Author: Al Dimmitt
September is Healthy Aging Month. I didn’t know about that until I was approached about writing a piece for the MGA Blog focusing on the topic. I immediately agreed, thinking “How hard can that be?” I am thankful to be still able to age and consider myself reasonably healthy, despite myasthenia and a growing list of bodily insults that come with time and some amount of inattention.
Al Dimmitt, MGA Community Member
The truth is, though, that I have spent most of my life taking health for granted. Friends and associates could get to the gym by 5:00 AM for a daily workout, or get out and run regardless of the weather. Not this guy! An occasional aerobics class (remember them?), or a brief stint in the workplace fitness center never really seemed to take hold. Dieting groups came and went, but the results were short-lived. Doctor visits were rare but eventually included an annual physical, which usually confirmed that I was generally healthy, but needed to lose some weight. “Even 10% would make a huge difference!”
Then, to quote an acquaintance who stayed around his college town too long after graduation in the ‘70’s, “I woke up one day and it was MUCH later.” My MG diagnosis came within a few months following retirement and rearranged things a bit. Now, not only was I not working, not only was I suddenly ‘old’, but I had a medical concern that was impacting my daily life pretty significantly. Healthy aging moved up the list of personal priorities pretty quickly. Coinciding with the MG diagnosis were a few other pressing health issues requiring attention. I quickly learned that MG impacted a variety of treatment options for other health issues, complicating my health management. With the help of family, friends, and MGA, I managed to consolidate my various physicians in one health system. That has been a tremendous benefit in information sharing and consultation. My health portal password is now at least as familiar as the one for my banking app. Managing and maintaining health has become a priority and, in fact, a new way of life.
Medical issues, and especially MG, have complicated striving for a healthy lifestyle. My daily prednisone regimen does impact weight and blood sugar. The hallmark weakness and fatigue make exercise even more difficult or unappealing. The temperatures throughout much of the year are either too hot or too cold for outdoor walking, especially with the impact temperature extremes have on symptoms. Indoor walking at the community center was a good outlet until anything indoors became a problem. Finding times, places and ways to exercise remains a challenge, especially for someone who has little difficulty finding excuses.
And yet, with the help of a well-advertised dieting app, I have managed to change eating habits over the past 5-6 months. It represents the most profound movement towards a healthy lifestyle I’ve ever managed. By changing eating habits and food groups, reducing portion size, and limiting snacks, I have been able to lose 45 pounds. The doctors and some friends have rushed to confirm that the loss was intentional, and not the result of yet another untoward health issue. The result of this healthy move has been improved mobility and flexibility, more energy, and generally greater strength. It has also contributed to a greater sense of control over my health, even in the face of myasthenia, and improved my sense of well-being.
It seems clear that a healthy outlook is key to healthy aging. Diagnoses pile up, imposing a variety of limitations. Pandemics and public health concerns result in isolation. Safe and accessible social connections are probably as important as diet and exercise in maintaining health in older age.
In the fall of 2018, coinciding with my MG diagnosis, the actor Alan Alda announced his Parkinson’s Disease. His advice at the time was, “If life gives you a diagnosis, keep moving!” That seems like an appropriate mantra for those of us aging with MG or other health issues.
The following blog post was written by Al Dimmitt, member of the MGA community. Al lives in Kansas City, Missouri with his wife Kay and two small dogs. A retired community college teacher and administrator, he enjoys reading science, history, and fiction, as well as keeping up with technology. He and Kay are baseball enthusiasts and Royals season ticket holders.