Author Topic: Disappointing day (Read 4421 times)

Tim Wescott · « **on:** May 28, 2016, 07:03:59 PM »

Flew my first pattern since February, with my right hand and a 44 ounce plane, and my right shoulder was hurting at the end of it. I still dunno if I can fly on that shoulder or not. I'm going to see how it feels over the next few days.

Then I flew a practice flight on my left hand -- round loops and lazy eights, and I didn't feel confident to fly square maneuvers. I should try the usual "beginner's D", but I'm afraid that come the moment I'll try for a square corner on the down-side and post-hole the plane.

Sigh. One of our club members had leg surgery that went bad and he'll be months recovering, so I shouldn't bitch -- but still. Sigh.

Gerald Arana · « **Reply #1 on:** May 28, 2016, 07:34:26 PM »

Tim,

Is it an injury, surgery, old age? What?

I had a problem with my left shoulder (Fortunately I'm Rt handed) and I went to PT and now all the pain is gone and I can hold my arm straight up with NO pain. Before it would hurt so bad I couldn't do it!

Good luck, Jerry

PS: PT= physical therapy

JoeJust · « **Reply #2 on:** May 28, 2016, 07:56:04 PM »

Tim, Don't get too discouraged. My recent fall has left me facing some probable long term work to get better. However as you an see from the picture, having the right attitude can really help. Last year Ginny and I wore two identical shirts to the Brodak contest. We will be once again going there, but it looks like I will be unable to fly Carrier for a spell, but will once again have these shirts and others to take with us.
Joe Just

Noel Corney · « **Reply #3 on:** May 28, 2016, 11:08:42 PM »

Love the shirts, GREAT ATTITUDE. Noel.

Mark Scarborough · « **Reply #4 on:** May 28, 2016, 11:31:00 PM »

Quote from: JoeJust on May 28, 2016, 07:56:04 PM

Tim, Don't get too discouraged. My recent fall has left me facing some probable long term work to get better. However as you an see from the picture, having the right attitude can really help. Last year Ginny and I wore two identical shirts to the Brodak contest. We will be once again going there, but it looks like I will be unable to fly Carrier for a spell, but will once again have these shirts and others to take with us.
Joe Just

Joe, I am beyond thrilled that you get to take Ginny with you to Brodaks, flying or not, I am excited that you both can make the trip.. truly I am.. enjoy the time and people,

Howard Rush · « **Reply #5 on:** May 28, 2016, 11:56:16 PM »

Dave Denison had a disappointing day. He had three Lipos blow in his garage last night and a fourth in his toolbox as he was waiting for Fred to pick him up to come to Roseburg. Then while he was flying today a King Kong dust devil smashed his plane. Could have been worse, but it was a disappointing day.

Tim Wescott · « **Reply #6 on:** May 29, 2016, 12:04:13 AM »

Gerald: I had one visit with a PT; it went well, but my insurance only covers it after my out-of-pocket deductable is met. So I'm taking the exercises she have me and working on it by myself.

Joe: Yes. Never say die. I'm trying to hold to that, but it's hard. On the plus side, while my shoulder was hurting as I flew, it didn't blow up today the way it has in the past -- if I wake up able to move tomorrow I'll be happy.

Howard: Goodgawd! I'd be looking at my charger (well, for the battery issue: I doubt his charger had much to do with the dust-devil).

I had a phone conversation with Richard and Barbara last night. They mentioned blowing smoke from forest fires. Y'all at the Roseburg contest need to call up the Forest Service and tell them that if the fire starts in on a big field of that mary-juw-wanna stuff when the wind is blowing toward the airport to just be safe and let it burn. And -- have a groovy contest!

Dennis Leonhardi · « **Reply #7 on:** May 29, 2016, 12:15:10 AM »

Quote from: JoeJust on May 28, 2016, 07:56:04 PM

Tim, Don't get too discouraged. My recent fall has left me facing some probable long term work to get better. However as you an see from the picture, having the right attitude can really help. Last year Ginny and I wore two identical shirts to the Brodak contest. We will be once again going there, but it looks like I will be unable to fly Carrier for a spell, but will once again have these shirts and others to take with us.
Joe Just

Love it Joe, kudos to you & Ginny!

As Bon Jovi would sing, we are each an "Army of One"! Never give up!

