A woman I know who is a little more than 10 years older than me and who I have admired for how well she takes care of herself recently got some minor cosmetic procedures -- from the looks of it, she got Botox and lip injections. I think it actually looks a bit weird, and I actually think she looked better before. What do you think? Would you get something done?
And then this week I found several gray hairs on my head. My highlights have grown out, and I'm due for a touch-up. I was planning on going a little darker for fall, but now I'm rethinking it since gray shows up more against dark hair. Damn, but they were a disappointing surprise. I mean, I know they're inevitable, but I didn't realize I had them! I guess the lighting in the new bathrooms at work is more illuminating (or my bathroom lighting at home is more forgiving). Until now, I've just colored my hair for the fun of it. Plus, I hate the dullness of my "dish-water blonde" color.
So, I'm all for coloring hair, but I don't think I would do anything else. But perhaps it's one of those things we don't consider until we look in the mirror and wonder what happened to our youth...
P.S. Please lay off my frequent commenter "jman." I appreciate his comments and don't want him to stop reading and sharing his opinions. I like the current blogger/reader relationship and not sure I want to change that by meeting him in person. And, of course, he may not want to meet me either, or may not be available.
Showing posts with label getting older. Show all posts
Showing posts with label getting older. Show all posts
Friday, September 04, 2009
Monday, December 22, 2008
How old are you?
Trying to see as many loved ones as I can while I'm in Texas. I saw my Grandma and my great aunt Sudie, my aunt & uncle and their kids, and got the opportunity to have lunch with my closest girlfriends. I've gotten more hugs in the past couple days than I have in a month! It's great.
A funny story about my aunt Sudie, who despite struggling with increasingly fragile health this year will turn 94 in January. We had a rare opportunity for a private conversation while my more vociferous Grandma was on the phone in the other room.
Sudie said, wistfully, "I always wished you had had a baby. I think that you would have had a beautiful baby."
I said, "Well, I haven't completely given up hope yet, Sudie!" with a chuckle.
"How old are you?" She inquired.
"36." To which she inhaled her breath with her lips pursed in a disparaging way.
"Don't wait too long. Don't wait until you're 40."
[Like I'm consciously choosing to wait to have kids. I've wanted to have kids as long as I can remember but life hasn't exactly worked out the way I planned.]
It's funny I'm being told I'm too old by almost-94-year-old aunt!
A funny story about my aunt Sudie, who despite struggling with increasingly fragile health this year will turn 94 in January. We had a rare opportunity for a private conversation while my more vociferous Grandma was on the phone in the other room.
Sudie said, wistfully, "I always wished you had had a baby. I think that you would have had a beautiful baby."
I said, "Well, I haven't completely given up hope yet, Sudie!" with a chuckle.
"How old are you?" She inquired.
"36." To which she inhaled her breath with her lips pursed in a disparaging way.
"Don't wait too long. Don't wait until you're 40."
[Like I'm consciously choosing to wait to have kids. I've wanted to have kids as long as I can remember but life hasn't exactly worked out the way I planned.]
It's funny I'm being told I'm too old by almost-94-year-old aunt!
Thursday, October 09, 2008
The Annual Embarrassment
One of the "joys" of being a woman is annual gynecological check-ups.
One of the "joys" of a new job is new insurance and the necessity to get a new doctor because the previous one doesn't accept the new insurance.
Then there's finding a doc that is currently accepting new patients. And I narrow the field further because I only want to see a female doc after an embarrassing incident during college. After MANY phone calls, I finally find a female doc in my neighborhood who is still accepting my insurance and also will take a new patient. Great. Sign me up.
As I'm trying to get all my information at the ready (date of last period, brand of pills, etc.), I realize I'm going to an Asian woman, and she will likely be petite and will likely make a deal of my weight. Yay.
