Sounds from beyond the Shed 127 – “Pain in the… knee”

Curse the aging process.

Okay it’s time for a little honesty here. I’m on the cusp of the big 60 and have been active most of my life although to be fair I have been much more active in the last 20 years than the 20 before. What happens before that doesn’t matter – you’re young you can do what the fuck you like and you’ll bounce back, eventually. Well at least that was my experience of youth and I certainly tested the limits of my… ahem… capacity.

Back to the now. In lockdown I started to do more exercise. Generally I walked about 10km a day and then as things lifted I started swimming a kilometre a day too. So I got to the point where I was fitter than I had been for years and then my knee starting hurting and when I say hurting it became agony. This went on for 18 months or so and when I left full time work in the summer I knew I had an op scheduled for October that would make all the pain go away and then I could get back to doing stuff that was more active than sitting with my leg up watching re-runs of Antiques Road Trip (really!!!). Op came and went. Felt good… for three weeks. Now. Not so good. Back to square one really.

In the scheme of things this is a minor thing. I take painkillers, I can’t walk distances and even driving is becoming painful but I’m not in several places in the world I could mention. But it is starting to get me down and slowly I’m starting to suspect that whatever happens I might just have kissed goodbye to my youthful self. Physically anyway.

Mentally I’m still 18 and listening to some great stuff! Particularly happy this week to come across some classic Counting Crows and Jason and the Scorchers. The radio show was also a blast featuring Matthew Sweet, The Felice Brothers, Kassi Valazza & Far from Saints amongst many others.  As ever take what you want or need. I’ll be brighter next week… promise.