Turning 45 | TheaterFire

I'm 47 and lazy as hell most times...scary thing is you or I could go tomorrow due to something unforesen. You just never know. I, however, am not concerned about when it comes. The best times in life are gone and the World is going crazy. Glad I had the 90s to grow up. So if it's tomorrow, cool. If it's in 40 years, cool

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The_Dotted_Leg@reddit

Bill Burr described now as our “drop dead” years. People older than us die of natural causes, people younger than us in accidents. If we die, we just drop dead.

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justpassingby_thanks@reddit

Don't worry there are a lot of us who got hit even younger. I got shingles on my head around 27 causing permanent nerve damage. If you are 45 and scared, just know you are already lucky and take comfort in that. Shit will happen and you will most likely die within 50 years like normal.

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suspiciousyeti@reddit

Oh no, I'm 100% going to get taken out by something stupid like tripping on a dog or trying to hug a bear.

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sorrymizzjackson@reddit

You go hug that bear. He looked lonely!

At least you don’t have to die in the climate wars!

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justpassingby_thanks@reddit

This is the best way to live life.

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keepcalmscrollon@reddit

Thanks. To you and the guys extolling the virtues of exercise. It's easy to joke or depressed about it. I was thinking both. But it's also nice the get a positive perspective. I turned 47 a few weeks ago. I'm not in an entirely happy place but there's always hope.

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justpassingby_thanks@reddit

There is always hope, always my friend. DM any time.

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PsychologicalGur4040@reddit

Me too. But I ride more timid than I used to. I'm all out of collar Bones. But for real, the knee and back issues are starting off pretty bad this year, and all this talk has me spooked

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suspiciousyeti@reddit

I've got back and knee issues but mine are all apparently congenital so I can't blame my age.

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cardie82@reddit

I read things like this post and the comments and feel oddly comforted. I may have knee and back problems but I’ve still managed to keep active. Heck, I recently too up modern dance. I feel like all things considered I’m doing great.

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SenSw0rd@reddit

im 45, and laughed at yoga in my 30s... now im laughing because im flexible as fuck and mobility IS THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH!!!
The amount of people at ski lifts that comment about my age... "NO WAY... mid 30s the latest."

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marc962@reddit

Middle? Probably not, I feel like our generation will be full of people at the 100 mark. Look how we look compared to other generations at our age.

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Bubbly_Positive_339@reddit

Your colonoscopy is now due

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TheNaughtyDragon@reddit

Just had my first anal spelunking adventure. Glad they didn't find anything down there!

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AKIP62005@reddit

Also,.we need to get our shingles vaccine. Shingles sounds terrible.

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Church_of_Cheri@reddit

Not yet, but make sure your TDAP is up to date, whooping cough has been making its rounds.

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medievalkitty2@reddit

Getting it this weekend! Is there any harm in getting another MMR, do you think? Had mine in ‘81 as 3 separate shots.

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Church_of_Cheri@reddit

My doctor said no when I asked, but that could also be because her organization doesn’t recommend it and insurance won’t cover it unless there’s proof that it’s needed. She did send me for blood work to see if I have the titer, titers, I’m not sure how they word that in a sentence. I know I don’t want to get the measles that’s for sure!

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Slobberchops_@reddit

Hot shingles in your area?

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x-Moana-x@reddit

My 53 year old husband just had a hideous case of shingles. Honestly, he was so ill and in so much pain.

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StevieV61080@reddit

Shingles is not fun. I actually had it when I was 5 years old and have flare-ups at least once per year. Yet, I still can't get the vaccine as I'm not yet 50.

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EricHill78@reddit

I luckily never had chickenpox. My parents tried to get me to go over to the neighbors to play with a kid with it and I noped the hell out of there.

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PM_ME_MASTECTOMY@reddit

I had shingles at 32. It was awful.

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curmudgeonchief@reddit

Can confirm, it's fucking horrendous.

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Moxie_Stardust@reddit

I'm under the perception that insurance generally won't cover it until age 50, based on chatter around the subject.

