Oh well...

[Upidstay]

Got my Stihl FarmBoss running nice, bought a kick butt chain from my dealer, stays nice and sharp. Couple of wedges, 12lb sledge, Fiskars X27 to split (best maul EVER), decent little hatchet and a hand saw for branches. Set of chaps, ear and eye protection, good gloves, nice safety boots. Aaaaaaaannnnndddddd three bulging disks in the middle of my back, plus a torn ligament. Not a thing they can do besides manage pain. Looks like my days of supplying my own firewood are over.

 

[lindnova]

Take it easy and heal - surgery?

I know guys that had herniated discs and are back at it but they don't do the heavy lifting like before.

 

[square1]

^^^ +1 ^^^

 

[merc_man]

I got heniated disc in my back. Few years ago it was so painful i just hoped i would die. I tried the back cracker and that help for a few weeks then back to pain. After putt8ng up with it for about six months i decidwd id try acupuncture. I thought ot was a rock of crap. I walked out like what a waist of money. I wome up the next morni g and after twenty mi s i could stand straitish. Six weeks after that i felt good as new.
Now im back to doing pretty much everything i did befor. I baught a splitter so i dont have to use a splitting maul.

Sent from my SM-J320W8 using Tapatalk

 

[Whitespider]

...three bulging disks in the middle of my back, plus a torn ligament.

I feel your pain (sort'a).
I started having lower back pain last year, and this summer I started having nearly unbearable leg pain. I was diagnosed with two bulged disks in my lower back (lumbar degenerative disc disease)... bulged disks do not heal, a degenerative disk is simply a worn-out disk (a herniated disk is a torn or damaged disc that will heal). The leg pain (which, for me, is many times worse than the back pain) is because the bulging discs are pinching both the the nerves that go to my legs, and the blood vessels that feed the nerves.
"They" tell me surgery is not a realistic option at this time... but may be at some point in the future. Surgery normally means removing the disk and fusing the vertebra... which limits mobility and can cause other pain issues.

I still do everything I've always done... I just do them a bit slower, a bit more carefully, and take more breaks as the pain dictates... getting older sucks.
As far as making firewood, I made myself a pickaroon to limit the amount of bending over I do... and I use my pole saw with one of the pole sections removed to de-limb/de-brush and cut smaller stuff without bending or reaching as much.

What's with the torn ligament?? That's usually from some sort of injury... and will usually heal given enough time.
*

 

[turnkey4099]

Sorry to hear that. I've been lucky, two hips replaced, my pains come and go leg left side was hurting, doesn't any more, Been fighting my Left shoulder for 6 months - good range of motion but I could not reach out and up to my left without great pain. Oddly I checked it while reading your post and the pain is gone!!

Whatever the doc advises as to activity, exercise, work, it is wise to follow.

 

[dave_dj1]

Yep, been there and doing that. I thought the same thing a while after it happened. Now I use equipment to do as much of the lifting as possible. I still have the pain but try and keep it under control best I can.
I recently called the spine institute to see if they had any programs for people in my position with no health insurance, of course they don't but at the mere discounted price of only 22,500.00 they can fix me up
I would like to wake up some morning and not be in pain.
Take care and get it fixed if you have the means.

 

[Erik B]

I feel your pain (sort'a).
I started having lower back pain last year, and this summer I started having nearly unbearable leg pain. I was diagnosed with two bulged disks in my lower back (lumbar degenerative disc disease)... bulged disks do not heal, a degenerative disk is simply a worn-out disk (a herniated disk is a torn or damaged disc that will heal). The leg pain (which, for me, is many times worse than the back pain) is because the bulging discs are pinching both the the nerves that go to my legs, and the blood vessels that feed the nerves.
"They" tell me surgery is not a realistic option at this time... but may be at some point in the future. Surgery normally means removing the disk and fusing the vertebra... which limits mobility and can cause other pain issues.

I still do everything I've always done... I just do them a bit slower, a bit more carefully, and take more breaks as the pain dictates... getting older sucks.
As far as making firewood, I made myself a pickaroon to limit the amount of bending over I do... and I use my pole saw with one of the pole sections removed to de-limb/de-brush and cut smaller stuff without bending or reaching as much.

What's with the torn ligament?? That's usually from some sort of injury... and will usually heal given enough time.
*

@Whitespider I had 2 ruptured discs in my lower back about 12 years ago. I had extreme pain in my left leg and I had let it go so long I had noticeable muscle atrophy in the lower leg. I had surgery to repair the ruptured discs and woke up with no pain. It was like turning off a light bulb. I still have to be careful of how I do things and for how long but I have been back to cutting and splitting for over 10 years. The Doc did not have to fuse any of the vertebra.
I know having back problems can be very painful. Hope you find relief soon.

