Have you ever had to 'retire hurt' in your younger days?

WhelanLad

WhelanLad

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Gday from Australia , Gentlemen.
I type this as i just step in, shower an unwind from 3 days chasing sambar from a hut based camp, im knackered.. but this has lead me to this thread..

I got back from a stint in NZ around april (6mtn ago) or so and put myself to some limits but more importantly found those limits , i believe.
for a while now i've had a leg thats had an ACL reco and a plate in the ankle , so it is to be understood to be a bit of a piggy backer for a heavy load..
my problem isnt with the knees, legs, feet calves or hips yet, but i have reasonable uncomfort in the back an neck area most days with out doing too much (perhaps truck driving in seat bent too long) has someting to do with some uncomfort, but other is lower back and across the shoulders now days after i pack my backpack with anything like 7+kg 10kg etc for just a day outing, tripod, gear etc, and by the end of it (it now feels like ive done it with 20kg nzstyl) im hurting bad enough to not enjoy this anymore... its really showing with the effort i put out at present, theres no long days, no long walks, look for easy deer, sit an wait..... im cooked. burnt out!?!?


What to do? have you had similiar times, burnt out, physcically , mentally , over doing it, big headed .........

i mention some names above which seem odd but each has its own reason behind it that isnt worth typing out... i can touch later etc.
how light is needed, or how heavy is too much?



i obviously love the whole hunt hard all day an enjoy the bush but i feel im really not enjoying the stalks or hunts as much an looking for just the stag but that is another issue, differ from the "body health retirement" question.....



feel free togive m a clip around the ear .... but i think i need 12 months off proper mountain hunting??? but this isnt the underlying problem, its the back pain over all. but is it promted by the packs... or the job... mmmmmmm :(


WL
 
Maybe like the old saying , had i known i'd live this long i would have treated myself better . I had to find new ways of hunting when i could no longer pack in and hump my gear . Hard work and too many injuries takes it's toll and when you reach the point where it's harder than it is enjoyable something has to change . I still hunt hard as in dedicated but no longer hunt hard as in carrying canoes or packs with a week of provisions or humping quarters out but i still fill my tags for everything i hunt .
 
I have discovered chronic neck/back muscle soreness in my late 40s. I also run heavy equipment for a living so not great for muscular skeletal health. If I work regularly on stretching/working my hamstrings and also lots of stretching and light weight exercises (usually just body weight) for hip mobility (searched YouTube and ask yoga women in person) my back, neck, and legs feel far better. I guess it’s just maintenance for classic bodies.
 
For me, some of these age related issues are reversible and some are not. My doctor once told me that my neck was one of the three worst he had ever seen (on Xrays). If I tried to raise my chin above level, my neck vertebrae pinched a nerve or something and I'd start to pass out. A friend gave me a water pillow that didn't do her any good and my neck started to improve right away. I'm on my 4th water pillow now (they last about 4 yrs) and I've forgotten I ever had a neck problem. My knees, on the other hand, just keep getting worse every year.

When we started hunting together, my hunting partner and I used to go on dawn to dark sharptail hunts. I couldn't afford decent gear in those days and my boots butchered my feet. At the end of a day, my feet would be blistered and bleeding. But, stamina wasn't an issue and pain wasn't going to slow me down. These days, time at the cabin is like a vacation. I don't even get out of bed until 10 AM. We hunt half days and in inclement weather we sit on the deck and sip expensive spirits (although a nice winter day is as good as a nice summer day).

I've got nothing left to prove. Hell, half of the things I've done kids nowadays wouldn't even believe are true. My goal now is just to enjoy the time I have left.

BTW, I have a plate in my ankle, too. I got it when I was in my 20's, so I guess it healed quickly - I never even know it's there.
 
Nice replies guys, i feel them and appreciate them.



