I can't win

[tomme boy]

It seems to me that someone wants me to just sit home and die an slow death.

I have been having medical issues for a few years now. It has caused me to gain a bunch of weight as my mobility has gone down. So lately I have been trying to get out and walk a little every day no matter how I feel. It has been helping.

So I have been going for a walk at a state wildlife refuge. It has a earthen dike that surrounds a marsh. There is tons of wildlife in this place. As I was walking down the dike, I notices two very playful river otters. They were sliding on the ice and going in and out of some open water spots. So I decided to go down and follow them a little bit into the woods along the creek they were playing in.

I was so fascinated with them I was not paying attention to my surroundings and walked right into a fallen tree on the ground. I fell over it onto another fallen tree. I laid there for about 10 minutes saying to myself "what a dumb a**" So I get up and start my hike back to the car. It took almost twice as long to get back to the car as it took to where I was.

On the way home things started to get stiff. I got home and was starting to have a hard time breathing so I call the better half and had her take me to the ER.

Well after 3 hours, 6 xrays, cat scan, blood test. And stuck 15 times before they could get an IV in me.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v21/tommeboy/12552815_1127549290589740_2983898281106399055_n_zp sd2s3ytyl.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/tommeboy/media/12552815_1127549290589740_2983898281106399055_n_zp sd2s3ytyl.jpg.html)


I broke my wrist and bruised my ribs and lung. The wrist is not so bad. The ribs are what hurts.

So I think I am going to be down for a while. I do not heal as fast as I used to. As most of us here already know. I can't get into a Dr. till next week Friday to be seen for my wrist to find out what they are going to do.

Sucks typing this all out with one hand. But what else do I have to do right now.

[Preacher Jim]

Tommie Boy the fact of life is as we age we heal slower and have a harder time accepting the limitations. So we charge forward into the fallen trees and stairs and fight back because we refuse to accept, I can do that.
Keep going and the Lord heal you quickly there is more to see and do.

[TenTea]

Sorry for your trouble.
I tell someone each day, "if we have our health, we have everything" and ain't it the truth.
May the blessings be.

[country gent]

Hope you heal up quickly and everything goes well. For now pick up a set of ankle weights and light dumbell In the 3-5lb range and work with those for now.This dosnt sound like much but liftingthe weights and bend ing flexing the legs with these on does help. Maybe wear the ankle wieghts around the house walking even. Same with the dumbells a 5-10 min fex session may do wonders. A stationary bike may help if you have room for it. You are in my Prayers and thoughts. Do what you can to stay active and mobile. Dont ever give up.

[lightman]

Thinking about ya Bro. Hang in there. Getting old ain't for sissies!

[bbs70]

We bought a house south of Steelville,mo several months ago with the intention of retiring there after we sell our present house.
Thinking I would have time to traipse around the Mark Twain forest, go hog hunting, and in general just play out in the woods.
But being I just turned 68 I'm wondering if my body could handle all I want to do.
Then I read your post and decided I'm not a young man anymore no matter what my brain says.
I'm still in good shape for an old geezer, but what my mind says and what my body can do is not always the same.
But you never know what you can do till you try,.
Pray that I come out of this alive.:bigsmyl2:

And I hope you mend soon, having one good arm to use sucks even if it is temporary, believe me I know

[MrWolf]

With my back and work, the best I can do right now is the treadmill. My speed is only at 3mph but I have been increasing the incline. Best we can do is what our body lets us. Hang in there and keep trying.

[country gent]

Tomme Boy Heres the kicker you are winning your still here and kicking. May not seem like much of a win but losing really stinks. I know how it is I have balance and mobility issues But everyday we get out of bed and stay active is a big win. LOL. Its all in how you look at it

[labradigger1]

Tomme boy, hope you heal well and quick! I see it is your left wrist so if you are right handed you may be able to shoot light guns from the sand bags.
Love the beard btw.

[tomme boy]

I'm left handed! thanks!

[tomme boy]

I just posted some things for sale to help pay for gas and lodging. My Dr's are 90 miles away from me.

[leeggen]

Tomme boy those danged otters can and do cause more trouble I beleive than any other animal. Fun to watch but one gets side tracked doing so. While living in Fl. my son and I would go into the canals fishing, we had a pair of otters that followed us, and one day the son was splashing his pole in the water and one of the otters climb the edge of the boat and looked in. He never came into the boat but the son jumped backwards and if I had not grabed him he would have went over the side. Scared the daylites out of me cause he was only 3, but all was well and we laughed about it.
I know the feeling of bruised ribs not fun at all. Heck I have fallen over logs in the woods when I was in good condition and younger, happens to the best of us that love nature. Get well and get back to watching the wildlife.
CD

[Skunk1]

Bruised some ribs a couple years back. IT HURTS. Get well and take care, they will get better.

