What happened to my eyelashes?

Posted 2/28/23

Usually too busy getting dressed and flying out the door in the morning, I do not often look in the mirror. When I did  this morning, naked eyes not naturally adorned with eyelashes, stared back …

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What happened to my eyelashes?

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Usually too busy getting dressed and flying out the door in the morning, I do not often look in the mirror. When I did  this morning, naked eyes not naturally adorned with eyelashes, stared back at me.  What happened to my eyelashes and how could that happen?

Many symptoms of old age have taken over my body. White hair has replaced blonde, wrinkled skin, like alligator skin, covers my body, and there are brown spots up and down my arms due to excessive sun exposure when I was a kid, with parents who did not believe in using sunscreen.  Surprisingly, losing one's eyelashes is also a normal part of aging, for the same reason my previously thin hair is even thinner now. (I am thankful for the perm that "fluffs" it up.)  I will have to remain eyelashless because putting on mascara with shaking hands due to familial tremors is just too dangerous. 

I learned that we also lose brain cells at my age. What?  I had assumed because I do not have dementia or any kind of memory issue that my brain was safe, but apparently not.  How will I continue to be my quick-thinking self if the dead brain cells are not replaced?

The bathroom is now my friend.  Whereas I used to use it a few times a day, now it is an hourly occurrence. I thought it was the reaction to drinking more water because my mouth is so dry, but, alas, it is a symptom of aging.

Hearing aids have provided increased sound for my aging inner ears, and I need glasses for reading everywhere, which means I wear them propped on top of my head when shopping because they are needed to see the prices. My sense of smell seems to have diminished. The other day I sniffed the expired milk and thought it was fine, until I put it in my tea and it curdled up.

When I get home from work, I am more pooped than previously and sit in the Lazy-Boy recliner with a glass of Diet Coke, watching one of the many series on Hulu. My joints feel tight and stiff. My balance seems off and I must make sure I hold onto the railing rather than skipping merrily down the stairs which has been done in the past. When walking, my muscles seem wobbly, and I tire much more easily when shopping, the benefit of which is lots of money is saved. 

I used to have the reputation of being able to sleep anywhere, anytime.  This goes back to my college days when I would bunk on a couch in the Student Union to have a quick nap between classes. Sleep has always been one of my favorite activities, but my sleeping skills have also aged. Whereas five minutes in bed used to lead to a sound sleep, now I can lay there for an hour or more without joining the land of the sleeping.  Where I used to sleep all night long, now waking up several times a night is the norm, contributing to a constant feeling of sleep deprivation. 

Swallowing pills, especially horse size tablets, has also become a challenge, causing me to gag easily. It wasn't until I did research on the effects of aging that I learned that changes in the vertebrae at the top of the spine can cause my head to tip forward, compressing my throat, which can result in choking and difficulty swallowing.

My body seems to be maturing around me. My outlook on life, however, has not been broken. I am still a happy camper. A study documented in TIME magazine proves that despite the physical ravages of aging, elderly people are the happiest. My eyelashless eyes, unsteady legs, diminished hearing and vision, sleep disruption, and choking on pills will not diminish my spirit. Who needs eyelashes anyway?

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