57 and I have become one of those people who talks about the weather, the grandkids, what's on telly. What I don't talk about is my hips. Or my knees. Or the way my hands feel like they've been left in the fridge overnight. I just... don't bring it up. My husband asks how I am and I say fine because honestly where would I even start. I've been on HRT for nearly eight years and it's done a lot for me, genuinely. But the joints have crept up quietly and I think I've been pretending they haven't. Did my first proper walk this week, like an actual intentional one with a route and everything, not just nipping to the shops. Forty minutes. My knees complained the whole second half but I went anyway and then I sat in the garden and felt weirdly proud of myself for about ten minutes before the stiffness set in. GP appointment in a couple of weeks and I want to ask about long-term HRT, whether the joint stuff is connected, whether there's anything I should be looking at. I've also been trying to eat more protein since someone mentioned it in a thread here and I have no idea if it's doing anything yet but it feels like something I can actually control. Anyway. Just nice to say the hip thing out loud somewhere. x