Acromegaly, Aging, and Loss

I was reading one of my favorite advice columns the other day, "Since you asked," when I found a letter that struck a resonant chord with me. The letter was written by someone who is concerned about turning 50, facing a rare disease, and basically realizing that he's not 20 anymore. I'm not that close to being 50 years old, but reading the letter reminded me of dealing with acromegaly because for me it has represented the loss of a more carefree and energetic time.

I'm never sure if I'm feeling a certain way (tired, achy joints) just because of the natural aging process, or if it's a symptom of acromegaly. I think about the misinformed people who abuse human growth hormone hoping it will act as a fountain of youth and I shake my head because for me I feel like it has only aged me.

I don't want to give away the whole article, but the advice columnist wrote, "You also sound like you are grieving for your youth," which really struck home. When I get sad about acromegaly, I am grieving for the life I had before acromegaly.

Anyway, I don't always feel like this, but it certainly captured the essence of what I think about when I'm feeling down. I loved the columnist's advice, but I was wondering if you, my fellow acromegaly compadres, had any advice of your own for facing similar times. Please let me know what you think!

http://www.salon.com/life/since_you_asked/2009/10/06/turning_50/index.html