Day 11: Feeling Fifty

As I wrote when I posted for the first time on this blog, my goal with doing this is to focus on something good each day, and to write about something new I learn or discover each day of my 50th year. I also wrote that sometimes I would write about the bad if it's important enough.

But, today I am not necessarily feeling bad, but am certainly not feeling that good. Mostly what I am feeling is the reality that I am turning 50. I am sure some of you are thinking, "Duh, your blog is called 'In My 50th Year.' You are writing about turning 50. You really are a dumb *ss aren't you?"

The point is that it takes a loooooong time for things to sink in for me. I am a stubborn woman and one of the most skeptical people I know. I am one of those people who really, really has to have something fairly significant happen to believe something is real, or to feel that something is real. This is another topic that I could write volumes about but again, it's not what this blog is about.

Why the big epiphany today (yep, using that big word again)? After having surgery a little over a year ago, I have had more doctor visits than I normally do. So, today I went in for my "regular" annual exam, something that was actually a breath of fresh air since it did not involve biopsies or scheduling surgery to remove possibly cancerous lumps :)!

And, my doctor was so excited for me that I am back to "normal" and to hear about my latest book. It was going quite well until she used her fancy new computer program to look up my history and then she blurted out, "wow, you are turning 50." Now, I had just heard that from my general practice physician less than a month ago and was thinking, "Man, what's the deal with these women repeatedly pointing this out? Do they get some kind of bonus for treating old people? Or do I get some kind of prize for making it?"

But, before I could ask her those snarky questions, she again said, "you are turning 50 and it is time for you to have some additional tests as part of your regular exams." She then started writing and handed me a referral for a bone density test.

So tomorrow afternoon I am having a bone density scan so they can start checking me for osteoporosis. While I was coming to grips with that, I went back to work proofreading the newsletter that I write/edit for Torrance Memorial Medical Center. It is called ADVANTAGE and I have been doing it for almost 6 years now. I know who the audience is for the newsletter, but it never struck me like it did today. I realized that I am now officially a member of that audience as I read the line under ADVANTAGE which reads, "A Network of Services For People 50+."