Dennis

john e. holliday · « **Reply #8 on:** May 29, 2016, 07:17:41 AM »

Well Joe, hope you and Ginny have lots od fun. Was so hoping to be there and do more flying than last time.

Jim Kraft · « **Reply #9 on:** May 30, 2016, 11:53:44 AM »

This old age stuff is not fun. I went to the Wichita contest yesterday to watch and help to pit for Kevin. Last year I had that shoulder stuff along with my bad back and just could not fly without so much pain it just was not fun. It was hard in a way not to be able to fly yesterday, but I was still glad to be there and meet with old friends and watch some really good patterns by people that have really improved.

About the most I can stand is maybe three flights in a day while standing on concrete. I can do better in the grass before I can no longer feel my left foot and the back pain gets unbearable. Some days are better than others. As soon as I sit down the pain is instantly gone which I am so thankful for. I had an MRI done on my back 15 years ago and they said I had three bulging discs at the bottom of my spine. My doctor recommends I not get surgery if I can live with it as even with surgery I may still have the pain. There are some new and hopefully good ways to repair these things now, and I am hoping that with the new technology I may get a repair that will work.

In the mean time, I just do what I can and try to balance the fun with the pain. I do have my good days and my bad days. After having heart surgery 4 years ago my heart doctor says my heart looks perfect. So now it is just the rest of me falling apart. LOL. So I just take the pain and do what I can and enjoy life as much as I can. Some days I just get up and make coffee and thank God for the good days He has given me as there have been many. We all have to take the good with the bad so that we will know the difference. If all we had were good days we would have nothing to compare them to. To some people living without pain for even one day is a great blessing.

I will continue to support the hobby and mainly Old Time Stunt and flying ignition engines. I gave out a few drawings yesterday of simple ignition set ups that do work. All in all we had a good time without the flying. My fabulous wife of 57 years on the 1st of June has always supported me in my hobby. The best thing I ever did was marry her 57 years ago. No matter what I do she is always in my corner. She is the one that keeps me balanced when I get to far from the norm which I am prone to do. In other words she keeps me down to earth which I do need. Sometimes I think she knows me better than I know myself.

Who knows. I may have better days ahead and will be back in the circle tormenting those who think they can fly better than I. I don't think it will scare anybody. LOL

We did leave earlier than we wanted to as there was a storm brewing north west of Wichita which was moving to the east with hail and wind. We did not want to get hail on our new to us Buick Encore. We made it through and only got a few sprinkles. When we got home my daughter and two of our grandsons were there so we had a barbeque and finished off a great day.

Fredvon4 · « **Reply #10 on:** May 30, 2016, 12:11:50 PM »

Jim I am a young 61 to your 75 and have lower back problems also...mine also not recommended for the disk repair surgeries

Because of this problem I know a few veterans with similar injuie who were also recommendation to NOT have the surgeries...

BUT

Two of similar age group (to me) decide to explore the Laser Spine Institute and get their recommended repair...both claiming lesser pain and back to full day of activity with no noticeable discomfort late in the day

control group of 2 out of the seven I know is not that significant however:

I am seriously considering this avenue

Perhaps you should look into them

Not advocating this franchise...just something to consider...second/third, and fourth medical opinions are important

Tim Wescott · « **Reply #11 on:** May 30, 2016, 12:20:16 PM »

Dunno how much $$ y'all have, but I've seen more than one news article on surgery tourism. Basically, there are countries out there with good medical systems that have medical costs low enough that for significant surgery you can go there, get surgery, recuperate, and come back, all for significantly less $$ than you'd spend on the same thing here.

And, I was talking to my sister (two bulging disks) a couple of years ago, and she was telling me that there are disk replacements available in Europe that aren't approved here.

I'm not a "deregulate everything" guy, but the FDA seems to have become a marketing arm of the drug and medical equipment manufacturers -- they limit competition and make regulations that drive up prices, seemingly purely for the benefit of the drug companies.

Jim Kraft · « **Reply #12 on:** May 30, 2016, 12:49:55 PM »

Tim, I have no doubt that what you say is true. How ever, no matter where you are financially, some of these things for most of us are just not feasible on a fixed income. I do not want to spend all my children's inheritance. LOL

Fred, I have been looking at this non invasive surgery to a certain extent, and may opt for giving it a try. From what I have read some of these only need a small incision to repair discs that are ruptured. I will continue to follow that avenue.