FYI, im 31 , i feel there is something in terms of pillow/bed/seat thats got to change in my day to day aswell. or it feels like something must be out of place a bit, even thogh i an forever twisting each way to try crack my neck or back when the pain is too unpleasant.......... i thin kthats also got to stop too...but its all that helps!?


its nice to hear that you guys can understand tht feeling when the enjoyment jus isnt there due to the 'pain' so to speak.

cheers
 
I've been working in one capacity or another since I was a kid. I am now 51 and been working in construction and maintenance since my mid 20's. I suppose I've climbed enough scaffold to get me to the moon lol. It seems that injuries tend to "stick" more as I get older. I chalk it up to wear and tear and try to adapt. I still enjoy everything I have always enjoyed. One way I've adapted is to set my alarm 15 minutes early so I can still make it to the coffee pot at the same time lol.
 
nomad 68 said:
I've been working in one capacity or another since I was a kid. I am now 51 and been working in construction and maintenance since my mid 20's. I suppose I've climbed enough scaffold to get me to the moon lol. It seems that injuries tend to "stick" more as I get older. I chalk it up to wear and tear and try to adapt. I still enjoy everything I have always enjoyed. One way I've adapted is to set my alarm 15 minutes early so I can still make it to the coffee pot at the same time lol.
Click to expand...

This reminds me of a comment from a fellow I used to work with whom is no longer sunny side.
I tended to multitask and was really good at it.
He mentioned to me one day he is down to doing one thing at a time.
This blew over my head.
Just yesterday I went fur a bewt skewt on my m/c.
Before leaving le casa I noticed my windows were down on my truck.
So I rolled them up, opened the gate and left for about an hour.
Came home to the windows up on my pickup and the driver's door ajar.
WTF is what yelled thru me ears.

Rolled the window up and forgot to close the door?

I do beleaf it has startitted……………………………….:runaway:
 
I've gotten to know my chiropractor on a first name basis. That helps keep the neck and back where they're supposed to be. The knees and hips are another matter (had a severed ACL when in the military) Walking like I used to is a lot more effort than it was even 5 years ago. Over the last year or so I find myself having to go to the gym on a semi-regular basis, just so I don't degrade any more than I already am. My hunting partner is about 20 years younger than I am, (Ex PPCLI) and last year we had to track a deer for about 5 miles. I wasn't sure if the deer was going to die first, or if I was. Someplace along the way stubborness kicks in to a certain amount, but even it only gets you so far. One of the biggest issues seems to be between the ears - the body has gotten older, but the mind still thinks I can do the same stuff I did 20 years ago.

As has been mentioned above - If I would have known I was going to live this long, I would have looked after myself better.
 
for me it was fishing.....
my first love is fishing and I started venturing out on my own when I was 12.
By 20 I was a "pro" LOL built rods, tied flies, made lures, the pictures of my many finned trophies line the walls of my room and most folks stare at that those walls in wonderment.

By 27 I finally got into hunting with my core and it was all about sheep. I didn't care about moose n deer or elk or caribou..... I just wanted to hunt rocky mountain big horns.
At the time I was a steel fabricator apprentice in a busy heavy steel bridge building shop. At 29, 2 work place injuries changed my life forever and for 3 years the only fishing I could do was with my friend Hawk's assistance carrying my stuff and helping me to my lawn chair at the river shore. Slowly I was able to do more but I can't wade rivers for steelhead anymore and I long for it like a lost lover...…. :(
I have managed to do a fair bit of hunting and fishing still but I pay the price with severe pain.

my only advice is, and especially to you young fellers...…. listen to your body and when it's telling you to take a break or step away from a task...… do that!!
Once your back/pelvis is done..... life can really suck LOL
 
kamlooky said:
This reminds me of a comment from a fellow I used to work with whom is no longer sunny side.
I tended to multitask and was really good at it.
He mentioned to me one day he is down to doing one thing at a time.
This blew over my head.
Just yesterday I went fur a bewt skewt on my m/c.
Before leaving le casa I noticed my windows were down on my truck.
So I rolled them up, opened the gate and left for about an hour.
Came home to the windows up on my pickup and the driver's door ajar.
WTF is what yelled thru me ears.

Rolled the window up and forgot to close the door?

I do beleaf it has startitted……………………………….:runaway:
Click to expand...

Wait till you forget about the side stand on your skewter ;)

WL, go find a nice hot tub to soak in and relax with a frosty...
Maybe schedule a spa treatment with a hot oil/stone massage....no not that kinda massage either.
Spend some quality time repairing the body cause it is the only one you got.
Had some rotator cuff pain a couple years ago that required some therapy and even tried some acupuncture.
What ever you do , do not take up golf LoL.
Rob
 
KePet said:
As has been mentioned above - If I would have known I was going to live this long, I would have looked after myself better.
Click to expand...

