Mother or Father?

As my dog is running all through the house at a pace that I could only dream of, I wonder where she gets her unending energy. I suppose if I were back to being a 2 year old, I too would be bounding around the house. When she runs, she's happy. Even happier with a squeaky toy in her mouth. No one needs to chase her or throw a ball, she just runs on her own and in her own world. Oh to be a puppy.

I have spent a lot of time lately wondering about my future. When I say time I mean the past few years. Medically speaking, what is going to happen to me? Who's footsteps will I follow? Either way I'm screwed. Take the path of my father and end up with Peripheral Neuropathy or worse follow my mother with her never ending battles with her body. Arthritis, tumors, heart murmur, vitamin deficiencies, bones of a 75 year old. She's only 57. This is only recent events. She has been through so many surgeries since the day I was born.

I'm not getting any younger and I wonder for how long will I be able to keep training like I am? How much can my body tolerate? If I'm like my father I should be good to go, albeit with numb hands and feet the man can still swim, bike and run quite well at 59. That gives me about another 20 years. If I'm more like my mother than I don't have much time left. Once I hit 40 it's all downhill. I have those days where I think maybe all I do just adds to the damage yet to come. But then I reassure myself that after many many studies the training that I do makes my heart, bones and body stronger. I may not be able to dodge the bullet but it may take longer to hit me.

I get down about all the medical issues my parents have faced already. I feel sad. I want to help, but really what can I do? I live a long distance from my Mom and I'm the only child for her. It's so hard not being there when she could use a hand. Today she had knee surgery. It was bad enough that she still will have injections to keep it in use for awhile longer. While doing an EKG for the surgery they saw an enlarging aortic ventricle due to her heart murmur. She also has a enlarged lymph node that they are concerned about. A biopsy of the lump will be needed in her near future. What lays ahead for her is a mystery. But I am so impressed with the way she handles it all. I'm sure she has her moments in private or with her husband where she looses it. But for the rest of us she is nothing short of optimistic, happy to be alive, and looking forward to her future. Kudos to her as I could never be like that. I certainly didn't take those good traits from her.

So who's path will I follow? I feel like I am a good mixture of both my father and mother. I look like my father. I laugh like my mother. I have my mothers eye's and hair, but have my father's long legs. I think allot like my father, but have the patience of my mother. I keep feelings in like my father but I have a lot of the same feeling as my mother has had over the years. I compete like my father and I never give up like my mother. I keep quiet when I'm wrong like my father and I'm never wrong like my mother. Who's aging body will I follow is yet to be determined, but I can only hope I deal with it as gracefully as they have.