[tomme boy]

They told me to make sure to keep taking deep breaths as I have a major chance on getting pneumonia from not breathing very deep. Heck it hurts to just breath as is let alone trying to take deep breaths

[labradigger1]

Yep, deep breaths when ever you think of it. Nebulizer (spelling?) helps also. I have broken 3 ribs twice and they hurt for about 6 month. Coughing, sneezing and laughing are the worst! Keep a firm pillow handy to put against your ribs when you need to do the above.

[Wayne Smith]

My mind still thinks I'm twenty, my body doth protest. At 62 I listen to my body! Be glad you have wild otters to watch, I have to go to the zoo.

[Blackwater]

Broken ribs are no fun! Prayers for you. Back when I was in high school, I broke at least 1 rib twice, and neither time would I let on what had happened because Mom would have had me bandaged up from head to toe! So ... I just toughed it out. There were times when I nearly fainted trying to hide the pain. I guess that kind'a made me a little stoic? I hid a bunch of stuff from both of them, but moslty from Mom because of her penchant for being overprotective and over-medicating me. At least it taught me to lie effectively and believably! That's a talent that comes in handy on the odd occasion! HAR!

[leadman]

Hope you heal fast and the pain goes away. I have had many surgeries with the hands and arms getting a dozen of them. This caused me to go from being very left handed to pretty much able to use either side for many things. I can shoot handguns either way but rifles are a problem as each eye needs a different aim point.
So when you are able take some low recoil handguns to the range and try shooting with the right hand.

[tomme boy]

I am actually mostly ambidextrous. But certain thing are left handed only. Like writing and cleaning the backside. So for now I am taking A LOT of showers to stay clean if you get me! LOL!!!!

[w5pv]

When I had the broken rib thing, hot baths seems to help a lot.Broke some ribs and still have pins in my wrist and that was around 40 years ago.Good luck and prayers that you heal quickly.

[mold maker]

You aren't ready for the rocker on the porch yet. I've made it to 74 and believe me, there are many things I USED to do.
What's the saying about change the things I can, and be wise enough to know what is impossible?
Heal fast and get on with the new normal.

[pmer]

This might sound stupid at first but yoga has really helped me with aches and pains. You'll have to heal up first so you can do the bends and stretches. This link is about a yoga routine that starts easy. It has kept me out of the chiropractor for a while know. Talk to your doc if you're not sure but it has helped me with neck and shoulder trouble from getting rear ended 2-3 years ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBu-pQG6sTY

It's not just for 20 something year old ladies LOL.

[44man]

I don't remember what I was doing, pulling branches away from a stand or some such. I wound up face down HARD. Tripped on stuff. No harm. I am 78 and never broke a bone, still tough as nails.
I have a habit of slipping on boots that are worn smooth on the bottoms, ice and they do not get along, WOW feet are gone fast but so far, not busted up.
I feel the pain but you are a youngster yet. I am more careful now but stuff happens.
I wish you well. I still think as 30 or 40 but the body has left.

[scarry scarney]

Tomme boy - hang in there. I had a very significant medical event just four years ago. Each of us "patients" were given a handbook. At the end of the handbook was this poem. Yes, true, I'm not the man I was five years ago, but none of us are.

One Day At a Time, by Vinh Kha
Hour by hour, day by day
For some of us, life passes by too quickly
Not stopping to appreciate the small joys that each day can bring
For others, the next morning may seem like an eternity before its final arrival
As I sit and ponder about the value and meaning of my life
Each minute approaches slowly but surely
Then passes with the blink of an eye
I wait and wait each day as patience is no longer a virtue
But has become a part of my daily routine
Time allows for thought, thoughts that had never before occurred
It allows for the mind to open up all that is bottled down deep within
It has made me recognize the strength and character in me that I never realized was there
I begin to reassure myself that better days are yet to come
I keep telling myself to continue believing in my dreams
And I know that they will someday come true
To trust that my goals can somehow be achieved
And that I should never doubt the obstacles that life puts me through
It’s possible that everyone has a destiny pre-determined at the moment of conception
That life’s path may already be laid out for us by One farmore Superior than we
And it may be that the toughest challenges in life are given to those who are strong enough to handle them
Perhaps this path of doubt and uncertainties that I’ve been chosen for is my challenge in life
That will help me to become the person of strength and courage that I someday hope to be
Tears that once fell from my eyes, which saw the future filled with only hopelessness and despair
No longer fall, for now my eyes are dry and wide open
They will see nothing but happiness and joy that the future will bring
Positive are my thoughts no longer filled with doubt
Weak and battered is my body but strong and determined is my mind
Precious and valued are those daily moments that used to seem overly abundant and unimportant

[Hickok]

Tomme, glad you weren't injured in a worse way. Hang tough!

