hurt worse. I did some more. Work through the pain. It’ll get better. But it didn’t, and horrors, my dancing suffered. So I researched what I thought I had and diagnosed myself. I had runner’s knee. Yup, that’s what I had. I liked that diagnosis in that it seemed like an athlete’s disease. I read up on it. It said rest. So I did. Some. But my knees still hurt.

After about a year of this I finally decided to go to an oseto specialist. In my line of work I know lots of docs and asked around. I also asked my primary internist. They all said Methodist Sports Center in Indianapolis. I looked at their site; Payton Manning and the Colts go there. And they had a dancer on the front page! I also liked the idea of a SPORTS clinic, not a place where sick/injured people go. Even though that’s why you go.

So I made an appointment with Mark Ritter. They took lots of x-rays, I was impressed that some were standing and not just laying down. The good news was my knees are in pretty good shape cartilage-wise, the bad news was I have bones spurs, especially on the left one. The good doc explained what a bone spur was. It’s not a pointy thing like you might think, it’s a knobby protuberance, essentially, your body is trying to add bone to an area that has worn away. The spurs don’t hurt; the pain comes from when the bone nodules irritate the tissue around it. I got all of that. When I started to ask specific questions he said “the Physical Therapist can answer those.” What I liked about this approach was that the doc clearly knew his expertise…and what wasn’t. Many docs are not like this, and another strong point for the center.

I wasn’t scheduled for PT, so I waited. And I got to see Brad Gerig, a certified athletic trainer. I liked that. He’s a trainer, see, not a therapist. Even though he is. Well. He was different than any physician I knew, and I know docs. I used to work with them, in particular with executive physicians. They aren’t a bad sort; I like them, in fact. But…for the most part they are esoteric, big picture, and in a hurry. When you are a patient you do want the diagnosis, but you also want “small picture”, aka, how does this affect ME, and what can I do to FIX it?

Brad nailed me instantly, too much, too long, not the right stuff. Without going into everything, the overall concept was as you get older you have to work smarter. In other words, instead of bashing my body into submission, I should treat it with respect. That means listening to my joints, pacing myself, and constructing a schedule so I’m not over stressing anything. And guess what, when I don’t weight lift before dancing I do…better! And not just less pain, but better, as in how I execute the moves. A-Maze-ing.

I won’t list all the exercises he gave me either, because what may be right for me may not be correct for you. I will add one magical thing he suggested that I never thought would work: ice! I use frozen peas, because I hate peas and because they mold to the body. You can buy expensive thingies too, but for me peas work just fine. I use them after I exercise even a little, and I have eliminated all painkillers. ALL. I had been up to at least 3-5 a week, hard on the liver.

In Indiana you have to visit the doc before you see a PT. I don’t know about anywhere else, but even if it’s not required, do go to the doc. Even if you think you know what it is you could be wrong. I was.

Very few people change the way I think. I’m highly educated, I have lots of experience with all different kinds of people, I research well, and did I say I was stubborn? But Brad changed the way I will treat myself. Dancing may not be the most important thing in my life, but it’s pretty close. Dancing is an expression of Gary and my life together. So what Brad did is monumental. I am going to do everything he says, and hopefully I will keep improving, but the mindset is the most important thing, and I already have that now.

I’ll try to remember that this weekend…one of our favorite events is happening and it has lots of dancing Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. I’ll probably binge, but at least afterwards I’ll be icing. And resting Sunday. And that is a definition of “aging gracefully” I’m willing to own. :)