O.T. - Down Time

Billy NY · Jan 18, 2012

Well, I suppose most everyone deals with some kind of disabling injury or condition at one time or another, all part of the game.

And of course, there is always someone worse off or living a much more difficult situation due to same, what I am wondering how did you deal with it, what did you do and what tricks of the trade or similar did you use to get by. In my current situation, foot surgery, bone spur and ganglion cyst on top, recovery is non weight bearing, so..... I believe a leg splint and a set of crutches are in store for me, which means I can't do a darned thing for 6 weeks, how did y'all get through those times, even more so, like when you have a dairy, livestock or similar where the show must go on, be interested to hear about it, especially, driving etc.

PS, at least the clutch is on the left on my tractor, in case I have to move it out of the garage or something, their working on the right foot.

hd6gtom · Jan 18, 2012

Left arm has quit working due to a nerve injury July 4th of last year. Lost almost all of the muscles all the way up and down the arm. can still use my left hand to hold things but cannot lift them. Good thing I am right handed. Tough to run a chain saw 1 handed, it can be done.

old · Jan 18, 2012

Would you believe you get inventive when you run in to things like that. I have changed many things form back when I could do more. Now days I can work for an hour or so then have to take a break for as much time or longer or be down in bed for days. Even seen people in wheel chairs feed animals hay etc just takes more time and thinking out side the box. In your case you need a leg peg that hooks at the knee so you do not use that foot but can still limp around LOL Then we could call you Billy peg leg NY

Ellis Kinney · Jan 18, 2012

The computer can be a good source of information and entertainment. This website is a good example. Subscribe to the Wall Street Journal. Pick people you haven,t seen for a while and send a hand written letter. Good Luck, Ellis

rrlund · Jan 18, 2012

When I had dairy cattle,I pretty much had to tough through it. I severed a bunch of tendons in my right hand once. Pretty much worked left handed. When my appendix ruptured and I was in the hospital for 8 days and got sent home with the incision packed and open,the boys (16 and 13) and my wife and Dad managed for about two weeks. I had to be cut open again a month later and have it packed and left open again because of all the infection,I didn't get any time off. I milked alone the next morning. This all happened in the fall,so I picked corn with that open wound bandaged,sore as all heck from having the tape riped off everyday and new packing stuffed in,but I got it done.

Billy NY · Jan 18, 2012

Rich, one can always count on you for a laugh, well some temporary, (I hope) gimpy'ness probably is not the end of the world is it ? Character builder I think. I've been putting up wood every other day, which ought have me in shape for this by now, but like your situation, the breaks are more frequent, like right now, got that last pile cut, in for a warm up break, now to get the small dia inside, and roll the larger ones to the shed and or pile for next year.

oldtanker · Jan 18, 2012

I have several disabilities that affect my everyday life and the wife and I are restarting the family farm. I do what I can when I can and figure ways to do things I shouldn't without any further injury. And then there are just times you have to suck it up and drive on.

Good luck

Rick

Anonymous-0 · Jan 18, 2012

I got an infected callous behind a toe. The foot doc said no standing on it. I screwed a 1" block to my boot so my toes hung off and kept going. I was building a sap boiler and already running late. I got it done in time.

kyhayman · Jan 18, 2012

I ruined my legs in a hay wrapper accident several years ago. Spent 6 weeks totally in bed and another 6 weeks on a walker. I no longer watch the food network, lol. TV and computer were my friends. I was lucky with the farm. Hay sales were super slow that fall and I didnt have to feed til January with getting hurt in October. Id get my dad to drive me to the farm. Climb in the tractor with crutches, feed, have him work the gates. None of the other operations have had me down that long.

S.Crum · Jan 18, 2012

Got the OK from my eye Doc today to start practicing my Tig welding again. Haven't Tigged or any other welding in almost a year due to severe cataracts. Former Doctor was doing rain dances and I called BS on him. I got a new Doctor in December and she "fixed" the right eye on January 3rd. I'll be scheduled in February for the left eye (wasn't near as bad as the right eye). Seems nice to be able to see again!

showcrop · Jan 18, 2012

I had a knee replaced Nov 8th but they have you up on it the next morning. My chore tractor is a Kubota with glide shift. You can run it without using your feet. So get you one of them! A week and a half after the surgery I put a new axle under my snowmobile trailer. I spent considerable time just studying and planning so as to do minimal lifting (fork lift helped with that so get you one of them), then I went at it. I was hurting pretty bad by 2/3 done, but I got it done. Then I went inside and watched a movie on the 'puter.

old · Jan 18, 2012

Hey at least you can still run a chain saw. If I tried to do that about the 2nd or 3rd cut I would either have to shut it off or end up with out a leg or some other body part because my right should would give out and since I am left handed I would drop the bar down to some body part that would not feel good. LOL. Any more it is an electric chain saw or nothing. Sucks to have a bad right shoulder and a bad back and a bad right knee but hey I still get er done but maybe slow but hey I get it done. Still put up hay every year but now days the square bales are around 35-40lbs so I get 2 or 3 times as many but found people like them since they is woman bales and they sell fast.

