Anybody dealing with physical ailments delaying your project?

Yes, thanks to a drunk driver, I was rear-ended while stopped at a light, he was doing 100 KM/h (65 mph), then 11 more rear-enders and 1 high speed head-on. I've got upper back and neck pains, a problem with my right ankle and foot, and most annoying a useless right hand, that has had unsuccessful surgery. Constant physical pain, combined with clinical depression, makes wrenching a chore, that hurts for days afterwards, but I still enjoy the "quality time" at the shop even if it's not as productive as I wish it could be. The HAMB also helps keep the interest from waning completely, no matter how bad things sometimes are, the fine people of the "HAMB Family", have provided a lot of inspiration to keep from totally giving up hope.

 

Terd,
I am not in too bad of shape. I am 67 years old, have 3 vertibre (sp?) out in my neck, 2 discs out in my lower back, have had surgery on both knees, and need it again on one of them now...and am 6'5" and overweight
I get a lot of help from my Grandson, Brother in Law, and Nephew on my project on the heavy difficult stuff....
Had to change the fuel pump last week. It took me 4 hours to do it....working from the top and bottom on concrete floor, etc....
My Nephew would have done it for me, and would have had it done it probably 1/2 hour...but I wanted to do it...
Didn't sleep much for two nights, as neck and arms kept going numb...
BUT....not complaining either...I love working on this stuff..

And to answer your original question.....
I sit in my garage/shop most every day and smoke a good Ceegar....maybe a shot or two of hooch too.
And just look and smile...also plan and think a lot, and mess a bit doing the things I can....it is wonderful theropy for me!
I bought my project one year ago, and just got the newly installed engine running last week so patience is golden....(as well as funds)
Hang in there my man.....and good luck to you....
Cheers,
Bob

 

To those of you out there dealing with back pain there's an excellent book called "Treat Your Own Back" by Robin McKenzie. The exercises work and it is writen so that you don't need to be a sugeon to understand it. I outlined my back problems in a previous post and just want to say I'm in no way benefitting from the sale of this book. The methods have worked for me and I thought it would be helpful to pass it on.

 

I won't bore you with my list of ailments, but it seems to be growing each passing year. I ended up selling my restoration shop about 6 years ago 'cuz I just couldn't do the work 50+ hours a week anymore...but when I get to feeling sorry for myself, I go have lunch with my buddy Mr Dan...he's working on a '58 Chev project that I did the bodywork & paint on...back in 1988! It's got a 600HP luminum crate motor, everything under it is new and custom, all first rate...We talk about how hard it is to get up off the ground these days, and how we better bring ALL our tools with us when we get down there, and about how his knees hurt all the time 'sepcially the one he ripped his kneecap off of that time...he's getting his car done a little at a time, as he feels like it...sometimes, he gets discouraged and says he just closes the garage door so he doesn't have to look at it, but eventually, he'll get some new parts in, and go to work on it for a few days...he's slow, but steady, and I do believe he'll finish his build sooner rather than later...Oh, ya, I forgot to mention, he's EIGHTY YEARS OLD...

Keep at it, guys, it's surprising what can be accomplished a little bit at a time...And don't forget, there's no time limit on our passion for what we do. We all know it's the journey, not the destination, that's so dang cool about what we love doing...

EW

 

Wow, it's really hard to respond to this thread, it's like admitting your body is going a really different direction then your mind. For about 2-3 years now old injuries and new problems have effected alot of the things I do. Don't really want to go into details, but I still would like to look at it like this to will pass.

 

Let's see; three knee surgeries and need another, 85% disability in my right wrist due to accident, back problems, hernia that needs surgery, but I get out and work on the car almost every day, even before I retired last fall.
Gotta keep going or stop and wither away.

 

I'd like him better that way myself.

DDD is the least of my problems. I don't remember the numbers but the lower two discs in my back are gone and the vertibrae have self fused.I have another on its way out and I'm loosing two in my neck. I was 6' tall in '95 I'm now 5'10".

I suppose it isn't fair for me to chime in I was in the second grade before I found out that being achy wasn't normal, I was bummed for awhile but I got over it. At least it is not normal for the majority of the poplation. You just learn lie with it.

I feel bad for you fellas that it has hit later in life, I finally got to where I couldn't do manual labor for a living in '03 and it was hard for me. I still stuggle with it. I don't really mind the pain I'm accustomed to it and like I said to Swade41 I'm good on my bad days if I can just take the edge off. I hate not being able to keep up, I have a project in my drive that should have taken about a month at best I've been working on it for 2 years. i'll love it when its done and it'll free me up to work on my real hot rod but it just kills me to not keep up.

