12379f791506
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Hello Wayne - 

--8<--cut 

WC> Pretty nurse present so macho attitude didn't allow me to
WC> utter a whimper but I couldn't prevent my entire body from
WC> literally vibrating on that gurney. 

The adrenaline shots I received (twice in one year) were given
with a syringe that looked like it should be used on a horse.
Cake-decorator sized with a needle that looked like a crochet
needle. The needle was inserted directly into my ligament and
you could hear when it went in like stabbing rubber. After the
shot it felt like someone had pounded my thigh with a hammer
for about three days then suddenly all the pain would
disappear. After the second shot wore off the doctor said I had
to have a metal hinge because the adrenalin in that quantity
was too hard on my heart to continue. 

My weight-training instructor had had polio at one time that
went into remission. He rebuilt the muscles by weight training
afterwards. He was a retired Navy Seal and had joined the
Shaolin monastery after leaving the Navy but dropped out after
three years or so. I forget why but he was something of a
miniature Steven Seagal type. He encouraged me to strengthen
all of the muscles in my legs and I have managed to walk for 35
years this way. Old age and loss of muscle is catching up to me
though and one other problem. 

I fell while riding a bicycle with my youngest boy and damaged
both shoulders. We were 'ramp jumping', sort of, and I flipped
over the handlebars and came down head-first from about 8 feet
in the air landing on my hands into a tuck-n-roll that probably
saved my life. My left arm was almost completely paralyzed from
pain. I couldn't lift a coffee cup and had to keep my left hand
in my pocket because the weight of my arm was too much for the
shoulder. I went to physical therapy for four months and
managed to recover the use of my left arm but both shoulders
were severely damaged. Something about supranatal muscles? The
surgeon said the surgery was no guarantee and could leave me
with permanent pain and he did not recommend it. It was up to
me and as before I declined thinking I could 'fix' it as I had
done my knee. No such luck. I am not allowed to lift barbells
ever again for the remainder of my life and at present haven't
even tried since the shoulder injury - the pain is that bad
when I irritate the shoulders that I am unwilling to even try. 

At the time of the accident I could lift my 100 lb older son
over my head (as a joke) any time I wanted to. I've always been
strong for my size, 5 foot six and 170 lbs. When I hurt my knee
I could lift within 20-40 lbs. of the weights that earned a
friend the state championship in our weight class and I didn't
normally 'power lift'. With practice I could've been the Mich
state champ. 

WC>> My knee's are unfortunately the least of my worries.
WC>> Missing 2 1/2 inches of my lumber spine has somewhat more
WC>> serious ramifications. 

CA>> One of my long time friends brother had a wall fall on him
CA>> when he was a housing carpenter. Crushed two vertebra that
CA>> they replaced with plastic vertebra. I've seen him, since
CA>> that time, lifting heavy objects, climbing ladders, he's
CA>> even done some shingling on the side for extra money. He
CA>> seems to be doing well with the repairs? 

WC> Well he had access to private insurance I presume? 

Yes and this was before HMO's took over too. 

--8<--cut 

WC> I OTOH having no option and the doctors assurances finally
WC> agreed to the discectomy, bad decision, bad outcome. 

If the vertebra is shattered there is nothing much to 'fuse'
and any piece that got loose could kill you. There may have not
been enough remaining to 'fuse'? 

--8<--cut 

WC> If my back were OK I could entirely ignore the knees and
WC> except for the occasional unexpected fall and the rather
WC> amusing snap, crackle, pop and crunching noises they make. 

Yes mine too. People at work have thought I had a wooden leg
when I turn too fast and it pops. It does sound mechanical I
guess? 

WC> Muscle tone would take up a lot of slack. Fact is I
WC> attribute the recent deterioration of stability in my right
WC> knee to loss of muscle tone caused by limited mobility
WC> caused by the spinal injury. 

Same thing that is happening to me now that my shoulders are
shot. :-\ 

WC> Now when I overdo, and that doesn't take much, and feel the
WC> two vertabre in my spine crunch together that's not in the
WC> least amusing :-( Most of the time I don't take a fall when
WC> it happens but that particular feeling makes me very quesy
WC> despite the fact it usually doesn't actually hurt. 

I think the brain begins to 'retranslate' the constant pain
into something more tolerable? I have a sensation in my knee
24/7 unlike the other knee which I am barely conscious of it's
existence. The 'sensation' is similar to pain but also similar
to an itch and a feeling of pressure like a small person
(child?) standing with one foot on my knee. 

I have fallen a few times lately when I accidently back into
something that is at knee level for some reason my knee just
quits and I fall. Funny in a way something like in a cartoon. I
know I'm falling but my leg won't move to catch my balance and
I fall like a tree in the forest. Fortunately it's been indoors
with no witnesses to see how really bad my leg is. 

I have concealed my injuries for 35 years. None of my employers
had any idea I had a bad leg. A few suspected because when I
get tired I begin to limp just barely. Some have noticed,
others not. 

--8<--cut 

CA>> Not a doctor here nor attempting to be one. Just a
CA>> concerned long time suffer of similar ailments. 

WC> I sure hope you're not as bad off as I am. 

No, I would say I'm not as damaged. Just enough to not feel
good about it and enough to force me to avoid things other men
do for fun. No risk taking, jumping, or even running here for
me. 

WC> Pisses me off when they spend 16 million rehabilitating a
WC> whale for release back into the wild when I could still he
WC> working had that spinal fusion been done. 

It would be nice to have less discomfort and something closer
to what I had in terms of physical strength but I'm probably
just lucky to be alive and have the mobility that I do have for
now. 

--8<--cut 

WC> As it turns out the surgery he did do left me quite a bit
WC> worse off than before. I had a job waiting had such a
WC> fusion procedure been successfully done. In fact I never
WC> had trouble finding jobs even when the market was supposed
WC> to be tight, a bit of extra effort always did the trick. 

With the past preocuppation on health care costs, HMOs ruling
the medical profession, and no backup from the government to
stop age discrimination you would've hit a wall eventually even
if none of your accidents had happened. The job market is
brutal out there and being over 50 is like being a 'leper' now,
at least in Michigan it is. 

What makes it even worse is that everyone is in denial and
won't admit there is anything wrong with this picture. 

>
>        ,                                        ,
>      o/      Charles_Angelich  - DOS Ghost       \o       ,
>       __o/
>     / >  www.undercoverdesign.com/dosghost/faf/  < \   __\__
 

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