How has arthritis affected your casting and loading?

[popper]

I am now 74.7 years old.

I don't keep that close a track of age.

[Blanket]

I have given up and sold my 17 Ackley hornet and 17 M4,s because of my hands not working right. 35 W much easier

[44deerslayer]

Yes pain it sucks iv had 7 back surgeries and lost the top part of my head . I have bad days and worst days

[Elkins45]

I can't handle a MP brass 4 cavity for much more than a potful before my hands really start to ache. The aluminum NOE and Lee multi-cavity molds are a lot more comfortable these days.

Swapping brass in and out of a shellholder makes my fingers hurt worse than casting, and nothing makes them hurt more than using the Lee case trimmer on a drill.

[tomme boy]

Took me 2.5 hours last night to FL size 200 223 cases last night. I have slowed way down!

[GhostHawk]

I am lucky, mostly mine is in my hips and my shoulders. Lots of hot water in the shower every morning keeps it at bay mostly. When it does not, well there are raisins soaked in gin and pain killers. Seems like I spend a day or 2 curled up with a heating pad 2-4 times a year. Yet I consider myself lucky compared to many. It has not moved into my hands, elbows, etc.

I did set myself up with a table at a comfortable height, that I can use from my computer chair. Knees there to brace wrists/elbows on so I don't have to hold much weight for long.

My wife has wonderfully small delicate wrists and hands, but she has knobs like big hazelnuts at each joint, and although she does not say it I know her hands hurt.

I am lucky, and I praise the Lord for it. Thank you for all you have given me Lord.

[KingRat]

At 40 I got diagnosed with Rheumatoid arthritis. Had 29/36 joints inflamed. It wasn't much fun waking up in the morning.
Now 6 months later I have close to no pain. I'm slower than I was a year ago and way more careful with my joints.
Early treatment is important with arthritis as permanent damage can be prevented. An aggressive medical approach and taking a Turmeric/ginger/Cayenne pepper and lemon tea first thing in the morning is what worked for me. I am also taking more vitamins and minerals than prescribed pills.

[375supermag]

Hi...
Arthritis is starting to cause a lot of pain in my wife's right hand when she re-sizes rifle cases. She always talks about things we can do together so I taught her to re-size cases. Now she complains that it is too painful for her to do.

I guess I could give her a break now and then, by taking over the yard work for her but she seems to enjoy driving the tractor after she washes and waxes my car. FWIW, I do walk out in the garden and remind her that she needs to start dinner if she gets too engrossed in weeding around the tomato plants.

That reminds me that instead of typing on this forum, I should go interrupt her doing the dishes and remind her to do the laundry and vacuuming before she starts making my lunch. I sure don't need her running the vacuum while I am taking my nap after lunch, besides she needs to walk the dogs then.

[blackthorn]

Hi...
Arthritis is starting to cause a lot of pain in my wife's right hand when she re-sizes rifle cases. She always talks about things we can do together so I taught her to re-size cases. Now she complains that it is too painful for her to do.

I guess I could give her a break now and then, by taking over the yard work for her but she seems to enjoy driving the tractor after she washes and waxes my car. FWIW, I do walk out in the garden and remind her that she needs to start dinner if she gets too engrossed in weeding around the tomato plants.

That reminds me that instead of typing on this forum, I should go interrupt her doing the dishes and remind her to do the laundry and vacuuming before she starts making my lunch. I sure don't need her running the vacuum while I am taking my nap after lunch, besides she needs to walk the dogs then.

Just remember----you gotta sleep sometime---- Just saying---nice knowing ya!

