Sudden ageing

My parents always looked young for their ages. One day as they were waving me off I realised that they looked like an old couple. They would have been in their early 70s at the time. Of course I think that 70s is quite young now. I think that it catches up with us all in the end.

I blame the lockdown. I feel a lot older now too. We have just come back from a long haul holiday and I think the travelling has been too much for me. Closer to home for the next one.

I was standing looking out of the window of an empty flat we own. A couple of schoolgirls walked past and one waved to me, wandered a few more steps and waved again. I waved back but shrugged as I thought perhaps she’d thought she knew me. A while afterwards I realised that she probably just thought she’d kindly wave to an old woman staring into space ??

Pepper59,* AGAA4* and Secretsquirrel1 Thank you. I am 90% back to normal can drive, etc. My mental state isn't good, emotions all over the place too, memory isn't great, and everything I do takes longer now - but I've been very lucky to have recovered this much

It doesn’t matter what the reason was for the school girl waving Juliet ( I’m sure you don’t look as old as you think) but it was nice thing to do.

I think you definitely have periods where you suddenly age. I feel I've been through one lately too. I remember my husband saying that his mother had suddenly aged many years ago. I guess your body decides it's time to move to the next level!

But toddlers and children have the same thing with growth spurts. They suddenly get bigger and can be emotionally affected at the same time. Then what about teenagers? Boys have massive growth spurts at 15-16 where they suddenly shoot up about 6 inches. I guess it's all the same thing when we get older.

Howverydare you you’ve been through the mill, by the sounds of it. I hope Spring brings a fresh lease of life to us all.

I don’t particularly feel as though I’ve aged that much. I’m very lucky that my hair has yet to go significantly grey even though I’m 67. If I bother to put on make up, I can look passable.

Otoh, Dh and I went on a three week trip to Australia in late 2019. I’m not sure we could do that now, the very thought sounds exhausting.

This…

SueDonim Thanks

I agree Gwyneth and I wished I could see her again when I wasn’t feeling so puzzled and she’d get a big smile.

I barely recognize myself, I look so awful.
Not lockdown related, though.

I’d like to know what John Major is on, I saw him on TV last night and he’s hardly aged in 25 years since he was PM. It’s not fair.

I think Major is one of those people who looked middle aged when he was young, and they often age well.

Exactly what I thought. Perhaps it’s because he was always grey? But still trim, upright, all his wits about him and speaking sense about Johnson’s government.

MissAdventure

I think Major is one of those people who looked middle aged when he was young, and they often age well.

There’s a lot of people like that. Now I’m old I can spot those people that will age well. I have a nephew who was very Harry Potter’ish when young but aged into a very attractive silver fox of a middle aged man. Look at Charlie Watts. Somewhat ignored in the early days of the Stones but aged beautifully, like a fine wine. It’s all down to cheekbones.

Yes This pandemic has a lot to answer for I have been slow deciding whether or not to have my hair dyed again and today I will book an appointment. February is not a good month for me. Will be 77 on 1st March and then spring has to arrive. We all need some warm sunshine now so little steps now out of the winter and the pandemic

Definitely, I was only thinking that about myself the other day when I looked in the mirror - but I still feel the same inside.

I agree, it happens suddenly, I also agree lockdown was very bad for aging, I look so much older and feel older too since it all started x

I agree things do seem to change very rapidly, and I'll never forget the shock when I looked in the mirror and thought someone has stapled my mums 'old' face over the top of mine!

This is very timely as on Monday I met a friend I hadn't seen for a few years (she had been elsewhere looking after her elderly mother who died recently). She looked about 10 years older than the last time I saw her (2 years ago) - a combination, I suspect, of caring for her mother and a divorce. I think, as we get older, no matter how well we care for ourselves, things come in to age us - illnesses, accidents, relationship breakups, caring roles, money problems, plus outside events we have no control over (like pandemics!) They are all ageing, sadly.

My problem is that I haven't been able to get my annual botox injections for the last 2 years, so I get a shock on looking in the mirror.

I have!
I don't know if it is because that since lockdown I haven't bothered with make up , extra weight or what but I try to avoid looking in any mirror at the moment!

Not being able to have had my hair cut and styled for the past 2 and a half years hasn't helped!

I feel as if I have aged 10 years in the last two years. DH's cancer emergency in spring 2020 and ensuing series of operations and treatments, coincided with the start of the pandemic and all its scares and lockdowns etc.
It knocked me for six and I have gone steadily downhill healthwise ever since. DH, though, has made a great recovery and is fitter and more active than he has been for some years. It has felt like a seesaw in that I have gone down as he has gone up!

A dear friend of us both, who cared for his wife who had Parkinsons until she died told me that carers always suffer like this as they are giving so much to the one they are caring for. I think that is true and coupled with the covid scares and worries it does tie in with my feeling old and decrepit!

Just hope I recover a bit as the better weather arrives.

Yes. It's a well-known phenomenon. Like growth spurts in a baby perhaps!

Having had oily skin for many years I haven’t got many wrinkles but I let my hair go grey during lockdown and I quite like the colour so will probably keep it that way. The main thing that I feel makes me look much older is the fact that when I had my bone density scan last December I found I have lost 2.5 inches. I was always 5 feet 8 inches and I used to be almost as tall as my DH when I wore heels until relatively recently. I always liked being tall but with my grey hair and shorter stature I see a little old lady when I look in the mirror or catch sight of myself in shop windows.