Im not so sure

larry@stinescorner · Feb 27, 2018

Im not so sure how much Im gonna be able to do this season.Just doing a little cleanup in the backyard is a job that would have been real easy last spring before I got sick.I had real high hopes of working with the tractor this spring,,,but Im really not sure now.The farm is a little over an hour away.I look around my yard here in NJ,,And kind of think,that may be all I can do.I hate to keep whining here,,but you guys and gals might understand how I would miss my tractors,,and may understand my sad feelings?

johnlobb · Feb 27, 2018

Larry, it took a long time for you to get the way you are, it's going to take a while to get your strength back. Patience, my friend! Aging is not for the weak!!

larry@stinescorner · Feb 27, 2018

It all happened quick,,I was strong as a bull,,then got the news,,Im having lots of trouble getting used to it,,I Layed around and slept all last spring,all summer and all fall and most of the winter.Im about to lose my mind.

wsmm · Feb 27, 2018

Larry,
I can relate with you, Don't know about you but I'm lucky to have a very supporative and understanding wife. I had a lot of plans for last year and was workng part tme. End up running a high fever one week, went to ER twice. Second trip they fond ecoli bacteria in my blood. They had me see my doctor, he did some cat scans and fond I had a rptured gall bladder, funny thing is I had no symptoms. My gall bladder had been ruptured for 2 to 3 months. After spending over 2 1/2 months in different hospitals due to all of the complications, I finally was transfer to a rehab facality for 2 weeks and then home. Along with the gall bladder problem I ended up with a hole in my stomach, probably from ne of the procedures. At this point I'm still not totaly recovered, had to give up my part time job and tire easily nad fight pain. Hang on, it will get better, most of us men just don't have patience, me included.

grandpa Love · Feb 27, 2018

I got faith in you. Even if you can't plant much in PA and least get out there and putter around on the tractor. Maybe some ol' Ford exhaust is just what you need! Just don't wear yourself out and you will build right back up.

farmerwithmutt · Feb 27, 2018

It's especially hard at spring to watch the earth being turned the smells of new worked ground. The cattle just turned out calves being born new kittens in the mow . I miss it all and almost want to give up as I'm no longer part of it

jeffcat · Feb 27, 2018

Hang in there. I can understand to a point. The past two weeks I have had the Flu. Talk about rip you a new one! I am just starting to get my wind back. The mind is going Come on lets go! The body is going uh uh no no.

Steve@Advance · Feb 27, 2018

But think of it this way, 6 months ago, did you think you would be doing ANY yard work this spring?

Here it is, not even spring yet and you're out there working!

Just keep pushing, a little bit every day, you'll be on the tractor before you know it!

Olliejunkie · Feb 27, 2018

Dang Larry. I think you're doing great. You get way more done than me and I'm only 51. You must've been a whirlwind before. Keep up the good work. I bet you will be out to the farm this summer.

fixerupper · Feb 27, 2018

Larry I have never been in your shoes so I don’t feel qualified to give advice. I have been down a few weeks from surgeries but I have never had to fight for a whole year something that might kill me.

All I can say is we will support you. Feel free to unload on us. It will preserve your sanity.

Billy Shafer · Feb 27, 2018

Don't worry about it Larry. Just do what you can and take it easy.It's been four months since my last stroke. I am still having problems with some things.But things get a little better each day.

Jaden · Feb 27, 2018

Larry;
This has been kicking around in my mind for a few weeks now. With all the expertise and talent that you have displayed in masonry, etc. is there any place that you could get in a position to teach others? Pass some skills along and give the benefits to some younger people starting out their careers.

carvel minne farmer · Feb 27, 2018

hang in there larry, as others have said us guys do NOT handle being sick very well. we have no patience for being sick, we have no time for being sick, we have places to go, things to do, we hate asking for help to do things we know dam well we can do in no time at all. if we do get help it won't be done the way you or I would do it! frustrating. just a suggestion larry, 2 things I did after a severe bout of phnemonia, went to the local swimming pool every morning early (was going to do a bunch of laps) couldn't do 1 the first day!, it took me over 3 months to get up to 50 laps, every evening I would go for a walk, first just down the block and back, kept increasing it a little further each day. make a plan larry, get mad, stay mad :evil: you can beat it.

