Thursday, March 26, 2009

It's All in Your Mind

"Age is a high price to pay for maturity." ~Tom Stoppard


Maybe it's because I am on the Eve of my Thirty Fifth Birthday - Yes, that's right...the big 3 5! - but I can't seem to stop obsessing about getting older! As my husband lovingly puts it...I will be in my "mid thirties"! Ugh! I've been hanging on to the fact that I was on the side closest to 29.99999999999 years than the side of 40 years of age! No more, 'cause after April 15th, I will be on the downhill slope toward the big 4 0!


Over the past couple of years, several things have started to change for me as I enter this stage of my life. Maybe you other ladies can relate.



For one thing, I am prematurely gray...yeah, I know I have shiny, black hair in my pictures! That's because I pay A LOT of money about every 3.5 weeks for "my girl" to cover those grays with Av*da hair color. If you have naturally dark hair like mine, I would highly recommend this type of salon for color. It is the closest to my natural hair color, and it does not lend itself to red highlights.


Second, I have "crow's feet"! Ugh! Where did those wrinkles around my eyes come from when I smile? I mean, seriously!!!
Both of these traits can be seen in the following photo of myself taken last fall...


me
If you look closely, you can see those grays in my part!

I digress...

Third, I have high cholesterol! My total runs about 240 without medication. My LDL is ~ 140, and all other "bad" components are low normal. My "good" cholesterol, HDL, is usually between 90-98. That is GREAT, but it pushes my total to abnormal levels. Therefore, I am on CRESTOR daily! That's right...we started with just about the biggest gun out there to lower my levels. It's working without any muscular side effects, though, so I will complain no more!

Fourth, I am still carrying around the baby weight that I gained with Jackson. Y'all all remember this post...yes, he did turn six YEARS old this past January! Why is it that everything I eat sticks to my lower half??? Two months after I had Brendan, I weighed less than I did when I got pregnant with him! And, I exercise A LOT - way more than I ever have in my entire life... atleast 3-4 days a week on the elliptical and 2-3 one hour Body Pump classes per week. I average burning about 2500 calories extra per week, but apparently my body is just accustomed to that now! Ugh!

And Last...speaking of all that exercise...my body is FALLING APART! My back hurts, both of my knees hurt, and most recently I've had some kind of left elbow strain. I got home yesterday, and my sweet husband had ordered me some Biofreez* - as he put it, "for my gimpy elbow"! SERIOUSLY??? Honestly, y'all, that stuff works! All of my patients at the nursing home swear by it; did I just type that???? Now I'm relating myself to my 80+ year old patients!!!!


meds
This shows just a few of the medicinal agents that I use to combat my ailments! I also have a cool elbow brace, but I'll spare you all! (Did y'all know that I am a pharmacist???)

So maybe it is like "they" say: "Age is just a number." or "It's all in your mind." or "You're only as old as you feel.", but I've got some serious tangible evidence to support the fact that I am getting OLD! Ugh, again!

"Don’t let aging get you down. It’s too hard to get back up." ~John Wagner


Stay tuned...this is my 96th post already! I'm doing a giveaway for my 100th post!

17 comments:

fleur de lis cottage said...

I think you look absolutely stunning and beautiful. If it makes you feel better, I saw 35 a decade ago!

Age is only a number. Like a fine wine you get better with age :)

Tara said...

Hey, at least you will be 35 with all these ailments. I've been using Biofreeze for years, everything about me is falling apart and I even posted a "HELP, I need recommendations on anti-aging/wrinkle cream" several weeks ago and I'm like 29 years and 7 months. One positive for me was only gaining 7 lbs. with Andrew and losing that plus 17 more. I can work myself to death and it's still hard for me to lose weight. I'm beginning to think we are the same person (Aveda hair color and all)!! :-)

Rachel said...

First, you look amazing. I can totally relate to you, though. I, too, have lots of aches and pains, but at the same time, I can keep going and going during the day thanks to exercising regularly.

As I near 40 (I am 38), I start thinking about how I'm aging and think about how OLD I thought 40 sounded when my parents turned that age. I can't believe I'm almost there!

Just keep looking at the positives! I try not to let getting older get me down.

