It is unusually bright here this morning, and as I was typing the last part of my fiction serial earlier, I noticed something.
It was something I didn’t like.
I have the hands of an old man.
Thin, papery skin, heavily wrinkled. Visible veins, and numerous red blotches probably caused by a lot of ice-scraping yesterday, as I defrosted a freezer. The slightest impact with the side of the appliance as I was scraping caused almost immediate bruising.
My hands have never been that big, but now they look puffy around the finger joints, and the sides of my wrists display a definite swelling that feels soft to touch. But my wedding ring feels loose, and is easy to slip on and off.
I am far from ancient, by modern standards. If I make it to next March, I will be 68 years old. But my hands are getting ahead of the calendar, and already look to be in their late seventies.
I took a photo of my right hand, and was going to add it to this post to illustrate what I mean.
But I didn’t like it, so you will just have to imagine.
It was a photo of someone else’s hand, as far as I could tell.
The hand of an old man.
Hands are the one thing that always tell the tale, aren’t they? But you’re still living a full, fun life Pete and the hands still work 🙂
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I might debate that ‘fun’ bit, Abbi. 🙂
Yes the hands still work, though sometimes in the same way as those claw-things in the seaside arcades. You know, the ones that are supposed to grab you a soft toy, or some other prize, but always seem to let go at the crucial moment. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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My hands are wrinkled, too but I’m more aware of having purple ankles and lots of veins in my legs. No more mini skirts. I’ll have to wear trousers from now on!
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My legs are still OK at the moment, Julie. I think it must be all the walking with Ollie. Perhaps I should learn to walk on my hands? 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Like Cindy, I have good feelings when I see my age spotted hands since they remind me of my grandmother. The worst is when I use those high pressure air hand dryers and watch my skin wobble and crease. My granddaughter used to laugh with delight when she watched the phenomenon.
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I haven’t ever noticed that, Elizabeth. But you can be sure I will be checking for it next time I use one. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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It is quite amusing once you get over the horror!
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Maybe its your glasses, take another look without them on, thnigs will look better 🙂
I will ask Gosia for a suggestion, I know she does some face oil which is much sought after by sufferers of thin skin, maybe she has something for the hands too 🙂
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I have used some highly-recommended hand creams over the years, Eddy. It keeps them supple, but they have recently aged rather rapidly. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Maybe we should have worn gloves all these years?? 😉
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I wore latex gloves for a long time when I was an EMT.
They might have made things worse. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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I can’t use that excuse for mine! Oh well. 🙂
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I’ve spent much of my working life typing. Now I can hardly bend my fingers
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I know that feeling, David. Some days, I have to rub pain-killing gel into my knuckles just to be able to blog.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I think that is why there are so many skim products for men these days….we all want to slow the process….chuq
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I am happy to accept my age, but the hands gave me a shock yesterday. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Mine always look aged during the winter……but then I am getting older by the minute…LOL chuq
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Mine always look aged during the winter……but then I am getting older by the minute…LOL chu
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I am so sorry for you, Pete! But you had worked a whole life, and used a lot of desinfection things. Not wondering about. Take care of you! Michael
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Thanks, Michael. Yes, a lot of heavy use, for well over 20 years. That took its toll.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Old man😂😂😂😂 Good morning, sir. Did you just find out that you are old??? Even newborn babies find out they are in a new world after their birth before you did.😂😂 😈😈 teasing mode on.
No, but if you want normal skin try and apply shea butter lotion. Trust me on that. I am preparing myself for old age at the age of 18. So try it if you can find the lotion. It’s very healthy for your skin and veins. Regulates blood. 😁😊
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Thanks for your tip, Suzan. And for teasing me of course. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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You are welcome. I am always happy to tease you. 😈😈😇😂
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The joys of aging. I’ve spent the past five days nursing a bad back, and I’m going stir crazy. When the highlight of the day is that I can almost put my shoes on, that’s pretty brutal.
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I spent three hours squatting on a hard floor yesterday. I was defrosting an old freezer in the shed, using a hair-drier and an ice-pick. Later that evening, I could hardly move, and trying to get out of bed this morning looked like it might not happen.
So I feel your pain, Pete.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Mine have brown age spots – thought I could pretend they are freckles but alas they are clearly signs of aging.
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You still look young, Mary. Keep your hands in your pockets, and nobody will know! 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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I look at my hands and they are mothers. It is strangely comforting. She will be gone soon from cancer, and I will look at my hands and she is me and I am her.
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Sorry to hear that, Cindy. A Mother is the one thing in life that is irreplaceable.
You can look at your hands, and be content. She lives on, in you.
