Getting Old (er) Part I

So I am on a three-day medical leave. The bones are weary. The shoulders achy. The back tired. Knees buckling. And I was popping pills again.

I went to see the orthopaedic surgeon again (who is the most nicest doctor), who said the ailment is due to wear and tear. Over-used muscles. And who am I to argue with the specialist?

But secretly I also like translate it as penyakit orang tua (only the doctor's too nice to say it like that in my face). Let's be pragmatic about it.

And now my mom's words of caution came back to me. She had said, simpan sama tenaga tu untuk tua besok.. And if you havent discovered it yet, let me tell you that mothers are always right.

So today the doctor jabbed me in the tendons at the side of the kness. He said those muscles are all bunched and swollen (no wonder I had developed a nightly ritual of minyak gamat on the legs. Now I know why). I seriously didnt think I need any jabs actually, I thought those are normal sakit urat. How naive am I about health?

My back, shoulders and neck are old stories to the doctor. We had xrays and scans and mri's done on that during my last visit early in the year (come to think of it I should be grateful for small mercies - I havent been to the specialist for almost a year after all).

The funny thing is, I felt worse once I am home and took the medication prescribed. And lay down to rest like the doctor said I should. How's that? I am thinking that maybe after the consultation it finally hit home that this is more serious than I originally thought it was.

Earlier, as the doctor wrote notes in my personal file, I mused loudly to him and the nurse. I said, I think it is time to re-learn about yourself and your habits. What your body can take. How much you can do. When to stop. He said yes, you have to adjust with age (like I said, it is penyakit orang tua).

And all in all, in the mean time I am appreciating my boss more as there is no call / text messages from him about work or due dates although I know (through the grapevine) that he was asking about things; but only from people who are actually in the office.

ps - I hope to write some more about getting older. Soon. Thus the title.

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