A lot is older codgers can relate to that.....

When square parachutes first came out there wasn’t anything to slow down the opening shock and it was like jumping off a roof with a short rope around your waist. Lost helmets, goggles and watches before we came up with some mods to tame the opening shock. I’m certainly paying for those experiences with a tender back now.
 
I'm with emerson. Be kinder to your body. Stretch and/or try YOGA, Pilates, or whatever else you come across that concentrates on stretching, balance and mobility. Massage (no not a rub and tug ;) ) is also excellent for restoring balance to your abused muscles. I was a regular chiropractic customer until I started to concentrate on maintaining a flexible, pliable frame. I haven't seen the chiro in years now. If you are squeamish about the thought of putting on your yoga pants and going to a studio take a look at DDP Yoga ( Yoga designed for guys who wouldn't be caught dead doing Yoga ;)). It sounds corny as hell but it's something you can do in the privacy of your home at your own convenience and it seems to work. I imagine there is a bunch of free stuff on YouTube as well. Good luck, 31 is waaayyyy to young to hang up the spurs. There's gotta be something out there that can help.
 
FLHTCUI said:
Wait till you forget about the side stand on your skewter ;)

WL, go find a nice hot tub to soak in and relax with a frosty...
Maybe schedule a spa treatment with a hot oil/stone massage....no not that kinda massage either.
Spend some quality time repairing the body cause it is the only one you got.
Had some rotator cuff pain a couple years ago that required some therapy and even tried some acupuncture.
What ever you do , do not take up golf LoL.
Rob
Click to expand...

Up oar down??
Dumped the ol beech twice last year cuzz I dunn plum furrgit to upitty thet goll dang fruck'in thang.
Duzz yew know thar bee an engine kill switch awn'er?
Let clutch owt, engine qwitzs, Looky lay'in awn Mah Terre wid duhhh wtf look awn hizz facia.
Gonna unhook that kullprick.

Ohh, and the old spine gift'in me merthah fur try'in to gitt'er back awn'er hoofs...……………..:sok2
 
while distasteful to some...… the only reason I am not in a wheelchair and given up on anything fun years ago..... cannabis and a positive attitude. My doctor(s) all agree.
 
At one point I had such bad bilateral shoulder injuries that I couldn't carry a long arm and anyway the recoil would very likely have dislocated one. Those were not happy hunting years, 3 or maybe 4 altogether if I really think about it. I was young enough that with hard work I was able to recover almost full function as long as I didn't get ridiculous, nowadays I'm mostly just falling apart and seizing up normally.
 
I’m reminded of something a wise old New Brunswick gent said to me years ago. ‘Son, you don’t quit because you get old, you get old because you quit.’

Find myself thinking about that more and more as I get older and often use it as motivation to to keep active and doing the things I enjoy. (Edit to add: think i’ll have to add that one to my signature as a reminder to all of us)

After 30 years of contact sports - football into my 20s and competitive rugby well into my 40’s - I’m more than paying the price now with the aches and pain and lack of mobility from morning to night from a boatload of injuries, broken bones and surgeries. I try to manage the aches and pain the best I can with a decent diet, exercise, stretching, good night sleeps, glucosamine and couple other supplements I find that help, ....Tylenol of course ....and by tempering my expectations.

I will take a break from shooting matches for several months when I find i’m getting bored with them to recharge my body and soul and come back refreshed and ready to go again when i’m once again hungry to compete and give it what i’ve got.
 
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At 42, 85lbs overweight with constant back pain and knee pain I decided to change my life. Diet (how and what I eat), the right suppliments and regular exercise (cardio AND weight training) had to become a lifestyle if I wanted to grow old gracefully and actively. Quit smoking then as well. At 52 I researched TRT as a possible avenue and will never go back, I'm probably in the best shape of my life right now (cut 50lbs and about 15% body fat) and feel 100% better than I did 10 years ago. It's work, dedication and constant learning but it is worth it.
 
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