Been feeling down

[Mickwhitt 4,617]

Hi all.

As the title says, I've been feeling down a bit over the last few weeks. Nothing I can put my finger on, but a definite low mood.

My appetite took a dive and I've lost about a stone in weight over three weeks. 

So Mrs. W trots me to the GP for a chat. 

He wrote me up for every blood test known to man, or woman for that matter.

Chest xray,  poo test, psa test, etc. Etc.

All came back OK except for psa which now has to be tested again in a month and the xray which showed possible enlarged heart. So had to go for an ECG today. Total cost so far?...£0.00 thanks to the NHS. 

He's also prescribed citalopram which will help with the mood issues.

 

God this getting older malarkey is no fun at all. Why did I not do more when I was younger lol. 

[peter lena 8,609]

@Mickwhitt  regularly  stay in touch with  dr , and local pharmacy , they are  connected  with our  medications , and any  upcoming  check out . my wife was an office  manager at a nursing home  , and she can decipher  / read thru  any  , medical / insurance form  like nothing .  keeps us both on  medical  tracking .  agree with getting older , but getting anything done thats  required . have a hip replacement coming up , very common today , will allow me to comfortably  walk again , what a concept !  stay after it , pete 

[Sparky-(Admin) 21,315]

25 minutes ago, Mickwhitt said:

Hi all.

As the title says, I've been feeling down a bit over the last few weeks. Nothing I can put my finger on, but a definite low mood.

My appetite took a dive and I've lost about a stone in weight over three weeks. 

So Mrs. W trots me to the GP for a chat. 

He wrote me up for every blood test known to man, or woman for that matter.

Chest xray,  poo test, psa test, etc. Etc.

All came back OK except for psa which now has to be tested again in a month and the xray which showed possible enlarged heart. So had to go for an ECG today. Total cost so far?...£0.00 thanks to the NHS. 

He's also prescribed citalopram which will help with the mood issues.

 

God this getting older malarkey is no fun at all. Why did I not do more when I was younger lol. 

 Couldn’t agree more! 
  There are so many foods I can longer eat, I need more sleep, can easily hurt my back now..none of these were an issue a few years ago. And the list goes on….
  Follow Drs orders and stay well friend! 
 

[ebinmaine 67,422]

Agreed with above. Definitely take care of yourself. I've been on kind of a strange Road myself over the last few years trying to figure out all these unexplained body pains and lack of ability to move some days. I've been feeling a fair amount better this year which is interesting because I haven't really made any changes.

 

As for wishing you had done more earlier. Don't. My other half and I were blabbing about that a few years ago. I'm paraphrasing some here but she said, it's okay to think that you should have done things differently but the fact is, everything you've done up until this exact point in time made you who you are right now. Be strong. Be happy. Do what makes you in a positive space as long as it doesn't hurt others.

[953 nut 55,189]

Doctors can search for a cause but their ability will only go so far.  A positive attitude and just doing those things that make you smile can be the best medicine.

[SylvanLakeWH 25,535]

@953 nut 

 

You forgot the number one remedy for gettin old aches and pains...

 

Ride your !!!

 

[oliver2-44 9,732]

1 hour ago, 953 nut said:

Doctors can search for a cause but their ability will only go so far.  A positive attitude and just doing those things that make you smile can be the best medicine.

Can't say it any better. 

A positive attitude and just doing those things that make you smile can be the best medicine.

[squonk 41,067]

I've been having problems with my hands. I'm sure much of it has been caused by the pounding they took being a mechanic for years. Having a hard time even squeezing a wire crimper.  Some days even unloading the dishwasher can be a challenge. Thank goodness for fat steering wheels

Edited September 30 by squonk

[ri702bill 8,316]

As the late, great comic Nipsey Russell said..." The cost of livin' be goin' up.... but the chance of livin' be goin' down"... 

 

In other words, the aches & pains are the penalty for living this long....

[stevasaurus 22,717]

I'm just going to say a few things...I hope your Doctors find that you went to them in time to find what is the problem.  I hope they find someting they can cure.  Third...my prayers are with you !!!  One thing I know...Prayers work !!!  

Know that Red Square is the best support group out there...be strong and believe.  