First, there are the questions about physical health and history. I got a raised eyebrows response when I told her I've been on the pill for 16 years. (The truth is 18 years, but 16 is what came out of my mouth...not sure why, but the raised eyebrows was definitely a reason to want to bend the truth further. Why don't they treat doctors about poker faces?) She then asked my age and [hopefully] realized that's not as bad as it initially sounds.
She had me stand on the scale and asked if I'd recently gained weight. Nope, it's been pretty steady, doc. (Actually, I've recently lost 2 lbs, but since that's not really a lot when the goal is much more, I didn't mention it. Although I considered fabricating that I've lost 20 lbs. to make my current weight seem not as bad...)
Then it's the lovely paper gown, opening in the front. She takes my blood pressure and tells me it's borderline. (I'm usually low.) Am I nervous, she asks? Are you kidding me?!*? I'm basically naked in front of a strange, petite woman. Yeah, I'm not exactly my most comfortable.
She makes small talk while she does the usual poking and prodding, and because of my age, the small talk is about mammography. Yes, I'm on the north side of 35, and a baseline mammogram is recommended anytime between now and 40. [Ugh.] She says my only risk factor is that I'm over 35 and haven't had kids. I mention this hasn't been by design, that I really want to have kids. She says, "you just have to be ready to settle down." Thanks. Actually, I AM ready to "settle down" (what a horrible phrase...as if I'm partying it up every night and can't be bothered to be a steady influence for a minor), I just haven't met the right guy yet. She asks if the guy I'm seeing might be the right one. Oh, that's right, I may have alluded that Friend-with-benefits is a steady guy I'm seeing for the past 6 months. Uh, too soon to tell.
And then, because the current conversation and the fact that I'm still in this awful blue paper gown isn't bad enough, she brings up the weight issue.
[Yeah, can we finish this conversation once I have my clothes back on?]
One of the "joys" of a new job is new insurance and the necessity to get a new doctor because the previous one doesn't accept the new insurance.
Then there's finding a doc that is currently accepting new patients. And I narrow the field further because I only want to see a female doc after an embarrassing incident during college. After MANY phone calls, I finally find a female doc in my neighborhood who is still accepting my insurance and also will take a new patient. Great. Sign me up.
As I'm trying to get all my information at the ready (date of last period, brand of pills, etc.), I realize I'm going to an Asian woman, and she will likely be petite and will likely make a deal of my weight. Yay.
First, there are the questions about physical health and history. I got a raised eyebrows response when I told her I've been on the pill for 16 years. (The truth is 18 years, but 16 is what came out of my mouth...not sure why, but the raised eyebrows was definitely a reason to want to bend the truth further. Why don't they treat doctors about poker faces?) She then asked my age and [hopefully] realized that's not as bad as it initially sounds.
She had me stand on the scale and asked if I'd recently gained weight. Nope, it's been pretty steady, doc. (Actually, I've recently lost 2 lbs, but since that's not really a lot when the goal is much more, I didn't mention it. Although I considered fabricating that I've lost 20 lbs. to make my current weight seem not as bad...)
Then it's the lovely paper gown, opening in the front. She takes my blood pressure and tells me it's borderline. (I'm usually low.) Am I nervous, she asks? Are you kidding me?!*? I'm basically naked in front of a strange, petite woman. Yeah, I'm not exactly my most comfortable.
She makes small talk while she does the usual poking and prodding, and because of my age, the small talk is about mammography. Yes, I'm on the north side of 35, and a baseline mammogram is recommended anytime between now and 40. [Ugh.] She says my only risk factor is that I'm over 35 and haven't had kids. I mention this hasn't been by design, that I really want to have kids. She says, "you just have to be ready to settle down." Thanks. Actually, I AM ready to "settle down" (what a horrible phrase...as if I'm partying it up every night and can't be bothered to be a steady influence for a minor), I just haven't met the right guy yet. She asks if the guy I'm seeing might be the right one. Oh, that's right, I may have alluded that Friend-with-benefits is a steady guy I'm seeing for the past 6 months. Uh, too soon to tell.