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AnthomX@reddit

We were able to get it just by setting up an appt with cvs. No issues. 43.

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Spartan04@reddit

The current recommendation is age 50 for people with normal immune systems. Those that are immunocompromised are recommended to get it earlier.

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Lornesto@reddit

I had shingles, that shit sucked.

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trav1829@reddit

anecdotal - but there seems to be an uptick in colon cancer with our generation- highly recommend getting a camera up the butt - prep work sucks but it’s only 6-12 hours

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Effective_Cable6547@reddit

Yes! This! I just had my first at 39 and they found a couple of polyps. The prep did suck but honestly, it was not nearly as bad as I expected. I have IBS so it was like a typical flare up for me but minus the pain haha. And propofol is the best nap you’ll ever have. Seriously though. Colonoscopies save lives, people!

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gypsyjacks453@reddit

Yes, the nap! 🤣 When I was waking up I asked the nurse if I could keep sleeping.

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Effective_Cable6547@reddit

Same! I was so annoyed when she said no

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gypsyjacks453@reddit

Got mine! It wasn’t as bad as I feared. The worst part is just being hungry. Which really isn’t that bad. You can take pills now instead of drinking gross stuff for the prep.

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gyrlonfilm6@reddit

I will do Cologuard if I have to.

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Bubbly_Positive_339@reddit

Not as good. Your call but there’s a reason a camera is better

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StevieV61080@reddit

I have my first one scheduled on the 25th (just shy of my 45th bday)

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Karma-Lou@reddit

I think it is important to be present in the now. We are all getting older and we are all going to die, those are facts. Don’t miss out on your life by living too much in the future or the past.

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Sharticus123@reddit

45 is where things started going downhill for me.

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foozebox@reddit

Some people on Reddit say the same shit at 25, it is what it is.

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Sharticus123@reddit

Those people are probably wildly out of shape and morbidly obese. I’ve stayed in fantastic shape throughout my life and know what my body is capable of, and at 45 my body decided it was downshifting a gear or two.

It’s not just that, grey hair and age related appearance issues just pop up overnight. My beard at 40 was solid brown and my beard 50 is almost completely grey. It’s like a switch flips at 45.

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foozebox@reddit

Well put, Sharticus. I got the grey pretty bad as well but physically, due to more exercise (and yoga) in the last year than the previous 10 combined, I feel pretty good.

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deefunkt01@reddit

Same. for example, never had any back issues and now I do. Other stuff too, but the back is the big one here.

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Bach-Bach@reddit

For me it’s my shoulders.

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trav1829@reddit

Rotar cuff surgery at 39 - i didn’t even make it to 40 🤣🤣

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Bach-Bach@reddit

Brutal. How do your shoulders feel now? What do you do now to maintain?

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trav1829@reddit

I can’t honestly say how I messed it up - I think it was using a manual wood plane and being overly aggressive with a weekend hobby - I can say now I do some minor stretches before I go mow the lawn or any other physical labor and it seems to keep the hurt to a minimum

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Sharticus123@reddit

Knees for me.

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Ag1980ag@reddit

I’m knocking on the door to 45 and I’ve got pain everywhere- back, neck, arms, knees, and feet. I think that it all stems from a very bad lower back that’s worsened over time but damned if I can explain how my lower back makes pulling a shirt over my head a painful ordeal.

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Adrasteia-One@reddit

Ugh. I've been dealing with elbow tendon issues the last few weeks. It is taking a lot longer to heal, so I fear I've gotten to that same point.

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LambChop_Pet@reddit

Oh my god, I’m 45 and just got tennis elbow and carpal tunnel right arm/hand. I do not play tennis 😐

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Adrasteia-One@reddit

That sucks. I hate how that happens - we could simply reach over to grab something and we tweak a muscle, ligament or tendon. Aging sucks, hehe.

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LambChop_Pet@reddit

Sure does lol

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Jolly-Persimmon-7775@reddit

Me! Got it after shoveling soil in my veg beds. Been over 2 months now… at least it seems to come and go, but does tend to get sore while I’m in bed.

