# What, for you, were the most unexpected things about aging? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 10, 2020, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-for-you-were-the-most-unexpected-things-about-aging/922620 "2020-10-10T08:12:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2020, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-for-you-were-the-most-unexpected-things-about-aging/922620/244 "2020-11-29T16:47:51Z")
I just discovered a new pleasure. Compression socks! ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2020, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-for-you-were-the-most-unexpected-things-about-aging/922620/245 "2020-11-30T03:40:54Z")
Welcome to the club! There’s a thread about them, but I can’t find it. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2020, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-for-you-were-the-most-unexpected-things-about-aging/922620/246 "2020-11-30T06:35:28Z")
Found it! > [@Tell me about compression socks for edema](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-compression-socks-for-edema/833332/26): > > I’ve never used them but have seen many people who have. My ramblings: Some people say they are helpful. It would be reasonable to try the thiazide and wear a slightly small, long pair of cheap socks and see if they help. If not, designated over the counters. If not, prescription. Elevating the legs at night time or when possible may be helpful. Walking more may be helpful as the calves help squeeze fluid from the lower leg. Anti-inflammatories for pain may be indicated. It shou… ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2020, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-for-you-were-the-most-unexpected-things-about-aging/922620/247 "2020-11-30T11:44:11Z")
I don’t think I have edema (at least to a noticeable degree), but there’s something about the snug fit of the socks that makes me feel grounded. They are like a weighted blanket for my feet and calves. Also, I tend to hold onto socks long after the elastic in them has expired. So I have a lot of pathetic socks that easily slip off of my feet. I like how the compression socks don’t suffer from this condition and probably never will. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2020, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-for-you-were-the-most-unexpected-things-about-aging/922620/248 "2020-11-30T13:09:59Z")
You may want to consult with a doctor if you’re wearing compression socks but have no medical reason to. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2020, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-for-you-were-the-most-unexpected-things-about-aging/922620/249 "2020-12-01T00:50:56Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > O.k. I read this and thought “what does the fireplace say?” Are these kinds of confusion part of the aging process??? I don’t know if it’s age related, but I know you’re not alone. I was immediately wondering “WTF does a fireplace have to talk about? Do they mean it follows voice commands?” > [@thorny\_locust](#): > > – in my late teens and twenties I could stay up all night and sleep 12 hours the next day. Both of those abilities disappeared somewhere in, I think, my 30’s: staying up all night became next to impossible, but I also couldn’t sleep as long at a stretch. Man, I was a champion sleeper in my teens and 20s. I could sleep 13 hours at a time every day, no need to stay up over night. In my late 30s, my under-active thyroid was finally diagnosed for reasons that actually weren’t related to my sleep schedule. I’m lucky to sleep 7 hours even after a night of hard drinking, nowadays. So, I’ve taken a pill every day since then so I don’t become a giant sleeping Jabba the Hut imitator. I’m surprised at how difficult it is to remember if I’ve taken my pill. “Was that this morning, or yesterday? Did I _dream_ I took my medication?” That’s partly because I take it first thing in the morning, before any food or drink, and I’m pretty out of it at that time. But that’s not much of an excuse. Two hours after I get up, I can easily tell you how many cigarettes I’ve had and how many Dr. Peppers or cups of coffee I’ve had. Whether I’ve taken my levothyroxine? Ehhhh, maybe. If I think hard. And yes, there are pill organizers, but I forget to fill them at the beginning of the week, and I’ve misplaced mine. I really need to get a new one and get in the habit of using it. ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2020, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-for-you-were-the-most-unexpected-things-about-aging/922620/250 "2020-12-01T05:21:56Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > And yes, there are pill organizers, but I forget to fill them at the beginning of the week, and I’ve misplaced mine. I really need to get a new one and get in the habit of using it. The only pill I take is Xyzal for allergies. I take it when I get up and I’m making coffee. But occasionally I would forget. So one day I thought I hadn’t taken it so took one. Then I started second guessing myself that I had actually taken one earlier. I looked online to see what would happen if you took two. I found out it would just make me very sleepy. A couple hours later I got very, very sleepy. I had to take a nap. The next day I bought one of those organizers. I keep it on the counter where I make coffee and haven’t missed a dose since. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2020, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-for-you-were-the-most-unexpected-things-about-aging/922620/251 "2020-12-01T11:43:56Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > There’s gotta be a way to live a long life without getting old. Nobody lives forever (at least not so far), but if you eat a healthy diet and get plenty of exercise, it’ll help you to stretch your health forward into your senior years (and maybe even add some years). There’s a balance to be had, I suppose; while a life of indolence and junk food will likely end early and with many years of bad health, there’s not much point in living a miserably ascetic life, either. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2020, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-for-you-were-the-most-unexpected-things-about-aging/922620/252 "2020-12-01T17:08:12Z")
