Aging badly unfit or ill?

Well, I’m going to ask to see a doctor about my arthritic knee so it’ll be interesting to see how I get on.I’d like to get some blood tests done, too and also I have a problem with acne on my shoulders so I assume that would need two more appointments.

ViceVersa
It’s the same at our surgery, you have to phone at 8AM and usually a recording tells you that you are No 30 in the queue. If you have the patience to hold on, if you are lucky, you are booked in for a phone call from the duty doctor at sometime during the day, which means you have to wait in all day. The doctor who calls you is always a locum who hasn’t read your notes so has no idea what your health record is. On the surgery website it says that the doctor will only discuss one problem on a call. If you have more than one issue you have to make another phone appointment, by hanging on the phone another day. The fact that if you have two or more issues they could be connected is never considered.

MayBee70

Does anyone else find that, since the pandemic, they don’t go to see a doctor if they’re concerned about something because it’s so difficult now to get an appointment?

Yes, absolutely! I've never been the same since I had Covid, but trying to get a doctor's appointment here is harder than finding a needle in a haystack! You can't simply book a routine appointment, you have to phone up on the day and hope to get through to speak to someone, then the doctor will phone you back to decide if you need to be seen as an 'emergency'. I feel like I've got a list of symptoms as long as my arm, but nothing which could be classed as an emergency - so how do I get to see a doctor?

I’ve just got home after spending 4 weeks at my partners. I actually feel that I just want to stay in my home from now on. I both look and feel awful. Have got to go to my sons to look after the children occasionally but I’ve told him that it will have to be in the house, I won’t be able to eg take them for a walk. Thank goodness for catchup tv, podcasts, DVD’s and Audible. Feel as if I’ve aged 10 years in the past 12 months.

Old age never gets better, it’s progressive and incurable. There’s so much written about the menopause now but little about old age, despite it affecting everyone still alive.
The loss of strength and stamina is awful. I’ve had to give up so much which I enjoyed because I can’t walk far and am so slow. I’m lucky to have no serious health problems but really envy the David Attenboroughs, still active in late 90s.

Yes. Absolutely.

Does anyone else find that, since the pandemic, they don’t go to see a doctor if they’re concerned about something because it’s so difficult now to get an appointment?

I do wonder if we expect far too much from ourselves. I see older women with a lot of childcare responsibilities and also working.
I have ended up in a different " place " than expected. Think sandwich generation and boomerang kids. What a combination!

Welcome to the club Newage18. I seem to be falling apart at the seams and so do most of my girlfriends (can I still call them that at my age)? Like you I lack energy and I seem to nod off at the drop of a hat. However, almost a year ago a routine blood test showed that my parathyroid levels were high and I was referred to Endocrinology at the hospital. I waited a year and then saw a consultant who said that my parathyroid glands (little glands attached to the thyroid) are not working together properly and I may have to have one or more removed. I am awaiting scans and I have an appointment with a surgeon soon. On looking this up I discovered that this problem can cause tiredness tick. Diabetes tick weight gain tick frequent urination tick. I wonder, therefore if this could be your problem too. Perhaps a good idea to ask for a blood test.

I have every sympathy with you .
I'm going through a similar phase .
I'm wondering if I'm going to get back to way that I was 18 months ago.
It started with endless chest infections .
Now I'm tired very easily.
I'm asthmatic and wheezy without inhalers .
I have severe hay fever .
Occasional bouts of IBS have become far worse and prevent my going out .
My old injuries-neck,back and knee cause me a great deal of pain .
It took me over two weeks to get a prescription-trips down to the pharmacy phone calls and incredible rudeness from the receptionist who actually made fun of the way that I speak .
A final visit to the surgery and having almost burst into tears two lovely ladies finally got me a
new prescription and were appalled at what had happened .
I've made a verbal complaint .
If I make a written one -what would be the point ?
A meaningless apology from the practise manager ?
I'm looking at another surgery near my house -a close friend has recommended it .

Thank you for all your supportive and encouraging replies. It is nice to know others are feeling similar. I am going to make a list of all the suggestions and work through them. I will let you know if anything improves!

I had the same problem, always feeling tired. I do plenty of exercise and sleep well, but still feeling weary. Did some reading - seems lack of vitamin B12 could be a cause. I've been taking the supplement now for about a month and feeling much better. Could be psychological, who knows, but it works for me. Oh, and magnesium too.

