every two (or three, depending how desperate you are) years, in life of every CCIE and CCDE there is this looming deadline called ‘recertification’.
panic is usually short lived and ends with ‘push’ - succesful recertification. in variable styles and techniques, but successful nonetheless.
i had opportunity recently to execute this dance. and wise words people say, that if you loose daily connection with networking gear and technologies, you very quickly loose and forget expert level skills.
learn daily people, not only before recerts. only in that way your knowledge and skills will be constantly relevant, and certificates won’t be just nice plaques on the wall.