Like I said earlier learn your limitations and get help with what you can no longer do. Life is good if you make it that way. No one is going to do that for you.

Good Lord I'm starting to sound like my grandpa again. This shit has got to stop my grandpa was old.

 

Awesome advice.


You guys keep choppin' wood. Don't let your problems get you down. A good mental atitude is better than a good physical condition.

 

I'm with you buddy. I'm off to the basement for awhile, I got some rings to gap and a ton of stuff that needs a serious cleaning before I can reassemble my hot rod motor.

Its supposed to warm up this week, I believe if I stay with it I can inspect the brakes on my willys and maybe even get them bled. Let's see 1 week 4 brakes that's not so bad.

 

Have you gotten that tech thread done yet? No, I didn't forget!

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For the smart asses who think it's funny to post your little ditties in here: take a minute and read through these posts, you might, I say MIGHT, find someone who could use some advice or would benefit from experiences you've had...

It's easy to act the fool but it takes some class and balls to stand up and admit you need help. Rant over.

 

WOW I am not going to complain about my Diabetes and depression with some of the stuff I read here. Bravo to those dealing with all the sicknesses/diseases and still find time to get on here and post and work on your projects when you feel up to it. I am in Maryland and love to hang out and shot the shiat, so if anyone needs/wants some company when your down let me know!!!!

 

I don't think anyone here is complaining f100newb, least of all you! Depression and diabetes aren't the easiest things in the world to live with, by "outing" yourself here, you've opened yourself to the opportunity to possibly learn something that just might help you manage the problems you have.

...and if I was closer to Maryland I'd take you up on your offer!

 

I've posted on this thread before, but figured I'd do it again. I've had chronic back problems since I was 14, not to mention asthma, allergies, IBS, etc etc etc. Seems like most of it is related to my body attacking itself...and it blows. However, I'm trying to retrain myself to realize that while we see all the other guys who don't appear to have any problems, many of them do. I'm willing to bet that a very large number of people have their own physical ailments that they deal with, silently, on a daily basis. It's easy when you don't talk about it to others who don't talk about it for ALL of us to think that everyone's got it better than we do. I'm not saying we should all piss and moan like sissy girls about it, lol.....but commiserating and the occasional bitch-fest can do wonders!

Keep going ya'll, one of my buddies who's in the Army tells me that "pain is weakness leaving the body"....after which we both laugh....

 

Man, you all are tough. My bigest ailments are not even worth mentioning. My hat is off to all of the physically challenged badasses on the hamb.

 

Just the opposite, my cancer put my projects on fast forward. Between tumor surgery for tumor # 3 and the discovery of tumor # 4 I enbarked on my long given up on Bonneville project. People from all over the country sent parts and money so the whole project eded up being either donated or on loan. In September of last year I drove the world famous Burke Bros Avanti and fulffilled my life long dream. Now while fighting tumor 4 I'm starting on my other dream, building a Studebaker Gasser pickup. Full speed ahead. Here's a pic of the Avanti. Notice the name.

 

Yikes,this sounds like,my aches and pains will beat yours....I can feel for most of you folks..I'm almost 65,retired,have the ole type 2 diabetes,high blood pressure and take heavy duty pills for depression,which is getting much better.
I retired in 98 with thoughts of doing a lot of travel,working on the cars,just enjoying life...well that didn't last long...since I retired I have had 11 operations..the long ones,bone spurs on both Achilles tendons..they hurt like hell but the recovery was almost 1 yr per foot...both knees had the scope surgeries..no fluid in the knees so every thing was rubbing together and now it is bone on bone,so getting down on them is a chore,but getting back up without a little help is the pits...then the back decided to join in on the fun..two operations to fuse bones in upper neck and then of course the lower started to give me problems,pain down both legs,can't stand for any length of time,drive 1 hr and have to stop..well turns out somehow the lower back was twisted,so after some rods,plates and screws it's straight..still hurts,but I can live with it with my pain patches..of course lifting anything over 15 lbs is a chore and is real embarrassing when the wife carries the heavy stuff and me either nothing or the light things.
So because the back was twisted I walked a little different to compensate and by doing that it screwed up my left hip.Recently I had x rays and MRI's done just to see where I stand because lately any walking...like at car shows or just going up and down stairs is a killer...the bone Docs tell me I ONLY need both Knees and the left hip replaced and I should be a lot better...well I am putting that off as far as I can,don't need another couple of years doing the recovery thing.
Man after I read this long ass post it sounds like someone should put this old ass down..some days I feel like that too.. I am just telling ya what I had to go through..I still can drive ny cars,have a lot of really good friends,super wife..kids and grandkids to spoil and am just rolling along having fun..luckily all my rides are running super and if I do need help my buds in my car club come over to help...My advice to all the younger guys...take care of yourself now so ya can enjoy life down the road without all the pain and stuff

 

I'm workin' on it. I'm in line to borrow a mic big enough to get measurements on my cylinder bores. Figures I would decide to tear into one with 4.125 bores. Seems as though everytime I get close someone else has borrowed the big mic that my buddy is going to bring by so we can get good numbers.

