Women aging with AS /body changes_how cope as grow older?

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As I age, I am 48, in some ways my so called "handicaps" are getting worse. So I appear to be dealing with additional physical stress beyond middle age.

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> Because of muscle laxness I need to exercise more and more to stabilize them. Perhaps, normal muscle loss with aging is exasperating the problem?

> I have less patience with people and increased trouble connecting with them. I "get" people less.

> I had eye problems to begin with but with aging this is getting somewhat worse ( I do see doctors).

> Note: I was born with other handicaps beyond AS.

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Do you experience things like this as you get middle aged also? What ways do you address them or coping mechanisms do you utilize? Is this a normal experience in regards to aging with "handicap" differences. How have your doctors responded to these possible changes. ((I have not received good feedback from mine)).

I'm 61 now, trying to think back to 40.

Physically, I was a great walker till I was in my 50s; I thought 6 or 10 miles was a nice walk (very fast). I think that's what might have saved me something as I aged. But now I'm lax in the muscles and can't even find a place to take me.

I never had any patience with people, but I could mimic my mother, who had oceans of patience. But it was a lot of work! Also I never 'got' anything and still don't.

My eyes are worse but not horrible. It's sort of what I expected. My hearing is going now - I thought that would be a quiet descent in silence. It's nothing of the kind. It's hearing things wrong. Although the daily news is more fun that way.

Doctors are no use unless you can bring them something they measure somehow. Like eyesight or hearing. Stuff originating from the brain, I hesitate to let them try.

If you are experiencing muscle weakness you need to exersise more.

I am 63 and I've always had a habit of pacing the floor while daydreaming or having conversations with myself, my internal dialog, which is virtually non-stop.

I've always enjoyed long walks but now I find I prefere to walk inside my house. on nice days I open the doors to my garden which is wild and overgrown and has a lot of birdsong. I tune into Pandora radio and select some classical music, my favorite is Ravel, and walk in circles around my living room while tripping out on the music and having my internal conversations.

I can do this for an hour, and I can out-walk a 30 year old. It is also very good for you if you have osteoarthritis or back pain. It has cured my back pain.

The laxness is internal to the tendons / muscles themselves. I am hyperflexive so, therefore, the joints do not quit do their job always. I can have knees go out or get sprains easily etc.


But I have had this since a child. It gets worse as I age. I do stretching exercises, stretching and low impact cardio. I also use resistance bands a lot. I most likely will get more time event to exercise as there is a strong opportunity for me to work from home perhaps in the near future.

But I usually exercise a half hour to hour a day depending on schedule. I look physically in shape though for my age. One side benefit of it!