At 60 yrs. old, when something like that happens, first, I lay still and run a full systems check, "Move fingers, OK.....move toes, OK, both eyes focused, Check!"

Then I repeat the "bikers motto", "If the bone ain't showing, it don't hurt!"

This keeps my mind off what it is going to feel like while trying to get back up on my feet!:groner:

[varmintpopper]

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. nurture strength of spirit to shield You in sudden misfortune, But do not distress Yourself imagining. Many fears are born of fatique and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome disipline be gentile with Yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and stars, You have a right to be here.

[PS Paul]

Sorry to hear bout your accident. Tough, man. You know, we had a deal a few years back with an Accurate mold and. You sent it before I paid you. I wAs on vacation for ten days in CA when I posted "I'll take it", but could not send payment until I got home. It was in my mailbox when I arrived home!
I'm sharing this because you are truly one of the really good guys out there and I want you to know that even though most of us have never met you, most all of us are sincere in wishing you "get well soon"!!
Had a few major surgeries myself and I discovered mixing different painkillers (like naproxen sodium-Aleve/ibuprofen) with Doc's prescribed codeine REALLY helped. This was, of course, suggested by the Doc himself.

best to you and hope you'll be back up and shooting again soon!
paul

[tomme boy]

I guess the main thing is I have been getting worse off over the last few years as to my health. My mind says I am still 20 years old. My body says I'm 70 even though I am 44. I spent a lot of time in the hospital when young. Lots and lots of broken this and that. Ran over by a car when I was 16 on my motorcycle. Head on with a cement bridge barrier sliding on ice when I was 21. Hit by the back end of a fork truck when the guy was flying around a corner not paying attention where he was going.

It is just an accumulation of injuries and diabetes that has been taking a toll. I have gained almost 75 lbs in the last couple years as I have slowed down. I have been trying to get out and walk more. I felt really good the day I did this. I should have known that as soon as I feel better, something is going to happen.

I think I just need to slow down and be more careful.

[white eagle]

I feel for you.
healing no matter how long is still better that not healing
it may take longer but you will be better and more focused
take care

[Hickok]

From the greatest philosopher since Will Rogers;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjD3a0mXM7k

Tomme, remember, we all pullin' for ya', we're all in this together!:grin:

[Hickory]

Well, you look too young to give up on a minor set back.
In my lifetime I've had my share of bumps in the road.

I have been;
Knifed twice.
Shot, not good.
Beat into a comma.
Bad car accident.
Had a barn fall on me. Took 6 years to recover to 70%
Pneumonia, almost died.
Broken back, another one that was not good
Cancer, about the same as a broken back.
Heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, bad back, etc, etc, etc
Life's not easy, you need to shake yourself off, set your sights on tomorrow and put one foot ahead of the other and go. There's something for you around the next bend.

[Pb Burner]

Tomme, sorry about your accident. I hope you heal as fast as possible. Your comment about taking a deep breath struck home with me as I recently had some abdominal surgery. As much as those deep breaths hurt, a sneeze will really get your attention.
Have always enjoyed your posts and comments.
Hang in there!

[Mk42gunner]

There is an old saying: "If I would have known I was going to last this long, I would have taken better care of myself."

In my callow youth, I used to laugh at it. Now, in my fifties it isn't so much laughing as agreeing.

The aches and pains and not being able to walk wherever I want to go, or do a full days work, don't bother me nearly as much as not being able to see clearly.

Robert

[scarry scarney]

Think of the old saying "What I used to do all night, now takes me all night." When I was young I thought it meant something in the bedroom. Now I understand, it just means walking around the block, trying to do a simple project, work on the car......

[tomme boy]

Last night trying to get out of the lazyboy I sounded like someone was beating the heck out of me I was making so many noises. I was so loud I woke up the old lady, she said she thought I was yelling at someone or the dog did something and I was yelling at him. LOL! I guess I need to take some pain meds. I don't like taking them unless I have to. But man that valium let me sleep all night. I can not remember the last time I slept the whole night and never woke up.