oleclint · Feb 27, 2018

Sorry to hear about your frustration , not being able to do the many things that you used to enjoy doing.
Just be happy with what you can do. Just think , you could be totally disabled and not even be able to go outside.
I am somewhat in your predictment, haveing several acres with trees and lawn to look after. All was going good till last Aug. I had an a A Fib attack. Really was a bad surprise. It wiped me out for several months. Still get tired fast now. But can do outside things now but slower .
The wife tells it is my age that is showing,I feel that she is correct , as I turned 80 last Dec.
Good luck and hang it there. Oleclint

steve_in_mo · Feb 27, 2018

I understand, and probably a lot of others do as well.
My situation is not like your situation - "just" arthiritis.
Neighbor has it a lot worse than I do.
The deal for me is that I have to keep doing whatever I can so I can keep doing it.
I suggest you find someone to drive you to the farm that is tough enough to get you there and back again.
Do whatever you want to do and can do, then go back home and rest.
Do it sooner than later.
I need to take my own advice.

Keith Molden · Feb 28, 2018

Larry, I can agree with how you feel. I get less and less done every month. I used to be able to work 14 to 16 hours every day without even thinking about it. Now if I go to the shop and piddle for an hour I think I'm doing great. I didn't have cancer but I have pretty bad COPD (not sure what stage). I've lost about all my strength, I sometimes can't even open a bottle of water. So I've resigned myself that I'm still alive and if I don't feel like doing anything, I stay in and if I do feel like doing something, I go out and try. Sometimes I win and sometimes I don't, That's the way it is with old folks that have something wrong with them. It's not our fault, it's just the way it is, just keep doing what you can and YOU will get better, I will continue to get worse but I ain't gonna give up and I know you won't either. Keith

sms · Feb 28, 2018

Along with everything else you just had the flu, give it a little time, keep at it a little at a time and I think you will make progress.

JD in da UP · Feb 28, 2018

Who wouldn't be depressed? Similar situation here. Nobody understands how you feel completely but a lot of us understand what we feel has been taken away by illness , disease. accident or aging.

So, some advice you really didn't ask for: 1- Take a lot of inexpensive over the counter vitamin D. I and others I've met say it helps knock the edge off depression.

2- Get to some kind of support group. You may meet someone there who wants to help you out. A hands on friend.

3- Get some containers and some potting soil and plant a little bit of your past beautiful garden right there inside or outside so you can tend it.

4- Find somebody who is worse off and find a way to help or go and mostly listen for a bit.

Thanks for trusting us to mostly listen for a bit. John

By the way I'm hoping to skid a couple logs later today and maybe Saturday with our trusty 420c. If by some miracle I get a picture or 2 of that on this board we can talk about all this some more.

Donald Lehman · Feb 28, 2018

About the time I hit 60, it became real clear that I wasn't going to be able to go like i used to and it took some time to adjust to it, and I wasn't even sick. Take it easy and do what feels good to do and don't worry about the rest. The suggestion about someone driving you to the farm is a good idea. You have done so much for others over the years, maybe it's time for the favor to be returned. This 60 plus business takes a bit of adjustment, even without being sick. Casual mode, Larry, casual mode. (smile)

ss55 · Feb 28, 2018

Hang in there Larry! The tractors will still be there when ever your ready to work on them. Starting a major tractor project now will require a heavy commitment of your time that could wind up increase your stress level and may not yield much reward until it the project is completely finished several years in the future.

I'm a worrier too. When I'm not feeling my best, I shift my attention to smaller projects that I can complete in a short time because sometimes completing a small project is just as rewarding as a completing a larger one. I look for something new that I can enjoy and look forward to work on: gardening, woodworking, reading, a new pet, and volunteer work are some popular hobbies. If you like mechanical things: scale model kits (tractors, cars, trucks, planes, ships, trains, steam locomotives, etc), picture puzzles, 3 dimensional puzzles, stained glass, science project kits, electrical theory project kits, etc. can all be interesting, informative and surprisingly challenging. Good luck and feel better soon.

pcsaw · Feb 28, 2018

Just do the best you can

Im not so sure

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