When You See One, Take It!

It started with all that rain. I stopped taking my walks/jogs in the mornings because of it, kept thinking the afternoons would be warmer and drier. That didn't happen, of course, not for days and days, anyway.

I got on our old treadmill instead. I had forgotten what a number it always does on my joints. So I stopped that, too.


I don't know about your life experience, but mine is that reasons have a way of turning into excuses which morph into not being able to zip my jeans. But maybe that's just me.

Today there was no reason whatsoever for me not to get out there. The weather is simply beautiful. I am not on babysitting privilege this weekend. I knew I wouldn't be running today, I just wanted to get back out there and remind my legs how good they make me feel when they move. I also wanted to get back out there because if you know me at all, you know that my morning walks work like Prozac for me and Lord knows, I needed an  infusion.

It didn't take me long to be glad I had, and as often happens when I'm out on these things lessons present themselves to me. Moments of clarity. Things that make me say HEY LET'S BLOGGITY THIS WALK.

First, I came to a fork in the road.

REALLY.

Forks in the road lead to choices, ofttimes.

I opted for neither. 

I knew when I got home I'd be fixin' this for myself instead.

Not very dramatic, I know. But hey! Reading this blog is free and you get precisely what you pay for in life, right?

But there was another fork in the road this week that involved making a decision about a pharmaceutical solution to a problem very common among Women My Age: a diagnosis of osteoporosis.

The potential side effects of the drugs offered to me (either Fosamax or Actenol) are downright frightening, and among people I asked who had personal experience with either of them, almost without exception what I found was that taking these drugs had affected the quality of their day to day lives in varying degrees, and not usually for the better.

Used to be, it was only women over 65 who had these bone density tests done. And they are comparing our bone density to a standard for 30 year old women. Tell ya what, medical profession:  you compare my bone density to other 55 year old women, then we'll talk.

I have opted to continue only with my regimen of calcium supplements, enjoying dairy products in my diet, moderate weight-bearing exercise, fresh air, and accepting the fact that I may regret this choice many years hence.  But until I get there? I want to feel good, and I do.

Especially after that cup of coffee.