And then, because the current conversation and the fact that I'm still in this awful blue paper gown isn't bad enough, she brings up the weight issue.
[Yeah, can we finish this conversation once I have my clothes back on?]
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Care for a Drink?
Being over 30 brings all sorts of lovely new adventures. One I've mentioned before - chinny hairs. Also, skin begins to droop and your metabolism begins it's decent into nothingness.
But now I've got a new one. If you have any unusual symptoms in the digestive system and you are over 30, doctors recommend a colonoscopy. Mine is scheduled for tomorrow.
Today, all I can have is clear liquids: water, tea with no milk, jello, broth, soda...this will be my diet. I'm thrilled that jello counts, as it will be the only semi-solid I can have. I also get to drink 2 pints of a briny, slightly lemony mixture that will cause my system to purge anything within. That begins this afternoon, and I have been forewarned to stay at home near the bathroom. Ah, joy!
The preparation is supposed to be the worst part, and I'm not concerned about the procedure per se. I'm scared to death about what they might find.
But now I've got a new one. If you have any unusual symptoms in the digestive system and you are over 30, doctors recommend a colonoscopy. Mine is scheduled for tomorrow.
Today, all I can have is clear liquids: water, tea with no milk, jello, broth, soda...this will be my diet. I'm thrilled that jello counts, as it will be the only semi-solid I can have. I also get to drink 2 pints of a briny, slightly lemony mixture that will cause my system to purge anything within. That begins this afternoon, and I have been forewarned to stay at home near the bathroom. Ah, joy!
The preparation is supposed to be the worst part, and I'm not concerned about the procedure per se. I'm scared to death about what they might find.
Friday, December 09, 2005
About Being Thirty-Something
What is it about being over thirty that your body begins a mutiny against its host?
I remember in college learning something about after 30 your body biologically starts to decline. Any growth is now over, and biologically speaking, it's all downhill.
Well, I know what's growing! Chinny hairs! (This is what my mom and sisters and I call the suspiciously wiry and unwanted hairs that spring from your chin at wild angles.)
I found another one this morning. I have a mole in the middle of my chin that, since puberty, has sprouted obvious dark hairs. I tried getting the mole removed when I was 17, and although the mole got lighter and less noticeable, the hairs continued to emerge at regular intervals. Some are now gray -- I don't think this is due to my age. I think I have sped up the aging of those hair follicles by plucking them.
So I continuously check the mole on my chin for new growth. This morning, in addition to the new dark hair from the ever-producing mole, I also had a longish blonde hair under my chin. What's with that?! I don't need that!
At least men get some, too. Their extra hair springs from their nose and ears. Maybe the chin isn't so bad compared to that.
Of course, I'm sure my mom and aunts will post comments about how much more fun I have to look forward to: menopause, the disappearance of collagen, moustaches...Can't wait!
I remember in college learning something about after 30 your body biologically starts to decline. Any growth is now over, and biologically speaking, it's all downhill.
Well, I know what's growing! Chinny hairs! (This is what my mom and sisters and I call the suspiciously wiry and unwanted hairs that spring from your chin at wild angles.)
I found another one this morning. I have a mole in the middle of my chin that, since puberty, has sprouted obvious dark hairs. I tried getting the mole removed when I was 17, and although the mole got lighter and less noticeable, the hairs continued to emerge at regular intervals. Some are now gray -- I don't think this is due to my age. I think I have sped up the aging of those hair follicles by plucking them.
So I continuously check the mole on my chin for new growth. This morning, in addition to the new dark hair from the ever-producing mole, I also had a longish blonde hair under my chin. What's with that?! I don't need that!
At least men get some, too. Their extra hair springs from their nose and ears. Maybe the chin isn't so bad compared to that.
Of course, I'm sure my mom and aunts will post comments about how much more fun I have to look forward to: menopause, the disappearance of collagen, moustaches...Can't wait!
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