[EB-80/8inPA 1,640]

👆yeah, what he said.  Well, that, and pay for a second opinion if you think you need one and the NHS won’t.

[953 nut 55,189]

2 hours ago, squonk said:

I've been having problems with my hands. I'm sure much of it has been caused by the pounding they took being a mechanic for years. Having a hard time even squeezing a wire crimper.  Some days even unloading the dishwasher can be a challenge. Thank goodness for fat steering wheels

       Carpal Tunnel Release Surgery made a big difference for me. Feeling and dexterity are now far better than before, not an instant change, took a couple years for improvement to be noticeable.

[Tonytoro416 1,034]

I also had carpal tunnel releases on both hands and it has helped immensely.

[Mickwhitt 4,617]

I guess it comes as a surprise and shock to us all that we are not invincible and our strength wanes over the years, despite having watched previous generations follow similar declines. 

My dad always read the obituaries in the local paper, seeing who of his peer group had died. It became like an obsession, counting down to his own demise. 

I'm not as bad as that but I do find the perilous state of the world to be a pretty dark place. In the past we humans seemed to be able to look forward, to better times and a better world. Now it looks like all we can see is calamity and war on virtually every continent. 

I can't turn my back on the news, like some people advocate. I need to see what's happening in the world. But I know that can have a negative impact on my mental wellbeing. 

I try to shrink the world down to my immediate bubble, making sure we are OK and hang the rest of them. But it is hard not to worry about the bigger picture,  even though I have zero control over it. The wider world impacts on my little world in so many ways. 

But life is good here, no war, very little civil unrest, a fairly settled political scene. My health is good and Mrs.W is also fit and well.

So we have so very much to be thankful for. 

I just worry about stuff that I can't influence and I guess get angry that the people in charge can be such absolute idiots about things that can potentially end our world. The Cuban missile crisis is nothing compared to the kind of stuff that seems to be happening on several fronts in today's news. 

Lots of very good advice and support here from my Red Square friends, as always. 

 

 

 

[ebinmaine 67,422]

37 minutes ago, Mickwhitt said:

I can't turn my back on the news, like some people advocate. I need to see what's happening in the world.

 

I'm going to say something here and I need to make sure you understand I am not trying to be argumentative or negative in any manner. I had to learn this myself a few years ago.

 

YOU CAN SHUT OUT THE MAJORITY OF THE "NEWS."

 

You don't think you can. You think you need to know. I thought that too. I was wrong. The world events do not affect my immediate stage at this point in my life. Will that change? In 10 minutes? In my lifetime? I don't have that information. But it's okay for you to stop paying attention to the negativity occurring on the rest of the planet and focus on what is your own positive life and nature.

 

37 minutes ago, Mickwhitt said:

But I know that can have a negative impact on my mental wellbeing. 

 

 

VERY MUCH SO. 

 

 

37 minutes ago, Mickwhitt said:

I try to shrink the world down to my immediate bubble, making sure we are OK

 

You CAN do this. It's OK. 

 

 

[Pullstart 62,834]

14 hours ago, squonk said:

I've been having problems with my hands. I'm sure much of it has been caused by the pounding they took being a mechanic for years. Having a hard time even squeezing a wire crimper.  Some days even unloading the dishwasher can be a challenge. Thank goodness for fat steering wheels

You’ve got a handful of years on me, but my hands often tell me “No” when it comes to small things.  Lots of hands for hammers in my youth.  Now I’ll look for something else to take the blame.

[953 nut 55,189]

Mic, as I see it previous generations had a big advantage over ours. Our parents and generations before had to wait until tomorrow to obtain information about what was going on today. They then had to sit down and read a carefully crafted editorial covering the subject matter that was of primary concern to them at that time. Good editors would limit sensationalization to the headline and opinions were clearly delineated as such on the editorial page.

Today we are bombarded 24/7 with rather skewed versions of the happenings of the day while it occurs. The more sensational it is the better and if it isn't clear at the moment what caused the event then speculation on the part of one nearby person is presented as undisputable FACT. As long as the news can attribute the statement to someone there isn't time enough to validate it, got to move on to the next scintillating story.  It seems to be imposable to find a balanced, factual, presentation of important information we need to know.