On another note, can't wait to see #100 - I cruised past mine and never even realized it!

PS - GO DUKE!!! Ha ha - I knew that would make you smile!

Bamawhitney said...

You look great! I am 32 and I totally hear you with the aches and pains and I have plenty of grays that need covering up! Happy Birthday!!!!

teg said...

I felt the same way when i turned 35 in November, but when I really think about it and look around me, I think I'm doing okay. And didn't I read on your facebook page that you have some insane "real" age of like 22?!?! Your gorgeous and still very young. Don't sweat the birthday!!! xoxo

☆ Loren ☆ said...

I apologize, but I couldn't help but laugh when I read this post! You look Ah. Maze. Ing. to be 35. Seriously, I know I have mention to you before that I look up to you, but In many ways I want to be just like you when I'm 35! :)

Kristen said...

I think you look great! Although I am a few weeks away from (I hate to even say it)-37- and the thought just makes me sick! I still feel 28!! I too am working on the bad cholesterol (oatmeal for breakfast anyone? Bleh) coloring my grey hairs coming in, working out like crazy with zero results and feeling aches where I shouldn't! I'm determined to fight it though, as much as I can! Aging gracefully is one thing, letting it all go downhill is another (and NOT an option!)

Stephanie @ dirtandlace.com said...

You are a beautiful almost-35-year-old who does not look 35. Promise. You look amazing for your age, I can only hope to look as great as you do at that point in my life. Happy Birthday!!

Heather said...

You are so funny. I am with you. I will turn 35 this June - and don't even get me started on the weight thing...ugh. But, on the bright side, you really do look so, so pretty in that picture! And young too!

Half Gaelic, Half Garlic! said...

You are beautiful and I think you are being way to critical. I am a year and a half ahead of you and never really think about these things until I see pictures of myself.....I guess it is just human nature to be picky or self critical, but I try not to let it get me down. We are all getting older and cannot look like we did when we were 21, no matter how hard we try.

Okay, enough of all that stuff, you enjoy your birthday....wishing you many more happy years to come!

Lisa

Stacy said...

That was the funniest post girl :) I turn the big 30 on May 25 so I feel your pain! That is a beautiful picture of you and you don't look a day older than 29! :) Don't worry you will feel young again when that sweet little girl gets here and you are chasing her around - oh I can't wait for the post of "We've got her"! ;)

Jodee said...

Age never really bothered me until recently. I will be 38 this year and that is just getting way too close to 40 for me! The gray hair is starting to eat me alive too. In any event, I think you look fabulous!

Anonymous said...

First of all Happy Birthday! This is really hard for me to write. You look just fine....What is hard for us is that it seems you are fishing for compliments. Everybody gets older, and posting a picture for us to analyze your grey hairs and your crows feet...wow. Admittedly, there were not a lot, but it looks like you want people to justify that. Maybe you can talk about it in person, but for your whole blogger community to validate your "aging" is kind of immature. Sorry to be so harsh, but a lot of us feel this way.

Patsy said...

OK, all you 20, 30 and 40 somethings, I am 60 something and I still think i'm only slightly over 29! I think you all look wonderful. Those grey hairs are earned and easily fixed and the crows feet show that there are more smiles than frowns. And, anonymous, who elected you blogger police ?? If you don't like it, why don't you quit following. Can you tell I'm the dreaded MIL !!

God's Girl said...

Oh... I got a good chuckle out of this post. I'm older than you and I can so relate.

I continue to pray for Emma! : )... and God's timing.

Stephanie @ dirtandlace.com said...

LOL. I read your current post about being glad most of us took this post for what it was... I was curious as to why you said that and now I see. What a loser ;-)

3 Peanuts said...

First...you are BEAUTIFUL. You have the prettiest eyes!!!!!! and secondly...I cannot believe that anyone wrote that above!!!! What a jealous anonymous person.


I am lucky (no gray hairs) but I have experienced a lot of the other stuff you mentioned and I will tell you my cholesterol dropped RADICALLY when I gave up gluten....just mentioning it. Guess what else went away----aches and pains (inflammation).

I sure hope you did not even waste one minute contemplating what that anonymous person wrote.

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