Lets face it. I did a lot of stupid things when I was a trouble shooter for a gasoline, diesel, heating oil pipeline. Manhandling valves that weighed more than I do, when I should have waited for help. But live an learn they say. As Lew Woolard said, "If I had known I was going to live this long I would have taken better care of myself."

I started my back problems in high school throwing hay bales and moving irrigation pipe by hand. At one point my whole left side went numb until the Chiropractor straitened me out. Then I carried mail for short while and slipped off a porch covered with ice that put me out for a few days. Then I jumped off of a dock at a ware house that also put me out for a few days. All of this before I was 27. It is a wonder that I can stand up let alone still walk. I do go walk five days a week for thirty minutes or until the pain gets to bad. But I have a good place to walk on a wood gym floor that is much more resilient than concrete. As crazy as it sounds the faster I walk the less pain I have. But just standing in one place for five minutes and I am in pain on concrete or in the mall shopping with my wife. Those floors in the mall are the hardest substance known to man.

john e. holliday · « **Reply #13 on:** May 30, 2016, 02:29:43 PM »

Well Jim, I see you're barely older than I am. I am learning to deal with the knees. It is the grass that is giving me problems when trying to fly. The doctor says they are not bad enough to replace. I just have to remember not to sit or stand in one place for too long. I too threw a lot of hay bales as an early teenager. Did a lot of heavy work growing up. Try a bundle of shingles going up a 24 foot ladder. Best was learning to operate a D-3 Cat. Thought I was going to die the first day and a half. Joe would not let me get out of it until the soreness disappeared. Would have love to be at Wichita, but a brake job on one vehicle, a front left bearing on mine and a sick puppy the vet said might need to be put to sleep. Been almost a week and with the medication she is almost normal. By the congrats on wedding anniversary. Janis will have put up me 48 years come the 8th of June.

Now back to the subject. Try mowing a circle and have rain plus lightning start as I just got the mower tied down. Planes are in the car if it clears off. Don't mind a few sprinkles, but lightning puts damper on things.

Fredvon4 · « **Reply #14 on:** May 30, 2016, 02:40:32 PM »

Jim just so you know...

pretty similar before age 30 dumb stuff...young and immortal/bullet proof/great shape and no frame of reference from the older folks cuz we all failed to listen to their sage advice

In my case hefting 8 inch Howitzer shells two at a time to carry on shoulder to the next cannon over
Jumping down out of back of the truck..a lot
Jumping out of a perfectly flying airplane..not so much but often enough to hurt
Hit by a car on my motorcycle...first broken back...amazingly recoverd very fast
Crash landed and survived a UH-1H Huey helicopter accident, second broken back...not so fast healing

and the coup de grace... buying a new Harley at 59 and crashing it and me 2 years ago, third broken back and still not 100%

about 90% recovered but the late afternoon aches and fatigue in my back make life a bit tough--- and yes I agree walking faster is curiously better and like you, standing in our tile kitchen (I do a lot of the cooking) or on any concrete floor for any length of time just hurts

I have a good stash of good drugs ( plus great booze) but not really interested in a "Pain Doctor" as Opioids bind me bad

They sent me home with Tens(sp?) device (electro shock therapy) that I hated the sensation from so don't use anymore

My insurance won't pay for the franchise type non invasive surgeries, but I am seriously considering spending some of the kid's inheritance just so my next 20 won't be this tough

Fredvon4 · « **Reply #15 on:** May 30, 2016, 02:49:47 PM »

Hey Tim,

Sorry sort of hijacked your issues...but as you can see you are in a group of been there done that aches and pains guys

I have followed your efforts with the re-learning left handed and real impressed with your carrier experience and success

hang in there brother.... a VFW buddy of mine once said...." if it hurts this much at 53...it's really gonna suck at 80"...so I bought another round....grin

Motorman · « **Reply #16 on:** May 30, 2016, 03:50:22 PM »

Keep working that shoulder every day or it will freeze up.

Shug Emery · « **Reply #17 on:** May 30, 2016, 06:48:22 PM »

As a circus clown and general college dumb-arse, I have abused myself. Also being a tosspot for 16 years added.
After a lifetime of injuries I feel pretty good.
That said I think good physical therapy and following the prescribed course does wonders. And I mean daily.