[Big Boomer]

Having had polio when I was 8 or 9 years old, it has left me with what is termed post-polio syndrome. Nerves, muscles and discs in my spine have deteriorated and are painful. At the age of 77 my doctors are amazed that I can still do 100 belly crunches, ride a stationary bike for 10 miles per day and walk on a treadmill over two miles per day at level 3.5 (total of 35 minutes). I am 6' 2 1/2" and weight 200 lbs. My biggest problem is smelting - really hurts my back. I have over 20 gallons of clip-on wheel weights and 10 large coffee cans of stick on wheel weights waiting to be processed. I have kept at it all these years collecting wheel weights and smelting them into ingots and have 12 5-gallon buckets of ingots. Don't know what the total weight of it all is but I keep at it. I cast for calibers .223/5.56, .243, .30-06, .380, 9mm, .38 Spl., .357 Mag., .41 Mag., .45 Colt and .45 ACP. Don't shoot as much as I used to but I keep the family (son, daughter-in-law, brother and his daughters' families) supplied with the boolits I cast and lube. Too, I can't hold as still as in former years. Just the price one pays for God granting a good, long life. My doctors think I will still be around for a while yet, though I have fought 3 cancer battles (thyroid cancer, esophageal cancer, and prostate cancer). No heart problems and my cholesterol is 124 - genetically protected one doctor told me. However, I became a diabetic about 5 years ago but I control it with my diet and take no meds for it. I am a retired Minister with Churches of Christ/Christian Churches. Don't smoke or use/abuse any drugs. God has been good to me - but, of course, He is good to everyone if they only have the ability to discern it. Big Boomer

[Mk42gunner]

I have slowed way down, too the point I haven't even heated a pot of lead in several months. Sometime in 2009 I tore my right MCL and threw my back out, probably at the same time, along with osteoarthritis in (mainly) my left hip.

The KC VA was not much help, they mainly pushed a lot of pills my way and then wanted to burn some nerves in my back. When I told them no, because I wasn't convinced that would help, they lost interest.

I fixed the back myself after about two years one day when I was breaking ice so the daughter's horse could get a drink. The floor scraper, think straight garden hoe, bounced back and the handle hit my jaw, a brief flash of pain and I immediately felt better.

I went to a real civilian doctor in 2012; he grabbed my leg, (which absolutely none of the VA personnel ever did) moved my knee and said "You have a torn ACL, Let's get you an MRI."

Still dealing with the hip pain, it has gotten to where I can work for an hour or two and suffer for the next two days. At least after the knee surgery I can somewhat walk again, just not nearly as far or as fast as I used to be able to. I can't ride in a car for much more than forty five miles, it also hurts to stand for more than about thirty minutes at a time.

If I had known I was going to last this long, I would have taken better care of myself when I was younger.

Robert

[375supermag]

Just remember----you gotta sleep sometime---- Just saying---nice knowing ya!

Worry not... I usually sleep when she is at work or shopping at the grocery store, although I usually take a nap while she changes the oil in my car or puts new brake pads on it.
Probably be pretty quiet around here next Tuesday...They are calling for a "snow event", so she will be busy a few hours running the snow blower and shoveling snow. Unfortunate...Might have to interrupt her a couple times to have her make me some hot chocolate. I can't be expected to watch all that snow fall without something hot to drink.

[bob33809]

I became disabled at age 53, 2 ruptured, 3 bulging discs, facet disease in lower back, left knee severe osteoarthritis, torn ACL stretched MCL left knee, torn labrum and arthritis in left hip, torn rotator cuffs in both shoulders. 14 burnt nerves in my back and I'm moving fine for an 80 year old man, only problem is I'm only 61. I move slow and have limited movement but it beats the alternative.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

[TheCelt]

I'm 64 and have had RA for 10 years. I can cast a for awhile (hour or two) if I'm on my stool and use the ointment Voltarin. It is a topical anti-inflammatory that works well for me. If I don't use it I can't stay on my feet for much over 15 minutes and my hands swell till their damned near useless. Voltarin Gel is about the best solution I've found.

[Kraschenbirn]

72 with osteoarthritis of the spine (L2, L3, L4, L5 and still spreading). So far, just means that I can't spend too much time sitting at my reloading/casting bench. If I stay seated too long, I have trouble getting up and, once I'm up, the first three or four steps can be pretty painful. Got an MRI scheduled for next week and, after that, possible treatment.

Bill