 

[Deleted member 116684]

Sorry to hear that. Physical therapy does a lot to help me with my crappy back. And knowing when to let it have a day or two off. I have a long list of relatives with degenerative disk, which is kind of a general term for your back is getting worn out. Some who have had surgey are better, some who have had surgery aren't any better at all.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

You'll find ways to work around it. I have a bad back (broke it several years ago, have several discs that are in bad shape, one pushes on my spine).

Usually A Few Times A Year I'm Bed Bound For A Few days, Needing A cane To Even Walk 15FT To The bathroom. Want to talk pain, dealing with that plus a real bad lung infection (in icu a week bad). I kept needing to cough and it hurt my back so back I would pass out.

(Sorry about the weird typing, my phone went full retard)

 

[Sandhill Crane]

My phone locked me out yesterday. Would not accept the pass code. Went to borrow a phone to call my daughter and honestly I don't know her number, just speed dial. Crap... Turned the power off and it reset, but what a bad feeling being dead in the water. I don't know anyones number any more...

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

I gave up on using the mamory phone book thing on my phone. I have a rolodeck and/or notes or remember it. I remember phone numbers from 20 yrs ago still but I couldn't tell you what I ate for supper yesterday.

 

[rarefish383]

My phone locked me out yesterday. Would not accept the pass code. Went to borrow a phone to call my daughter and honestly I don't know her number, just speed dial. Crap... Turned the power off and it reset, but what a bad feeling being dead in the water. I don't know anyones number any more...

We are getting OLLDDD. I have 2 phone numbers I know. My best friend, grade school, hunting buddy and my inlaws. They haven't changed their numbers in over 30 years. Everyone else I have to trust my stupid smart phone to remember. I have several friends that only use cells now, and shop for "Best Deals" every time you turn around. I have to wait for them to call me, and the first thing I say is, "so, you got another new, new number? Let me update AGAIN". Joe.

 

[turnkey4099]

We are getting OLLDDD. I have 2 phone numbers I know. My best friend, grade school, hunting buddy and my inlaws. They haven't changed their numbers in over 30 years. Everyone else I have to trust my stupid smart phone to remember. I have several friends that only use cells now, and shop for "Best Deals" every time you turn around. I have to wait for them to call me, and the first thing I say is, "so, you got another new, new number? Let me update AGAIN". Joe.

You're not old until the only numbers you know are 911, the doctor, the hospital, and the farmacy.

 

[rarefish383]

I do remember my Dad's business cards with 6 digit numbers, and when they had a prefix like HEmolock 9-0792, EMerson 2-7106 and Juniper 5-7394. Those are numbers off my Dad's old business cards too, Joe.

 

[Erik B]

If any of you grew up in a small town like I did, you might remember 2 digit phone numbers. Some phones back then had no rotary dials or buttons.

 

[blades]

Crank a few times to get operator then ask for so&so , then it shifted to 2 letter and 5 numbers with that fancy spinning dial thing-a-ma-jig, still party lines. few years later no more party lines, took all the fun out of local gossip. Some where along the line we got push-button units but they had to be set to emulate the rotary for a number of years. So here we are today with cell phones that hit dead spots, drop calls, or call rerouted and messages that may or may not show up till a week later. Ain't technology great. Back in the day if you could get to the phone and give it a couple cranks help would generally be shortly coming.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

My grandparents had a party line up till the mid 90s

 

[aokpops]

I feel your pain (sort'a).
I started having lower back pain last year, and this summer I started having nearly unbearable leg pain. I was diagnosed with two bulged disks in my lower back (lumbar degenerative disc disease)... bulged disks do not heal, a degenerative disk is simply a worn-out disk (a herniated disk is a torn or damaged disc that will heal). The leg pain (which, for me, is many times worse than the back pain) is because the bulging discs are pinching both the the nerves that go to my legs, and the blood vessels that feed the nerves.
"They" tell me surgery is not a realistic option at this time... but may be at some point in the future. Surgery normally means removing the disk and fusing the vertebra... which limits mobility and can cause other pain issues.

I still do everything I've always done... I just do them a bit slower, a bit more carefully, and take more breaks as the pain dictates... getting older sucks.
As far as making firewood, I made myself a pickaroon to limit the amount of bending over I do... and I use my pole saw with one of the pole sections removed to de-limb/de-brush and cut smaller stuff without bending or reaching as much.

What's with the torn ligament?? That's usually from some sort of injury... and will usually heal given enough time.
*

2 of the best things I found for back pain , 1 cold 2 walking . I use both ,our take your pick . To use cold learn to breath , using the cold is a great trade off , a few minutes of cold an all day pain relief is well worth it . I walk only once a week , 6 years ago I did about 1 mile an a half . Now in nice weather went 9 miles this year ,I dress the same in winter as summer , 5 mile in a t shirt in winter is about all I got .