For those of you who don't know, I am now in the 30-35 category of demographics, as I turned 30*something* last September. Since I moved to Charlottesville, I've been noticing how old I've been feeling and I'm getting concerned. (Now, I'm sure some of you will gripe because I shouldn't be talking about being 'old' and being 30-ish in the same sentence but my 10-year-old self would disagree. I have now lived what could be argued as 'a lifetime'. People could say, "She had a good life," because I'm old enough to have made a life! *sigh* Well that's just a depressing thought. I digress.)
Almost 9 years later, my job as a dental hygienist has finally started taking it's toll on my body. Hunching over patients all day leaves me physically exhausted, my trapezius muscles are hard as rocks, my neck is chronically pissed off and my elbow/wrist inflammation is in a constant state of awareness. I believe in prevention (prevention is my career, is it not?) so I've even visited a Chiropractor regularly for the better part of 8 years trying to avoid this fate....I think I would've been dead in the water by now if I hadn't. Ps- Have you hugged your hygienist today??
So on top of the neck problems, I've acquired back problems from learning how to golf (I try to smack the ball like Phil Mickelson but even if you got him drunk as a skunk, blindfolded him and made him use a stick instead of a golf club, he'd still hit the ball WAY better than me), and when I work out at the gym (I try for 4x a week) my joints definitely do not work like they used to....cue: Glucosamine/Chondroitin auto-refill plan? I mean, what gives??
I've also been realizing how much I grunt/groan every time I get up from laying, sitting, driving, etc. Not just a little grunt, mind you, it's like a hippopotamus just surfaced from the water and hoisted itself up an embankment onto dry land. I can't seem to help myself! I swear groaning helps in the 'getting up' process. I could be wrong.
Recently, I discovered the beauty of the....wait for it.....wait for it....heating pad. It has seriously done wonders for my muscle's relaxation. Sad, right? I actually waited forever to buy one because I thought they were expensive (I'm not cheap, I'm just frugal) until I glanced at them at Wally World and saw one for $11. MINE!
That same weekend, my roommate came home from a shopping spree at a fancy lingerie store to find me sitting in my bed, on my heating pad, like a hospital patient....and this has become a regular ritual of mine ever since. I'm 30*something*, going on 95. Yep, just call me Grandma. :-/
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