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Adrasteia-One@reddit

Oh wow, same! I wake up and it throbs for a bit. Likely from sleeping on that side.

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Glass-Marionberry321@reddit

Joining you next week! Who wants it to last forever? Your body breaks down at a certain point and just existing becomes uncomfortable. My goal is to make it to 85. But I want to be able move around and use my brain well. Time will tell!

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18randomcharacters@reddit

I’m 44. I have diabetes (risks: many) and celiac disease (risk: colon cancer). My VO2 max is abysmal and I’m 50lb heavier than I want to be.

Fuck.

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cupcakeheavy@reddit

same boat here, life is short. I'm here for a good time, not a long time.

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Upper_Equipment_4904@reddit

Happy 45th! Aging isn't easy, especially in these crazy times, but you have this wonderful sub of people to help you laugh through it , Fair is Fair ! 🤗 ( in my Billie Jean voice)

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incogvigo@reddit

A wise man once said, get busy living or get busy dying.

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crazycatlady331@reddit

I turned 45 two days ago. I had that same realization.

My dad's parents lived into their 90s.

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thesnark1sloth@reddit (OP)

Happy birthday, almost-birthday twin! Today is my 45th, leading to all of these thoughts.

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crazycatlady331@reddit

Mine was Monday. My birthday is now a mixed bag of emotions.

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headspace_k@reddit

Hey birthday twin! I turned 44 on Monday, having a tough time with it.

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crazycatlady331@reddit

Happy belated my fellow birthday twin.

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fermentedradical@reddit

I feel better in my '40s than I did in my '30s or '20s. Dropped a ton of weight, got in shape, eating right, drinking less, taking care of some annoying chronic issues. Hopefully this continues!

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incogvigo@reddit

Same here. Started my self improvement journey about 4 years ago coming out of covid. Quit drinking, then nicotine, started exercising, ate better, lost a bunch of weight and now am doing strength training. Ive never been better by a factor of 10. Lots of hard work but it is worth it.

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relationshiptossoutt@reddit

I'm 45, too. My family all dies pretty young so I also feel like I'm beyond the halfway point.

I generally feel mostly the same as I always have. I'm not achy or sore or any more tired than I can remember being.

I do notice myself slouching more and need to make a more concerted effort to sit up straight.

But looks-wise, it's all collapsing so quickly now. I'm not meaning to brag, but about a year ago I looked in my mid-30s. But it all hit at once. Age spots. Wrinkles. Grays in my beard. That like aged-skin look that middle-aged people have in areas like their skin. Now I think I look about 45, but it's been a sort of weird feeling to see myself seemingly age 10 years in the course of 1.

I'm fighting it now, with lotions and creams and stuff I've never worried about. But it's clearly a losing battle.

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onions-make-me-cry@reddit

I got diagnosed with a rare type of lung cancer at 43 and had a lobectomy. I'm 45 now and it just feels different to breathe in a way I don't like.

So yeah, I feel ya. I'm over here just hoping the second half of my 40s is much easier than the first was.

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Michellenorman28@reddit

Sorry to ask, but did you smoke? Not asking bc I want to blame you or anything like that, just curious and also need motivation to quit..

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onions-make-me-cry@reddit

Nope, I'm a never smoker. The type I had is not linked to smoking.

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Gia_Lavender@reddit

How did they catch it?

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onions-make-me-cry@reddit

Incidentally. I had very bad vertigo one day so I went to ER. They took a chest X-ray to rule out pneumonia and saw it.

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Gia_Lavender@reddit

Omg. I’m glad you’re okay.

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Michellenorman28@reddit

Oh wow…that’s wild there are lung conditions not related to smoking, but I suppose when it comes to physiology and the human body, many things can happen and are possible. Again, glad you made it through that❤️

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onions-make-me-cry@reddit

Thank you! Yep there are a couple types not linked to smoking. Actually smoking lung cancer is declining but non-smoking lung cancer is on the rise.

