Thread: Medical Incident - Some learnings for your first aid kit.

Originally Posted by Flyblown

Also the discussion about your back problems is timely. I am 51 and can no longer do half of what I could at a younger age primarily due to two major surgeries over the years. And the fact that I wasn't that strong in the first place. Something that really gets me worked up is spending time with the young fellas in the bush, those that insist on carrying whole animals out when boning them out in situ is by far a more sensible idea. This is particularly true of the pig hunters.

Well I turned 52 last week. I injured my back at work at the age of 20, and thinking that I was bullet proof I went against doctors orders and kept working - I couldn't afford to stop work, or so I thought. Well, as I said in my opening post, I'm an idiot.
A couple of weeks later I was wheeled into hospital, put into traction for two weeks and was in a brace for three months. Took three years before I could get out of bed and not have to grab hold of something to keep me upright as the nerve compression pain hit my lower limbs. 30 years on and my back is like a hand grenade with a loose pin. At any point in time its like someone walks up behind you and drives an ice pick into your spine about 2" up from the belt line. Can be rather embarrassing standing talking to someone and the next minute they are helping you up off the floor.
I have only partial feeling in my left leg, which aches constantly (image tooth ache, what I call a 'bone ache', from your hip to the tips of your toes), I get up to 20 cramps a night in my calf muscle, and every morning when I put my feet on the floor, my heel feels like the bone is shattered. Have had to call the ambulance twice to get me off the floor at home after the worst events.
I haven't had surgery. The surgeon's say I'm too higher risk. Not sure what life is going to be like at 70??