OK, there is some truth to that, Yes, I’m getting older, I turn 50 this year. But are you telling me that every one that is around 50 has the same problems that I have? I mean is every man my age having the same pains I have, forgetting everything all the time, walking around as though they are in a cloud? Totally fatigued all day long? I can’t believe that there are millions of men out there that can’t feel much of their left side. I think that I would have heard about that before. I think that if that was indeed the case, when I went to the doctor and talked with them about it, they would all have said something like, “Well, what happens when a man approaches 50“. I have had family members tell me that it is just old age, and I have had friends tell me that it is just old age. I call BS on all that.

So I decided to do a little research on this myself, Google to the rescue:

“My left side is numb” = About 34,500,000 results, looking at the top five results, shows the Mayo Clinic, which lists 33 possible causes and ironically, old age isn’t one of them. Next up is Healthline.com which lists 16 possible causes, again, old age isn’t one of them. then there is Healthline.com again and this page lists a whole slew of possible causes and again, no old age. Your.md, lists four possible causes and yep, you guessed it, no old age on their list. And last but not least on the list is AdvoCare, which lists 14 possible causes and old age isn’t listed on their list either. 

So maybe I’m looking up the wrong thing. Let’s try:

“Chronic hand and foot pain” = First up is Healthline which lists 10 possible causes and yes, Arthritis is listed as #1 on their list, and you tend to get Arthritis when you reach an older age. Next up is the Arthritis Foundation, which is actually an article about Fibromyalgia, so we will have to say, nope old age isn’t listed here. Next is Hospital for Special Surgery which it an article about Lupus and Fibromyalgia, so that goes in the nope column as well. St. Joseph Health has an article about neuropathy pain, so that goes in the nope column as well. And then there is the Mayo clinic, with an article about Peripheral neuropathy, so that is a big fat no as well.

OK, I could go on and on, but it looks like I’m getting older, but that is not the main cause of my “invisible illness”.