One thing I was thinking about earlier and hopefully this isn’t a repeat (you know, because I’m getting old), but school is a hell of a lot more interesting now that I’m older. Talking through debate projects and English papers with my high school son is so much more meaningful now, and the books they read that bored me to tears are suddenly fascinating. It makes me think that I should’ve just been taught how to add, subtract, multiply, divide and read through age 17 and then as an adult of about 25-30 should’ve started high school and college. Of course, when I talk through this stuff with him, his goal is to get it over with as quickly as possible instead of dive into detail. Shocking. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-for-you-were-the-most-unexpected-things-about-aging/922620/253 "2020-12-02T18:27:51Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > I’m surprised at how difficult it is to remember if I’ve taken my pill. I have recurring reminders set up in my Google Calendar: I get a “take your pills” email twice a day, and I don’t delete the email until I’ve taken them (I delete the email right afterwards). That’s how I keep track. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-for-you-were-the-most-unexpected-things-about-aging/922620/254 "2020-12-02T18:35:26Z")
That’s rather brilliant. I often completely miss my alarm going off and then can’t remember if I’ve taken my meds or not. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-for-you-were-the-most-unexpected-things-about-aging/922620/255 "2020-12-02T21:03:11Z")
Yeah, that is pretty great idea. I’ll set up a cron job to do the same. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-for-you-were-the-most-unexpected-things-about-aging/922620/256 "2020-12-02T22:52:55Z")
Athletes wear compression socks without a prescription. So do I. I started wearing them when I was standing all day working motorsport events and a fellow volunteer tipped me off. Then my ex had to wear them for medical reasons after I had already discovered the expensive energy additive. Now, I probably need them as I’m not getting enough exercise due to Covid and lack of job. They are wonderful. The only problem I have encountered with them is that I am tall and large and the socks are meant for shorter people. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-for-you-were-the-most-unexpected-things-about-aging/922620/257 "2020-12-03T06:11:16Z")
I expected TV and books that I enjoyed when I was young would be less enjoyable now. What I didn’t expect was how much less. Two British series I loved were _Elizabeth R_ with Glenda Jackson, and Ian Carmichael as Lord Peter Wimsey. Watching them on DVD was a major disappointment. There were only very few moments that I really enjoyed. Those mostly videotaped series compared very poorly to slicker series done on film only, starting with _Brideshead Revisited_. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_McQwark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@Steve\_McQwark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_McQwark)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-for-you-were-the-most-unexpected-things-about-aging/922620/258 "2020-12-03T14:40:02Z")
I learned last week that as we get older, the vitreous humor in the eye can shrink and pull away from the lining of the eye. And, in less than 2% of the population, the vitreous can “stick” to the lining as it shrinks and cause a tear in the retina. I also learned that I’m a two percenter. That was unexpected. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-for-you-were-the-most-unexpected-things-about-aging/922620/259 "2020-12-03T20:44:31Z")
For most of my life, I thought I could eat anything I wanted, in any quantities, without gaining weight. That stayed true until I turned 60. Then it stopped being true. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-for-you-were-the-most-unexpected-things-about-aging/922620/260 "2020-12-03T21:20:28Z")
You got about 30 more years of that than I did. ---
**Author:** ![Nansbread1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Nansbread1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nansbread1)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-for-you-were-the-most-unexpected-things-about-aging/922620/261 "2020-12-03T22:34:14Z")
For the past few years I always said to myself as I walked up the stairs, I really need to get a carpenter to look at these stairs, they are squeaking a lot. One day my wife told me that she hears no squeaking when she is climbing the stairs . It then dawned on me…my knees were creaking. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2020, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-for-you-were-the-most-unexpected-things-about-aging/922620/262 "2020-12-04T12:23:21Z")
Getting down on the floor (and back up) isn’t done lightly any more. Last time I fixed a small leak under the sink, my wife was surprised at the large array of tools and spare parts I gathered before starting. I explained to her that I didn’t want to waste the ordeal of arising on something I forgot. Down once, Up once. That’s the new goal of all floor-based projects. (I even put a bottle of water on the floor in case I get thirsty) ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2020, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-for-you-were-the-most-unexpected-things-about-aging/922620/263 "2020-12-05T00:03:06Z")
> [@pullin](#): > > Getting down on the floor (and back up) isn’t done lightly any more. This. I used to scrub the floor on hands and knees and wonder why others didn’t. I wonder no more. I can’t kneel, I need help getting up. Some of this issue is caused by weight, more of it is caused by arthritis. Yikes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-for-you-were-the-most-unexpected-things-about-aging/922620.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-for-you-were-the-most-unexpected-things-about-aging/922620.md?page=14)