Quote:
Originally Posted by GLWenzl
When I turned 40, I was crippled up and not sure how I would ever feed the 5 kids we had. Found a job for most of the employees and once the last one was gone I found a job that got me off the concrete and bending over and supported our family of 6. I had my ups and downs through the years... about the time I was feeling really good I’d do something to aggravate my lower back and or neck. Steroid injections and RF burning my nerves to block the pain signals. Then last thanksgiving I got to the point where I couldn’t go anymore. This time after a couple steroid injections in both knees and know relief Nebraska orthopedic wanted to inject something that I guess you only get like when you are in your 80s. I’m 59 and insurance shot that down (too young) and another 3 weeks wasted. Finally in February another surgeon when in and cleaned up my knees, removed all the arthritis he could around and under the knee cap plus he cleaned up my meniscus because the jagged arthritis had shredded it up some. This is the first week the swelling went away and didn’t come back that I could see. It’s some better but sitting for 30 minutes they get stiff and I have to slowly get up and walk easy for a bit until the stiffness and pain decreased enough to walk. Funny how everyone walks so darn fast! I can’t keep up and it’s not any good for the ego when an old lady passes you on the sidewalk. But now I can kneel down and get up off the floor without any help or assistance although it’s a struggle. From my feet up to my neck is pain 24/7 and so now it’s mostly pain management. Certain things you learn to not do, some you learn to do them another way and/or slower but nothing is the same as it use to be. After a week of work it takes most of the weekend to recover for the next week. I did change AL of my reloading equipment to make it ergonomically correct for me and have better lighting. I still like to crank em out even if I can buy them for nearly the same cost (like 9mm). I guess I get around pretty good when you figure that the orthopedic surgeon told me all my joints have advanced arthritis some like my left knee are what they would normally see in a worn out 80 year old knee... I guess when I look at it that way I get around pretty good. A med-lift recliner and an electric bed wasn’t in my plans to buy but the bed has helped.
Wishing you the best... from the bottom of my heart... and especially so you don’t end up like me... it sucks when there not much left for them to do for ya.
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Thanks much! As weird as it sounds, working actually makes it feel better. My problem is relaxing kills me. I grew up on a farm doing heavy work. I worked on semis and trucks for 24 years. I was a power lifter, picking up nearly 700 lbs for several years. I loaded the big brown truck for 12+ years after working on them for 15. Now I am driving a semi for them 52-60 hours a week. I can do most anything but relax and visit with my family or watch TV, or go for a walk. I burned the candle on both ends and the middle for way too many years and now I want to be able to just relax but when you’re sciatic nerves start burning down both legs to your feet, something has to change. I can walk up stairs all day but going down is an adventure as it can light up my nerve making my legs buckle. When I was in my 30’s I wish someone could have explained to me that life was a race where coming in first was not a good thing. I am keeping my fingers crossed and saying a few prayers that it’s just a bulging disc that needs a little trimming as my X-ray doesn’t show anything unusual. Hopefully Monday brings relatively good news