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Maanzacorian@reddit

Welcome to Existentialism. You now have a choice: in the words of Andy Dufresne "get busy livin', or get busy dyin'"

The greatest realization a person can have is the finality of existence. Make friends with your own Death and be free.

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Yestie@reddit

I'm exactly a year ahead! Def felt what OP is saying. Looking good so far though... mom still drives/is in grt sbape at 88. But the men in my family have all passed - probably wanted to get the hell outta dodge before my sisters and I hit perimenopause 😆.

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RudeAd9698@reddit

I’m 61 and feel better than I did when I was 40, I’ve upgraded my diet for starters.

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LeadZeppolli@reddit

You’re a xennial?! I love my generation!

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ImTrying2UnderstandU@reddit

The oldest Xennials are 48

Even the oldest Gen X are 60 (born in ‘65)

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LeadZeppolli@reddit

I was joking….

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gyrlonfilm6@reddit

Turning 45 next Tuesday. Bring it on.

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whatthecahoots@reddit

I turn 45 this August and this post is scaring the shit out of me.

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RammikinsValintine@reddit

You think you’re going to die, until you don’t. No regrets, ese!

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ScroatusMalotus@reddit

I choose to believe that aging is a blessing. By the time that it is time to move on to whatever may or may not be next, I will hopefully be so achy, cranky and sick of it all that I will be just fine with it. Dying in your physical prime has got to suck. Also, given where things are heading culturally, I don't think I want to stay at this party all night anyway. I'm going to do my best to have fun while I'm here, though.

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Gia_Lavender@reddit

I get what you mean. You can see in these comments that there is a cult of immortality based around physical activity thinking that it will keep you young or stave off death. I don’t think this is naive, it’s a decent metric to measure yourself against. However, I’ve had a physical disability since about 12. I am not a sedentary person by any means but I cannot base my life on the metrics of how my body performs to decide if I enjoy life and want to keep living. The simple passing of time is a blessing to me no matter what.

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Calm_Station_3915@reddit

Median age for most developed countries is around late 30s, so you’ve probably been past the halfway mark longer than you realised.

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katmoney80@reddit

Realizing I turn 45 in 4 months 😞

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Turbulent_Ad9508@reddit

I feel like if my adult life is a weekend, being 45 is like a Sunday morning. Like, yeah, it could be a Sunday funday...but it's still just a Sunday. The anticipation of Friday night is gone. The productive Saturday with a fun night out... all over. It's just a Sunday morning. Blah.

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frankvagabond303@reddit

When you turn 45, you have completed 58% of your expected life. Life expectancy in the US as of 2022 is 77.43 years.

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Ferme_La_Bouche@reddit

Sad face

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VectorJones@reddit

It's funny, we all know about our mortality from a young age. It only starts to become real when we cross these existence mile markers, but the end has always been nigh for all of us. I knew kids that died in middle and high school. Then there are people I considered old back then who are still alive and kicking today.

Seems like the best we can hope for is that when the end comes we're either ready for it or don't see it coming.

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mrsinatra777@reddit

Welcome to the back nine! Dust to dust and all that. We’ll be fine.

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_ism_@reddit

same, been thinking about it a lot but also some things that might be less optimistic that are unknown factors,

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Introvertebrates@reddit

I recently realized this. That I’m no longer, middle aged.

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Unique-Accountant253@reddit

I know I'm being used..

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GinchAnon@reddit

So the good news is technology is changing faster than ever.

So our demographic might be the first to see old age become optional.

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ProfessionalCoat8512@reddit

I have a feeling god is going to make me stick around until I’m 118 and suffer lol. 😂

I can’t imagine how dumb people will be in 2099

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MadameTree@reddit

I'm almost 2 years ahead of you and yeah. Most people don't make it to 90, even if it's possible. And to further depress you, those last years are usually bad.

