First Ache 3-15-11

I can’t tell you how many times old people ( I don’t consider myself old) have told me about the aches and pains that come with age.  Those complaints and aches were for others, not for me.  In my mind I’m still an athlete and don’t get aches.  So it was a big “what the hell happened here?” moment when my right elbow started giving me big trouble.  I couldn’t tell you any reason why it hurt.  This strange discomfort came from nowhere.   

Granted, my elbow was tender and sore and might have healed if I left it alone, I didn’t leave it alone.  My neighbor, who’s a really nice guy, wanted to play tennis with me.  I shouldn’t have played and I even thought it might not be good for me to play, but I played a vigorous 45 minutes of tennis on a nearby court.  I wasn’t going to let some mystery ache boss me around, so I played like a pro.  I stopped playing at the 43 minute mark as my arm was swollen and my hand wasn’t working properly.  When I came home, my wife congratulated me for exploring the deepest reaches of idiocy.  I still have to work and earn a living for my family and I can’t do it from the hospital.

So with my arm on fire and my hand not responding to simple brain commands, I may have entered a new phase of mid life.  Good for me.