I'm Done !

oldflame

Well for some time now I have been having back pain. I have been on pain meds now for about 4 years. A few weeks ago the pain was so bad I ended up in the emergency room. I went to see my regular doctor afterwards and he sent me in for a CT scan. Well it's not good. It's so bad he said no more working.

Now what the heck is a man supposed to do after 31 years of loving his work. I get easily bored, can't just sit around the house I will go nuts.

Anyway i have Spina Bifida Occulta and 2 bulging disk in my lower L-4 and L-5 the bone that sits between the disk have slipped to one side of the spine which causes the bone to push on the spinal cord on one side and nerve and muscle on the other. The pain is incredible at times. The Doc say's one wrong move and it's a wheel chair, so I have to make serious changes in my life now...

So you might see me here more often..................

caligirl

So sorry to hear about your back problems. I can relate! Hang in there, and you will find things to occupy your time. Just do what your doc tells you - the back is nothing to mess around with.

AuldSoul

(((Oldflame))),

I'm sorry to hear about about the reasons, but the result is a little difficult to be sorry about. You can spend more time here.

Es

OMG thats terrible???? I dont know what else to say accept that i am sorry.

es

Eyebrow2

Wow...Old Flame I am really sorry to hear that!

What type of work do you do? I ask, because maybe there is something related to the work that you could possibly do? Perhaps something along the lines of writing articles for trade mags in your industry?

Lady Lee

I'm Done !

Only if you let it be "done"

You don't say what kind of work you do. If it was physical then yeah, you might have to retire that part of your life. But that doesn't mean you are done. There may be ways to lighten the load so you don't injure yourself again.

If what you do is office work, there is no reason why using a chair needs to end what you do. Many places provide retraining programs to help you adapt to less mobility.

Let me tell you three stories.

The first is about a young man in his 20s. He was a photographer. And he loved what he did. And then glaucoma took his eyesight. Within a year he was totally blind. And doing what he loved was out of the question. So he went for another passion of his - languages. He went back to school and learned Spanish and Russian. And went to Russia as an exchange student - an awesome feat considering Russia is behind the times when it comes to acceptance of people with disabilities. When he left Russia he toured Europe. He did all this without a seeing-eye dog or an assistant to help him. Life was out there waiting and he was not going to let it pass him by.
The second story is about a man with cerebral palsy. Most of his life he lived like anyone else. His parents sent him to regular school. He had enough mobility to walk fairly well. He went to college and university and got a job he loved. But over the years he fell a little too often. The doctors told him that if he continued to use the wheelchair one of those falls would injure his back so badly he would not have a choise and he could be in very bad shape. His pain got worse and worse. He ignored the doctors' warning. He had to give up his job. And he sat home and did nothing. His highlight of the day was to roll over to the local baseball field and sat a game. That's it. That's all he did - sat and watched TV all day and went to watch a ball-game. He was miserably to be with. He had no ambition to do anything.
The third is a woman in her early 50s. Due to pain she was forced to stay off her feet as much as possible. Pain medication only helped minimally. She had to make a choice between using the wheelchair or not using it. Refusing to use the chair meant greater limitations on her ability to care for herself. Getting out to do shopping, go see doctors, get out for some air, explore the world were all limited by the pain she experienced when walking. Using a wheelchair gave her greater opportunity to see the world around her. Using the chair lessened the pain enough that she even had periods of time when there was no pain. She developed interests that she enjoyed. Using the wheelchair gave her back a lot of her freedom to go into the world and enjoy. Pain wasn't totally gove - it woke her several times during the night. And it was the poor quality of sleep and the pain that made doing what she loved impossible. Maybe one day a combination of meds will help her lessen the apin. But for now she is making the most of her life. And using a wheelchair helps her do that.

This was a college friend of mine
I decided not to marry this one.
This is me. To me the wheelchair is like wearing glasses. It is a tool to help me live the way I want. Not using the chair means much greater limitations on what I can do. Things as simple as going to the corner store are impossible if I tried to walk it. I would be so crippled by pain that I would be on the ground before I hit the sidewalk outside my building. But my wheelchair takes me everywhere - the store, down bike paths to explore the city I live in, to the theatre, concerts, medical appointments the grocery store. For now the doctor is still trying to find out what the problem is and in the meantime help me deal with the pain. But life ain't over, not by a long shot. I'm not working right now. But I am finding many things to do to keep my mind alert and learning. maybe one day I can get back to a job I love. But for now I'm making the most of it and learning how to adapt to life in a chair. it isn't always easy. The world has not quite caught up to the needs for those in wheelchairs. But even that doesn't stop me. If I can't find one way to do something you can be sure I will find another way to do it.

Life is done only if you believe it is done. It's simply another chapter.

Don't risk serious damage to your spinal cord if using a wheelchair will prevnet that kind of serious damage.

Lee

oldflame

Thanks everyone for your comments. I guess I forgot to say what I did do for work. I have been in the construction field for 31 years. I have been a self employed contractor for 20 of those 31 years. I have done work for people like Michael Douglas, Harrison Ford, Charles Buckley, and the owner of hanes underwear and sara lee pies. I am well known among the rich and famous for my work and I take a lot of pride in what I do. Today I am a property manager and maintenance and I have a handyman company.

Ever since the brain anyuerism my health has began to fall apart, meaning my back. Doing a desk job ? Well it is hard to sit for length of times too.

Lady Lee, I would almost rather be blind than to not be able to do my work. My father was a blind man and he went to blind school and learned to tune and repair pianos. He was well known in the state of Washington because he was good, damn good.

Oh I know there are many things I can do for a living but hell at 45 in a few days how does a man start all over again. My brain has been running through itself in what I will do. I'm at a loss.

luna2

You sound like a real go-getter, oldflame. I know this must be a huge blow, but I'll be hoping that you can find some fulfilling occupation that you are able to do without hurting yourself further.

(((oldflame)))

jgnat

My dad loves building stuff too. When he took early retirement he went back to technical school to be a carpenter. But his body betrayed him. He has emphysema now, and he can only work in a limited capacity two hours at a time. In a candid moment he asked, "What am I to do?"

I'm clueless too, so I suggested whittling.

He grunted.

Bird houses?

He glared at me.

So instead he painted the house, sold it, and bought a new property without stairs and a big yard. He's going to plant rose bushes. My dad never fails to amaze me in his ability to redefine his life.

unclebruce

g'day oldflame,

I'm wondering about the posibility of surgical correction. Is disc replacement not a helpful option?

best wishes, unc

I'm Done !

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