Have you been tested for an under active thyroid? such a condition really affects energy levels, although when that specifically comes up on GN as a topic, some of us who have the condition and are prescribed thyroxine for it, don't necessarily feel our medication is a silver bullet as far as giving a boost to energy levels, but maybe ask your practice to test you for that along with any other recommendations here. I drag myself off to the gym a few times a week primarily to go on the treadmill, I know I can build up more of a pace on that, it's really boring though, of course walking in the open air, especially in when the weather is nice is better, but I've been super cautious since breaking an arm on one such walk, I feel safer on the boring treadmill. I make sure I have air pods in and something to listen to, it makes it more bearable. I do a few load bearing exercises as well, I get no enjoyment out of any of this and don't particularly feel energised afterwards, I just feel it's something I have to do, I know also I need to lose a few pounds, weight gain was something that kicked in with my under active thyroid diagnosis and I've been fighting it ever since. I try not to eat bread before I go to the gym, I've always found there's a spike with some carbs in feeling really tired afterwards. My doctor advised a few years ago, that I was deficient in Vitamin D, so I religiously take one every day.
Your post resonated, some days I'd give my right arm to have a modicum of vitality, you're not alone, not much of a consolation I know.

After my knee and hip replacements I felt 100% better and had my life back. However, despite Aquafit 3 times a week I'm really feeling tired after quite moderate exercise ie a shortish walk. My Fitbit has made me a hypochondriac so I'm constantly checking up on myself.
I've sort of lost my oomph and often just can't face a walk for walking's sake although I know I should. I got so sick of all the walks round here during COVID that I sort of associate them with bad worrying times.

It's depressing isn't it? The feeling that things only ever get worse.
I'm 67 and have a lot of health problems. Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and lung problems. I push on but feel like it's a long slow decline. I look at women much older at my pilates class who are much fitter and more agile. I've never been overweight but when I was young I never exercised. I think that was a mistake.

I am a bit younger than the OP and was getting fed up feeling like I have no energy because I am very unfit.
I have heart disease so have to be careful about over-exerting myself as it triggers an angina attack. However, my cardiologist and GP were not against me trying to get fitter so I started looking for a local personal trainer. Finally, one called me when she had a new vacancy and I've been having fitness sessions with her for the past 6 weeks.
Ironically, I feel fine for the rest of the day after my hour's session with her but feel very tired the day after the sessions so I never commit to going out.
I try to do at least two "homework" exercise sessions in between sessions that last about half an hour. I am just hoping that I will start feeling fitter and more energetic soon.

I would add "worry" and "loss" to the list of things that can make a person feel less than fantastic.

Some interesting ideas.

I am the same age as Newage18 and definitely feel slower and more tired than a year ago. During covid I did a long walk every day. If I do that walk now, I don't have the energy to do it the next day. I can still do quite a lot but a need a rest the following day if I have a very busy day. I am definitely unable to lift as much as I used to and am more short of breath.
I don't think I have any serious conditions but just can't do as much as I used to.

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I find I get tired a lot easier and that's only really over the last year.

This afternoon I shall probably have a nap as I've been out for the last four days.

I’ve just done a walk with a group of people that I did exactly one year ago and it was frightening to find how I struggled with it compared to last year. I could hardly walk the last few hundred yards I think if it wasn’t so difficult getting to see a doctor these days I would have asked for some health checks ages ago. I feel as if I’ve aged ten years over the past two. Travelling home tomorrow and I’m going to ask for a doctors appointment. It’s very depressing.

Newage18 I could have written your post. I get cross with myself for getting so weary. My blood tests are all fine but I get exhausted after gardening in particular. We all hear stories about old people running marathons, skydiving etc but I’m pretty sure most of us feel the same way you and I do. Having written this I’m off to try another half an hour in the garden!

I agree with RosieandherMaw that this happens in steps not gradually. Winter is a 'step'. The inactivity and indoors nature of winter slows me up and when the garden appeals in spring getting going is harder every year.

Where I live there are a lot of older folk and we all disappear indoors for a lot of the winter. When we all emerge again I notice everyone is a little bit fatter, slower and older seeming.

The days open up and we all improve, but I wonder if we ever quite get back to where we were before the winter.

I think many of us can relate to how you are feeling. My advice;

Don’t compare yourself to anybody else, we’re all different.

Prioritise the jobs that need doing and write a SHORT list for each day. Happiness is a ticked off list.

Break those jobs down into chunks and take frequent short breaks. Eg. hoover one room instead of hoovering all through and then sit down and maybe look up a recipe or start your shopping list.

Eat a healthy diet and watch the sugar and fat levels. Make sure you drink enough.

Check with your GP. Keep a symptom diary to take with you.

When your DH tells you that
you need to get fit, smile sweetly, agree and ask him if he’d mind doing the ironing/cooking a meal etc. so you can do some extra walking.

Hope things improve for you soon.

Did the blood tests include vitamin D.