If I'm not careful I'm going to end up smack dab in the middle of the tech contest and I'll be the only one that looks at my thread. Maybe that's a good thing.

I did manage to get my ring gaps this morning, if I don't find anything hinky when we mic everything I may get away with a serious cleaning on this one. I may be an achy bitchy bastard but I'm lucky when it comes to hot rods.

 

Ok, here we go! It is nice to hear that there are so many guys out there with similar issues as me. ( WE SHOULD START A CLUB) I am 43 and have DDD and nerve damage from L1-L5.I have days when I can walk for a bit with the help of a cane but a lot of days I am in bed or in a powerchair. Last Neuro I saw just shook his head and told my wife and I to pray. Well we do every day and I am thankful for her and my three kids. I worked a full time job for years and was trying to start a custom Bike shop when my back finally let go for the last time. In the last 5 years we have sold off the custom bikes and bought the 41 truck so I could still work on something that I could ride.

Sounds like most of us with these issues use the project as therapy. I read that someone out there lays in bed and thinks of the project and what needs done then gets something done when he has a good day. I do the same thing, I even out roll out in the powerchair during a bad day to get a measurement or look at something firsthand so I can figure it out while laying in bed.

I dont complain and thank God that he has given me a great wife and great kids. My youngest is 17 and he does a lot of the work now and I am proud that he still wants dads advise on everything from welding and parts suggestions to getting along with his new girlfriend. My wife was the push on the new garage addition and she is wanting a 4 post lift so I can work while in a wheelchair. She even told me to order the plasma cutter last week, Bless her heart.

I am encouraged that I am not alone in the desire to still work on old projects even though the body is not what it used to be.

Pics of the sons 49 F1 project and the new garage addition.

 

Pretty much reached the point where I need to sell everything off

 

ZRX, sorry to hear it. I can feel your pain, sold off the bike that I planned for 10 years, was never going to sell it. It was too painful to see it sitting there every time I went to the garage. I believe God is still in the miracle business.

 

Nice looking bike toolman!
Mine was just a fxr, but the sound was cool from the straight shots it had

funny, my insurance was going to give me $300 for it.
But i took it back & sold it for $3500

 

Rat, I built the entire bike. Designed and built the frame, machined the single side rear end, even painted it myself. I was going to keep it forever until my back blew out and I couldnt ride anymore.

 

yeah, i know how that feels.
It took me about 8 years to build my t-bucket, bought my first bike in 2000 (fxr) & got hit in '05.
Spent 3 months in the icu, 3 months in rehab.
When i got out, we moved to a apartment that was near a major road.in the summer, i would sit outside in my wheelchair & listen to all the harleys grabbing gears & twisting the throttle.
Man! Was that torture!!!!!

 

Rat, we live on the end of a dead end street. If a bike comes down the road , its coming here so I am always looking out the window every time I hear one. My son is always bringing guys here to visit and ask questions and borrow the garage for something. So I get to tinker on bike a bit and do a jet job or trouble shoot sometimes. I was able to teach him to ride last fall during a few good daty so I think he is going to ride in the future.

 

cool!!
I wish i bought mine 20 years ago

 

Here is the deal with me bad back,vertigo.
I get at it early each day and quit by noon.
I try to get something done each day.
Some days its very small, some days it very large.
Each day is gift from the LORD!
73 year old Geezer

 

AMEN, my sentiments exactly

 

not sure if this will help.
I once had vertigo for 3 days straight.
It seemed to ease up when i turned my head as far as i could to each side, making sure you feel the stretch in you neck just under your ear. Someone told me afterwards that this opens up the ear canal & lets it drain

 

An update

An update, things are looking better for me, my Dr found me another back surgeon. Went to see him last Thursday, he looked at my two year old MRI and right away saw my problem and said he can fix it. But he wanted another up to date MRI and would arrange another one. To my surprise i had a call this morning and i have an appointment tomorrow evening in a nearby city, WOW. I googled the Dr's name and found out that this guy has a great resume. He operates on our local professional athletes, and is very qualified, this gives me hope for a better future. Brian

 

Toolman 1967, I thought I had the best wife ever, but your wife sure sounds like a jewel.....consider myself a very lucky man.....