Best wishes, Pete. x
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I’m sure that somewhere there’s the hand equivalent of Twain’s wrinkle-smile quote: “Wrinkles merely mark where smiles have been.” Maybe it’s a badge of honor we fail to recognize?
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I hope so, EW. But part of me thinks I could do without this particular ‘badge’. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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That’s why I say “never look down!” those hands have done you well for all these years, and for all the years yet to come…
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I rarely notice them, John. But today was an exception. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Ironically, for decades, I have been seeking a subject with old hands for a photographic study. Warmest regards, Theo
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Sorry, but you are not getting my hands. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Take mine 35 years ‘old’. Look old enough for 40-45.
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Along the lines of what Pam said, I use a petroleum jelly based hand cream and wear soft cotton gloves at night.
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Gloves at night-time seem to be the thing.
Thanks, Kim.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I have a similar experience every year in Winters. My hands lose all fat and begin looking 10 years ahead of my age with wrinkles and marks. Then I get depressed, begin binge eating and by spring, my hands are their young-self again! 😁
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Thanks, Shaily. Binge-eating as a cure sounds good! 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Eat loads of fatty stuff. Good for getting over anything!
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“Pardon me boy, is this the Transylvania Station?”
Great film.
Thanks, David. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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My hands are older than the rest of me too, but I was a scrub nurse for 20 odd years so I blame the constant scrubbing and washing of them. Pam’s advice is good, I used to do that. And it helped for a while. 😊
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Thanks, FR. I used to use Hibiscrub on my hands numerous times a day when I was in the Ambulance Service. Doubt that helped either. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Oh, Pete, I am developing the ankles of an old woman…..
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You need a dog like Ollie. My ankles are still ‘svelte’. 🙂
(Only joking, I know you have issues, and I do feel for you)
Best wishes, Pete.
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Yes, the issues are the problem, not enough exercise!
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Aaah, Hibiscrub….
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Guaranteed to dry out skin! 🙂
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Exactly
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You’ve had postcards. Your next project could be to ask for photographs of hands.
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Good idea, David. But I won’t be showing mine. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Well you could offer people the option of being “anonymous blogger, male, 67” or whatever.
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If you are taking steroids or certain drugs to reduce blood pressure they can make this bruising and thinning skin worse. It also is an effect of aging but don’t forget today’s life expectancy is ridiculously high . Cave man averaged about 30 yrs. I’m 77 and have highly sensitive hands covered in veins and they always have the odd purple patches , just a tap will bring up a new one.
We are spoilt in the rich democratic west and medical research is going to extreme limits to keep us ticking over.
Remember that old song Its Good News Week ?
It’s good news week
Someone’s dropped a bomb somewhere
Contaminating atmosphere
And blackening the sky
It’s good news week
Someone’s found a way to give
The rotting dead a will to live
Go on and never die.
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I remember that song very well, FM.
I am not on any of those drugs, but thanks for your sage advice. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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The hands just show age faster than the rest of the body, Pete. They are always exposed and they are always working. So here’s a therapy tip that works remarkably well, one that I learned from my late mother: Cover your hands in petroleum jelly. Rub it into your cuticles, nails, all over your hands. Let it soak in for about five minutes. Then cover your hands in a really good lotion. (I use Vaseline intensive care lotion.) Than put you hands into some roomy, soft socks and go to bed. Sleep with the socks on your hands. Do this every night for 7 days. You will be amazed how much better your hands look and feel. You can do it every night, if you want.
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I will think about that, Pam. I did something similar with my feet last year, when the heels cracked badly after long walks with Ollie. But I will have to consider what it might be like to sleep with something over my hands. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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i’ve come to terms with the physical changes, aches and pains included, Pete. but i’m trying to keep young at heart and joyful. do things i love to do that i can and i’m a happy camper. cheers!
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I haven’t changed that much in my outlook, but now I am trying to type without looking at my hands! 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Yeah.. oddly I did the hands observing shock & awe a couple days ago. Other appendages as well.
I also had a shock seeing the backs of my legs.. a place seldom looked at.. varicose veins.. spider veins… where did all this come from? [sigh]
My therapy: Watching the kickoff of the Trump impeachment today.
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I am studiously avoiding the backs of my legs, Doug! 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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I have noticed those changes, too, Pete. And I do not like it one bit. In certain light it is even worse. It is as if it happened overnight, but I suppose it was working toward this look for 65 years. Still does not mean I have to like it.
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Just how I feel about it, Maggie. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Wait until you get the crepy skin on the inside of your arms! Yuck! O matter what age our minds think we are, our bodies tell a different story 😞
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I am not looking forward to crepe, Jude. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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😅
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As long as what’s inside stays young, you’re in with a chance 😉 Cheers, Jon.
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Thanks, Jon. I should have known. Best to avoid looking at them in any detail. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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