Billy NY · Jan 18, 2012

I hear ya on that driving on regardless, I can't figure anything other than the body just takes so much physical labor and abuse, at a certain age it starts to really add up, my situation was 3 problems with the leg, foot, got through one procedure, got this one tomorrow and hope like heck I can recover and not have this problem, next will be the shoulders. Upper body not so bad, but the darned leg or foot problems really set ya back.

PS, wish the best for your grandson tomorrow !

Billy NY · Jan 18, 2012

I remember that, well on here, did not recall, or maybe I never knew what caused it, that sounds like an awful experience, and from what you post here about what you do, it sounds like it really could have set you back had it been a different part of the year.

Billy NY · Jan 18, 2012

Thanks for sharing the experiences, I was a bit apprehensive about this whole darned thing, but it kinda has to be done, well at least I don't have to be anxious about it, tomorrow will be here soon enough, just finished my wood and had a ice cold beer, time to hit the hay.

Billy NY · Jan 18, 2012

The saw part is easy, its all the other work. ( 2 cord and I'm sore as heck) Same thing, one shoulder is real bad, the other joint is sore, will be seeing about that, then there is the wrist which is just getting worse, old football injury, knees, legs, back were always good, man I could out leg press anyone on the universal in high school, both positions 550 and 750 with multiple reps now look at me LOL !!!! Cripes I figured all that running, playing hoop, hockey would have carried me a long while, age don't care what you do does it LOL !

I'll tell you those small squares are no joke, I was slinging some of those in late '09 and did something to my back that put me in bed in serious pain, had to see the doc, get X rayed, nothing showed up, tell you what, I respect those now more than ever, no more tossing them for distance ! That was some awful pain, and reminds me to really be careful, slow pace is still a lot better than no pace !

Will have to let you guys know how this turns out tomorrow.

Burnie · Jan 19, 2012

About 2 years ago I busted up my knee (for those of you who remember, I have made a full recovery) and the only advice I can give is don"t be afraid to ask for help to do what needs to be done. I called in all sorts of favors when I was layed up and when I said thanks to people the reply usually was "You"d do the same for me". Try to ease back into work if you can and try not to bite off more than you can chew. ood luck and let us know how you are getting on.

Leroy · Jan 19, 2012

Shoulder is no fun either, Just had my right shoulder operated on yesterday. Sounds like 4-6 months lay off work for it. And last june 8 had heart 5 bypasses and just were from that the Dr. decided I was healthy enough to get this shoulder done. And I am right handed.

NW Ohio Tim · Jan 19, 2012

I tore a muscle in my shoulder last August, loading hogs. I was pretty much down for 3 weeks and very limited for another 3-4 weeks.

The computer and a sketch pad were my best friends. I sat and designed/redesigned everything that has been on my mind since I could remember. From a new loading chute to a door in the hay mow for throwing down straw in the old hog barn.

The worst part for me was I lost so much conditioning in the rest of my body while I was crippled up. I still get sore after a regular days work just because I got out of shape.

Good luck with the recovery.

Tim

old · Jan 19, 2012

Just goes to show you that when you was young dump and full you believed you could do any thing but later in life you find out that being young dump and full got you in the long run. My self I have bounced off the pavement so many times when O was young that in many ways I should not be alive any more but hey back then We believed we could do any thing and now that we did that we pay for it LOL

Anonymous-0 · Jan 19, 2012

only 55 here ,, it is anyones guess, whether i can jumop up and fire rite up each mornin , or i will need a couple hours to medicate myself before pushi n the day ,,40 yrs ago , i would jump up before 6 am , milk and feed , gobble a hearty breakfast , and be ready for school (later work )in the 1st 2 hours of day,, at the end of my job time ,i would be workin til past dark on the farm , sometimes til after midnite ,, did that pace for 30 yrs before my health began to crack ,,various injuries of many types took its toll,bad lungs do not help ,, ,,

donjr · Jan 19, 2012

Had my right shoulder operated on last January 6. After hunting season and before spring work. Grandson and SIL did feeding and chores for about six months. Great vacation, and shoulder is just really feeling better almost a year later. I did NO lifting for the first three months, and have slowly been building up since to close to where I was once. Biggest problem is seafood. You're not active for a while, and not burning calories. If I see food, I eat it. Put on twenty pounds.

donjr · Jan 19, 2012

By the way, a good Lazy boy is worth the price!

Billy NY · Jan 19, 2012

You're right, though I was not a real madman in those days, still like to play sports and exercise til my job took up too much time. You do pay later on, good practice to live smart, cause it will effect the quality of your life later on as many of us know now LOL!

old · Jan 19, 2012

Ya most of the office types seem to do pretty well as they get older but the guy who had to do real work to make a living seems the be the guy who you see with the Cain or in a wheel chair etc. But my doctors also tell me to stay as active as I can or they will send me to P/T which to me is by far worse then trying to stay active

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