The Columbia Press
February 25, 2022
7
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ZED by Duane M. Abel
Senior Moments
with Emma Edwards
Old hand at the old idioms
I suspect most of us have
said many of these “old” idi-
oms at various stages of our
lives.
How old does one need to
be to be called old is a ques-
tion some of us have pon-
dered over the years. Maybe
we’re very old, but still sharp
as a tack? When does old be-
gin?
Some of us may remember
this quote attributed to Ag-
atha Christie: “An archaeol-
ogist is the best husband a
woman can have. The older
she gets, the more interested
he is in her.”
Recently, someone heard
me remark about the age I
hope to achieve this year and,
right away, came the stan-
dard response: “Oh, my. You
don’t look that old!”
Oh, yes. We love to hear
those words! But are they
simply flattery and meaning-
less?
A few old idioms that come
to mind are
Old as Adam
Old saw
Old shoe
Old stomping grounds
Old wives’ tale
Chip off the old block
Comfortable as an old shoe
No fool like an old fool
Ripe old age
Same old story
Teach an old dog new tricks
Up to one’s old tricks
I have a friend who is prone
to fall more frequently as she
ages.
She says she has to call “the
lifters” at the fire department,
who are so kind to her when
she does fall.
It reminds me of a cute quip
I read recently by a woman
who said “When I get old, I’m
not going to be sitting around
knitting. I’m going to be
clicking my Life Alert button
to see how many firefighters
show up!” Oh, yes, we love
our firefighters!
When I was a child, liv-
ing quarters were designed
with a door facing the street,
which we called the front
door, and a door facing the
alley and the garage, which
was the back door.
The garbage cans were just
inside the gate that led to the
alley.
The gate to the alley was
an important place where
people liked to lean over the
fence and talk to the neighbor
on the other side, across the
alley.
There was always the
friendly sheeny man, who
would come by to pick up our
junk and, occasionally, some
pretty good stuff.
Most sheeny men had a
one-horse carriage (at least
in Detroit, Mich., where I was
raised).
OK, when you think about
it, most people who lived
about seven decades ago
called the outside door that
enters into the living room
the front door and some
called the door that leads to
the kitchen, bedrooms and
bath the back door.
Also, sometimes the back
door led to the basement
stairway.
I guess times have changed.
Except in movie mysteries.
Or maybe we have changed.
Another thing I wonder
about as I age: Why am I get-
ting older and wider instead
of older and wiser?
There’s so much to learn
and so little time!
Here’s to Your Health
by Dr. Adam Bingham, CMH podiatrist
Sprain your ankle? Don’t just limp away
Your ankle bones and joints
are held together with tough,
stretchy bands called liga-
ments.
Although they support your
ankle as it moves, bends and
twists, ligaments do have
limits. And when they’re
stretched past those lim-
its -- such as when you step
awkwardly and twist your an-
kle -- you may end up with a
sprain.
Sprains can range from
mild, with a slight amount of
tenderness and swelling, to
severe, where the ligaments
tear completely, and swelling
and pain are significant.
Play it safe.
The worse the sprain, the
longer it will take to heal.
Mild sprains might feel bet-
ter after just a few days. For
severe sprains with torn lig-
aments, healing could take
months, and surgery could
be needed to repair the lig-
ament, though even a com-
plete tear may heal without
surgery.
If you suspect you’ve
sprained your ankle and it’s
very swollen and painful or
you can barely put any weight
on it, it’s best to have a doctor
check it out. These symptoms
could also be signs of a bro-
ken ankle.
A doctor can determine
what is wrong with your an-
kle and the best way to treat
it. He or she will also let you
know when it’s OK to return
to your usual activities, in-
cluding playing sports. If you
try to do too much too soon,
you could reinjure the ankle.
RICE method
For mild or moderate
sprains, treatment is pretty
much the same. Apply the
Special columns in The Columbia Press
Every week: Senior Moments with Emma Edwards
Week 1: Mayor’s Message by Henry Balensifer
Week 2: Financial Focus with Adam Miller
Week 3: Spotlight on the City
Week 4: Here’s to Your Health from CMH
tried-and-true RICE method,
which helps reduce pain and
swelling.
Rest the ankle. Don’t walk
on it.
Ice keeps swelling down.
Apply ice to the injured an-
kle for 20 to 30 minutes at
a time, three or four times a
day for about three days.
Compression bandages or
elastic bandages can help
immobilize and support the
ankle.
Elevate your ankle above
heart level as much as possi-
ble for the first 48 hours.
Over-the-counter pain reliev-
ers, such as naproxen or ibu-
profen, can help ease the ache.
Here’s to Your Health is
sponsored by Columbia Me-
morial Hospital. Bingham
is a podiatrist at CMH-
OHSU Health Foot & Ankle
Clinic in Seaside.