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sorrymizzjackson@reddit

Exactly. My MIL made it to 84 by severely restricting her diet. She was ambulatory until about 2 weeks before her death, but 80 years of restricted eating didn’t give her much when it came down to it.

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DickBurns01@reddit

Judging by family history I have about 8 years left but I'd be surprised if it isn't 5 tops

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Holiday-Tradition343@reddit

Same birth year, but I’m a January baby. I already hit the milestone, and I’m still not sure how to feel about it.

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Royal-Pen3516@reddit

I know what you mean, but I'm still running half marathons at 45 and feeling pretty good. Definitely having the realization that it's probably more than half over now, though.

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WharfRat80s@reddit

It's the vacuum solos from Henrietta keeping you young, Dude.

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Royal-Pen3516@reddit

Here's to hoping for a vacuum solo this spring!

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Amibeaux@reddit

Get an ebike! Your knees will thank you. One of the best purchases. Helps on the hills.

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khumprp@reddit

Bought one last year, love it. I have health issues and can't keep up on the climbs, but it still gives a great workout, and more importantly, I'm out and moving!

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Amibeaux@reddit

But seriously we're heading into the fall of our lifecycle. Enjoy it all as much as you can. You never know.

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khumprp@reddit

Same, turning 45 in a month. Need a kidney transplant. Had one when I was 23, lasted a good long time. Little harder this time around finding one. Feeling ok, but realizing I'm past halfway and maybe even more depending on how things turn out.

Oh well, I'm going rollerblading with my daughter. Gotta make the best of what we got left!

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alien-1001@reddit

I actually just feel like a walking corpse. Very weak. Frail. I feel like I should be walking around with a blanket on my shoulders and thick white wheelchair socks on.

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Sharpshooter188@reddit

On average Im about half way through my lifespan. The existential crisis hit me hard in my late 30s. Body started having problems st 39 as I didnt take care of my body. I didnt ABUSE it. But didnt eat clean or work out a lot. Im 41 now. My first real sign of aging was when I started jogging to my buddies car. About 4 steps in I feel a crackling pop in my ankle. Didnt roll it or anything. It just kinda did that then started hurting.

I was in disbelief for a while there. Thats when I got the hint of the good times being over. Lol

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heykidzimacomputer@reddit

It is predicted that by 2045, people will be able to upload their minds into digital form and live forever. Or at least a copy of you will live forever. So make it another 20 years, and you can become digitally immortal.

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SaltyPinKY@reddit

45 and still tipping pumptracks, dirt jumps, and mountain bike trails. There are many 50+ year olds out here with me. Use it or lose it ..and the comments are all about loss. There's no rules to this life. There's no physical reason you all can't be active. Unless you actually have a medical reason...your body is giving up because your brain gave up on it.

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PuppyJakeKhakiCollar@reddit

Yes, staying active in both body and brain is so important. 47F and I am more fit and have more energy than a lot of the younger people at my job. And as long as I stretch twice a day, no body aches either.

My parents both died in their early 80s. But the difference is my dad stayed active, stayed social, and had hobbies while my mom basically became one of those older people who ate junk and watched TV all day. My dad was taken down by a terminal illness but was able to survive longer than the usual rate because he stayed active. My mom lost a lot of strength and the ability to walk on her own from prolonged inactivity. She basically became a prisoner in her own body by her own making.

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HangryGhosts_@reddit

💯

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Skipper0463@reddit

My age snuck up on me. I’m 44 now and even though I’ve tried to stay physically active I’m getting injured more often than I’d like. I don’t even do anything that crazy either and yet my knees are hurting and my back is hurting and I messed up my shoulder and my wrists hurt when I use my phone etc. What makes keeping in shape at this age so hard (in my opinion) is not necessarily going out and exercising (that’s easy), it’s dealing with injuries that you never would have gotten 5+ years ago. Now I’m like “I’d love to go workout but I don’t want to make my shoulder worse” or something. I can see why a lot of middle aged people give up on fitness. I’m not giving up, just trying to figure out what works best for me.

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ZDarFan@reddit

I really think so