Is it all downhill after 70?

It was a bit of a shock seeing this thread dug up again! Your replies were great, helped me to see 70 as not the end of the world - 75 is probably going to bring more problems with it if anything! I’m now 71 and I’m recovered from a seemingly never ending litany of illnesses and annoying problems. I haven’t quite gone back to Zumba but I am doing everything else bar the shouting! I need to lose the weight but am sure I will eventually. Good luck and good health to all of you kind people who took the trouble to respond. Onward and upward!

Oh! 69 years and 11 ½ months .........now you’ve got me worried ?

The secret is genes plus lifestyle!

I completely get why you're feeling down and worried, but no, it doesn't have to be downhill from here. You're obviously a very active person normally, so I would say keep pushing for that to continue. I know when I'm ill with flu or something, I start to worry that I will start being ill more now that I'm older, (69), but then I get better and carry on with my walking and exercises. We need to cut out as much sugar and salt as we can now and eat as many veggies and fruit as we can to give us nutrients to fuel us. Stay positive and you'll be happy and well. Good luck.

And I am now needing hearing aids and awaiting a cataract op.
Not to mention the worn out back joint.
B****r getting old.

I'm 70 and disgustingly healthy. I don't get colds or flu, haven't had any health problems since my hysterectomy at 40.
I'm often asked why and the only things I can think of is getting lots of sunshine and being on HRT for the last 30 years.

79 soon but not too bad and no worse than I was last year so I'm hoping nature's kind in introducing me to my 80th next year and still hoping I won't feel any different to this year. I'm determined to reach another 0 !

Only need glasses for reading and comp and they were only £1 from Asda--3.0 strength,which in 1989 they were 2.5, so not doing so badly at all.

I am 73 and feel as fit as a fiddle apart from getting more tired than I used to. I was diagnosed with breast cancer last November and have been on tablets ever since but they have not altered my quality of life.

Sorry! Typo Luckylegs

It’s still better than the alternative Lucylegs

No it's not, i have been very lucky up to now, but don't want to jinx it, only thing i had mt cataracts done at about 65, and have iron overload ,but up to now no problems with it, shingles, but that's about all have drops in to preven glaucoma, but i think i must have good genes, mum and grandma lived to 96, and 92, neither on any medication, neither am i,
Only thing that has happened recently is sudden hair loss, which i wont go on about as already done that, but otherwise fine and in fact joining line dancing with one of my neighbours who kindly asked me if i fancied going with her
I am 76, but feel more like 26, oh well maybe 36 then

Well, I am about to find out as I have just reached the dreaded three score and ten. At the moment I am embracing my 70ness but time will tell whether it is downhill from here or not. I would settle for maintenance of my present condition if I had the choice.

My downhill slope began when i hit 65, with sciatica, three herniated discs, floaters and forming cataracts in both eyes.MY BP and colesterol thankfully are still fine so on no medication apart from painkillers and stomach protectors. I must admit to being fearful for the future as sometimes i am in a lot of pain and it makes me feel really low when i realise that this may be it or worse for the rest of my life. I try not to stop it from making me give up things, but it is hard sometimes when everything is accompanied by pain, it saps your joy and energy somehow. Well done to those who plod on regardless and try to keep a cheerful attitude. Its just harder some days than others.

I picked up on that crazyH - but it turned out it was the way notentirely had worded it

How funny Lisagran, no I'm not 35, I'm 65! I was thinking of the 60s as a decade that I was halfway through. Thanks for picking that up, I can see it looks peculiar

notentirely has probably missed the turning to mumsnet ?

Bijou,just reading this old gransnet thread. Hoping you are still hale and hearty. I had been worrying about now being 71,was everything going to go downhill,you gave me inspiration. Thank you. xx

Silverlining that's good to know that 5.5 cholesterol is good, then I don't need to worry about it! In my younger days the acceptable bp was 100+age! Now 140/90 is borderline high!

For me, it was downhill from 75. Mostly only, sometimes incapacitating, weariness, and the inability to easily carry out the physical things I always used to think nothing of doing. I used to be such a fast walker. Now I mostly hobble.

It happened so suddenly.

My mother-in-law (97!) died last week. The death certificate states “frailty of old age”. She certainly was too - old and very frail.

Lucky ....And enjoy your holiday

Glad you got a few appointments sorted out lucky. Good luck with it all.

I am 70 and just back after walking home from the surgery after one of those general health checks.
Apparently I am in fine fettle with the heart of a 68 year old, basically only a couple of years less than my age, but it’s the right direction I suppose. All in all apart from odd ache and pain in the knee I consider myself lucky.
BP good. Cholesterol is supposed to be good at 5.5 but I remember when that would have been high before they changed the goal posts. Mine used to be 4.
So it’s just the weight then....hmm

That is interesting Monica, about the statins. My cholesterol was 7.5 years ago when I was in my early forties. Probably still is around that. I eat Benecol spread and I'm fairly careful with my diet. I'm not taking it any further.

Good luck with it all Luckylegs.

Just a little update - managed to get an appointment with a nurse this morning about my knee, Baker’s cyst I’m told but she couldn’t tell me my blood test results or my other queries re statins etc. I persisted and managed to get a telephone appointment on Friday (it should have been two weeks off but I insisted) and I already have an appointment I booked online several weeks ago on Friday morning so it’s going to take three appointments to sort me out this week! I’m going on holiday next Tuesday so I need sorting out once and for all!