The United Kingdom has had a rather tumultuous election and even after the votes were tallied the turmoil continues. The same scenario is playing out here in the USA and most of us will be glad when it is over though half will be terribly concerned the end is near because their candidate (patty) did not prevail. This constant emphasis on immediacy and projecting  doom and gloom with an emphasis on the sensational is unhealthy.

We have limited our news intake substantially and feel much better. The wars will continue without us and knowing what the reporters think of what is happening will not change our lives.

I watch reruns of TV shows like MASH and a couple of carefully selected business programs that focus on market activity rather than political influences on the world. My wife has a few game show she likes and we both like to watch science programming.

Slow down, get away from the TV and go out to the garden to pull some weeds or whatever will leave you with a feeling of having improved YOUR surroundings. There is little or nothing you personally can do to solve the world's problems. As frustrating as that seems, it is a fact that we must deal with or it will drive us crazy.

Find one joyful thing and let it become your focal point.

 

Edited October 1 by 953 nut

[ebinmaine 67,422]

@953 nut

Well said Richard.  

[Mickwhitt 4,617]

1 hour ago, ebinmaine said:

 

I'm going to say something here and I need to make sure you understand I am not trying to be argumentative or negative in any manner. I had to learn this myself a few years ago.

Eric I would never think that of you, I posted this thread knowing I would get replies that showed how other people's experiences have helped them.

Hearing how people are feeling similar things a whole continent away is certainly very sobering. And it points to the fact that the news can be a toxic brew when taken in excess.

I don't do any social media other than Red Square so I'm happy that I don't have all that rubbish I my life.

But cutting down on my news intake can only be a good thing. When I was a cop it was important to be aware of the news, but now not so much. I guess it's just habit and curiosity. 

1 hour ago, 953 nut said:

This constant emphasis on immediacy and projecting  doom and gloom with an emphasis on the sensational is unhealthy.

Richard,  everything you say is so true. The information age has crashed into us so quickly we simply can't deal with the overload.  And the news cycle is so focused on the sensational,  full of a story one day then moved on to the next thing, leaving those involved to their fate.

I will give it a go. My smart phone is the main way I get my news, BBC 24, but if  remove the app I can ignore it.

Tv for us is entertainment shows or movies. 

Knowing what is happening in the world is just too much to handle, when every story is heartbreaking and tragic. Better to do as you say and draw my focus in to my immediate circle. Finding those things that make us happy and concentrating on those. 

I value every opinion and piece of advice or experience that is shared here on Red Square,  a problem shared is a problem halved after all. 

I will of course keep you up to date as I go along. 

Very best wishes to all. Mick. 

[MainelyWheelhorse 429]

I’m climbing the getting old hill myself. I just try to do what I enjoy with the stuff I have to do. I look at the news but keep in mind at least in the U.S. it’s very skewed towards views/clicks and heavily doom and gloom. It’s five horrible stories to one about a puppy. I know enough to know what’s going on but I don’t spend hours and hours on it. Social media comes in handy for some things but not others. Unless I have to do something, if I’m not up to it I do it later when I am. 

Edited October 1 by MainelyWheelhorse

[lynnmor 7,305]

21 hours ago, Mickwhitt said:

Total cost so far?...£0.00 thanks to the NHS. 

 

That reminds me of those that pay thousands in Medicare supplement plans so they can say how little it costs them when they have a problem.

[WHX?? 48,814]

I stay away from conversations involving religion, politics & heath. The latter being my denial that I am getting old...  

[ebinmaine 67,422]

30 minutes ago, WHX?? said:

I stay away from conversations involving religion, politics.... 

 

 

Same.  

[Kenneth R Cluley 515]

What scares me is with AI now not only can you not believe what you hear, but also what you see. My wife and I both worry about the world our kids and grandkids are going to be living in. Glad we are on the way out and not on the way in. Try to control/influence what you can for the better and let the rest go. 

[stevasaurus 22,717]

There is a "truth" that I am starting to realize about TV and Social Media...if the show is not in Black and White, don't watch it.

ie...Leave it to Beaver, The Andy Griffith Show, Perry Mason, etc.  In the case of Leave it to Beaver...know that June is always very protective of the Beaver.