Well, I was really upset to learn from my consultant recently that I am no longer 5'6", as I have been most of my adult life. It seems I'm now only 5'3". My loss in height is due to the affects of bone cancer (which I beat!!! YAY!) many years ago and osteoarthritis which attacked my knees following several falls. I have just had my first total knee replacement and this will be followed by a second in a few months time. I am hoping that perhaps, as little bonus, the new knee joints might give me back a little of the height I have lost over the years. I am a young 58 and not at all happy with shrinking away like this!!! I am told though that my "shrinking" is not so much due to my age but to damage through osteoarthritis mainly.
Mum lovely Mum is now 90 and probably about 4'8. She used to be 5'2" and her loss in height is definitely due to age related curvature of the spine.
But as they say ... good things come in small packages! Right? ;o)