Aging

I had LASIK a week ago and typical me, after 4 days I expected to see perfectly.   I had no idea that there would be issues for a few weeks while you wait for your eyes to heal (it’s been a little over two weeks and I am actually thrilled with the results).  As I sat in the eye doctors office for my 4-day LASIK follow up in a panic, the doctor assured me that it takes time for the eyes to heal, especially given my age.  She compared me to someone younger and said that twenty-somethings heal in 24 hours – she can hardly get them to come back for a recheck.  She assured me my eyes will get there but just not as quick as the youngsters because with age comes lower tear production levels, and moist eyes are the key in facilitating healing.  To determine the moisture level in my eyes, the doctor gave me the “Schirmer’s Test “.  This involves inserting paper strips into the eye for several minutes to measure the production of tears.  Named for Otto Schirmer, a German ophthalmologist , Schirmer’s test determines whether the eye produces enough tears to keep it moist. A normal result is ≥15 mm wetting of the paper after 5 minutes, and mine was ≥5 mm which is considered moderate to severe.  The culprit in my case?    • Aging – strike one

As I felt slighted that I was no longer in my twenties and could spontaneously bounce back from LASIK, it brought me back to a comment I heard from my orthopedic surgeon.  I was struck by a car as a pedestrian at age 24 and landed in the hospital with a broken pelvis, hip, and compressed vertebrate in my back.  The surgeon on call that night told me I was very fortunate to be young because at an older age, my injuries would be life threatening and recovery would be difficult. Researchers have known for 30 years that aging interferes with fracture healing.  The skeleton loses the ability to repair itself as we age due to a decrease of “cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2)”, an enzyme that drives stem cells to differentiate into cartilage and then matures into bone.  Once again, aging depletes the COX-2 levels.   • Aging – Strike Two

A young woman stopped by our office last week – she is part of the auditing staff that we use on a yearly basis.  She had the smartest, cutest hair cut that was enviable but definitely something that would not look the same on me.  As I have gotten older my hair does not lay as straight as it used to or look nearly as healthy.  With age comes low melanin (pigment) production which also means low oil production.  This results in coarser hair.  •  Aging – strike three

Three strikes you’re out so I must give in to my age bracket.  This is an interesting place to be in life – a place where our age starts to affect our physical condition.  Aging might place physical restrictions on our bodies, but  I have come to believe that it is also a catalyst towards emotional and behavioral growth.

THE SUNNYSIDE OF AGING

Yes – there is a upswing to this aging process.  The benefits this list provides to mental health is the positive side of what can seem like a scary place to be in life.

•Age allows you to manage emotions better – in other words, don’t sweat the small stuff.

•Negative emotions such as sadness, anger and fear can become less pronounced than in our drama-filled younger years.

•Happiness improves with age – you just know what you want.

•Parts of our brain work better. In areas as diverse as vocabulary and inductive reasoning, our brains function better than they did in our 20s.

•Tranquility – enjoying the moment more

•Acceptance of what you cannot control

•Willingness to be wrong

•Increased appreciation and gratitude

•The love of family becomes even more pronounced as we realize that life is but a blink of an eye.

“He who is of a calm and happy nature will hardly feel the pressure of age, but to him who is of an opposite disposition, youth and age are equally a burden.” Plato (427-346 B.C.)