Gettin' old on the road – Earth Vagabonds

My back is hurting. Again.

This time in a different place. Lower. The lumbar area.

I’ve long had issues with my upper back. While working back in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, I was diagnosed with problems around my C-4, C-5 vertebrae: compression, bulging disk, pinched nerves.

Blessedly, those conditions were sporadic and mostly just annoying. Numbness and tingling in my left arm, some crunching/discomfort when turning my head, general tension in my upper back. Carrying a television camera and gear around for 30 years was likely a cause.

This time, the pain is intense — but thankfully fleeting. It just depends on how I move, sit, lay, stand. Anybody who’s had lumbar pain knows exactly what I mean. In recent years, I’ve had a few similar episodes. In a couple days, it always dissappears.

Ironically, my wife Ellen has finally recovered from her own lumbar issues. In mid-August, when we were in Warsaw, Poland, her back ‘went out’. The pain was debilitating. We sought medical treatment in Warsaw and in Berlin, Germany a couple weeks later.

In her case, both the lumbar and sacral areas of the lower back were involved. Pain medication, anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxers, and rest were prescribed — and worked to alleviate her disability. Slowly, over a period of weeks, she has returned to normal. (She also strained her lower back in Varna, Bulgaria in September, 2023; days of bed rest and ibuprofen aided complete recovery.)

All of this has got me thinking about health and travel and getting old. Yep, aging is a big part of it. But I also gotta say, our wandering lifestyle doesn’t help.

Over the past 10 years, we’ve slept in hundreds of different beds; different Airbnbs; different couches and chairs. Truthfully, no more than a handful of them would I classify as uncomfortable. But still, not having a ‘regular’ bed and ‘favorite’ comfy chair are definite downsides to our continuous slow travel. And as we age, we can only expect more lifestyle ‘incongruities’.

Heck, in recent years, I’ve noticed the bottoms of my feet ache after walking/exploring. My ankles and knees have ‘tender moments’. Ellen’s right knee has sporadically been painful and/or weak, and occasionally the left knee. An orthopedic specialist in India diagnosed cartilage loss and degeneration. He discouraged her from jogging; less use/abuse will prolong the joint. She had a bone density/dexascan test in Chennai, India, which revealed osteopenia (pre-osteoperosis) and osteoporosis.

Of course, bodies break down with age. At 62 and 54, it seems a little early – but we gotta face reality. We have ongoing (and increasing) vision, hearing, and dental issues too. It’s nature. It’s fact. It’s concerning…. even scary.

Another fact: we don’t have doctors. No primary care physician or family doctor. No medical professional monitors our overall health – the big picture. Instead, we bounce from doctor to doctor as need arises, all over the earth. Same as the beds and couches in our AirBnbs. My sister Mary – a retired physician’s assistant in Cleveland – is ‘on call’ for occasional consultations, diagnoses, and second opinions. And now there is Doctor ChatGPT.

Part of me wants to say we don’t have any truly ‘serious’ health issues. But my wife is a breast cancer survivor! Duhhhh! Dengue fever, broken bones, a snake bite, chronic sinusitis, multiple root canals — and now back problems that are debilitating! Sounds pretty serious.

Honestly, we do believe we are fortunate health-wise — and in so many other ways. At this point we don’t have any conditions that need managing/medicating. We keep our weight down. We exercise (walk 3-5 miles per day). We eat plenty of vegetables – and take daily vitamins. We are drug and alcohol free (except for my couple beers each day). And we have had great success finding competent, caring, cost-effective, medical care all over the globe. Plus we have sister Mary and ChatGPT.

I write all this as food for thought for others in or near retirement or considering long-term travel or an expat lifestyle. On this blog, we often extoll the virtues of our vagabond existence. But the realities of aging and physical health should never be overlooked or diminished.

I’m also writing this to motivate myself to do what I can to remain healthy. I’m planning to add a morning stretching/yoga/Tai Chi routine to the daily walking. If I write it down publicly, I’m more apt to follow thru. Of course, Ellen and I will continue to control our weight and diet — and yes, the beer drinking.

Further, when we get back to India in January 2026 (we already have air tickets), we plan to get complete physical checks and tests and scans and whatever else — just as we did in early 2024. We wrote about that positive experience – and price – here on this blog. Going forward, I’m thinking semi-annual medical visits to India would be a prudent plan. Maybe we’ll even establish a ‘primary care doctor’ or health system there.

Finally, considering the state of healthcare and access in America, perhaps more US citizens should consider such an approach. I promise to keep posting about our health experiences – both good and bad – wherever we are in the world. In the meantime, more motivation: a link to one of my favorite posts detailing four things to do right now to prepare for overseas living or travel once you retire.

For now, I sure hope my lower back flare-up will subside with some rest (no walking today). If need be, I can find a doctor in Albania to assess and prescribe for the situation. Maybe I’ll consult Mary — except I know she’s traveling and busy relaxing somewhere in Europe… lol.

Dr. GPT?

As always, be thankful and generous, happy trails & more beer.

Life is NOW!