Hope you get healed up. Keep a good mental attitude and stretch and strengthen.

Shug

Tim Wescott · « **Reply #18 on:** May 30, 2016, 09:04:33 PM »

Quote from: Jim Kraft on May 30, 2016, 12:49:55 PM

Tim, I have no doubt that what you say is true. How ever, no matter where you are financially, some of these things for most of us are just not feasible on a fixed income. I do not want to spend all my children's inheritance. LOL

Hear ya! I don't know what anyone makes or has, and on this group it's hard to tell by the car you drive.

Quote from: Fredvon4 on May 30, 2016, 02:49:47 PM

Sorry sort of hijacked your issues...

Nah, I was just venting frustration anyway. You're always better off than someone out there, so I try not to take myself to seriously when I'm whining.

Quote from: Motorman on May 30, 2016, 03:50:22 PM

Keep working that shoulder every day or it will freeze up.

Thank you, and yes. I don't manage every day, but I've been trying to remember. I got a set of exercises then scared the **** out of myself when I did them the first time because it made my shoulder blow up. I'm pretty sure that what the PT showed me straightened that problem out; if so I should be able to progress.

Quote from: Fredvon4 on May 30, 2016, 02:49:47 PM

I have followed your efforts with the re-learning left handed and real impressed with your carrier experience and success

This whole "let's learn to fly left-handed" adventure has given me a profound appreciation for anyone who loses a hand or has a stroke and has to retrain. I've always respected people who manage to come back from something like that -- I've gained an even deeper respect over the last few months, having it ground into me just how hard it is, and knowing that I can still type and do work and whatnot with my right hand.

Jim Kraft · « **Reply #19 on:** May 30, 2016, 09:24:21 PM »

I have never tried changing hands as I am left handed but fly right handed. Just the way I learned. Someday I will give it a shot with one of my old beaters just to see if I can. I do a lot of things with either hand. Then I could fly two planes at a time like Shug juggles. Whoo buddy!

John Park · « **Reply #20 on:** May 31, 2016, 07:00:46 AM »

Quote from: Jim Kraft on May 30, 2016, 09:24:21 PM

I have never tried changing hands as I am left handed but fly right handed. Just the way I learned. Someday I will give it a shot with one of my old beaters just to see if I can. I do a lot of things with either hand. Then I could fly two planes at a time like Shug juggles. Whoo buddy!

Like you, I'm left-handed but fly right-handed: I write left-handed, shoot left-handed with rifle or handgun, play golf and cricket right-handed, draw a bow right-handed and eat (in the European knife-and-fork style) the same as right-handed folk. The thought of flying left-handed has never occurred to me - but since I've just completed a Baby Flite Streak to fly on a small, rough grass field an old flying buddy has got the use of, I think I'll give it a try. At seven ounces, on 35ft. Spider Wire lines, it ought to survive most prangs!

Regards
John

john e. holliday · « **Reply #21 on:** May 31, 2016, 08:44:22 AM »

Before the safety thong rule I used to change hands just to see if I could do it. Guess I will have to learn to take off left handed. Most times with out the thong I could land better left handed.

Randy Powell · « **Reply #22 on:** June 01, 2016, 09:46:35 AM »

Yea, all that damage I took as a kid is catching up with me.

Ken Burdick · « **Reply #23 on:** June 01, 2016, 10:00:56 AM »

I bought a bottle of Ibuprofen while at the Regionals. By Saturday I was handing them out to friends like candy........

Tim Wescott · « **Reply #24 on:** June 01, 2016, 10:38:00 AM »

Quote from: Ken Burdick on June 01, 2016, 10:00:56 AM

I bought a bottle of Ibuprofen while at the Regionals. By Saturday I was handing them out to friends like candy........

Well, Hell, Ken -- you could have made your gas money for the trip back!

Mark Troutman · « **Reply #25 on:** July 12, 2016, 09:59:11 AM »

4 years ago when I came back to stunt from free flight I had to switch hands as the long term effects of chemotherapy had destroyed the feeling in my left hand and feet which is another issue. I am very left handed and it took me about a year to learn to fly the pattern right handed. took two more years to work my way up to advanced level and win a few contests this year. If you watch me I am still flying in my mind with my left hand and my right hand is mirror flying with it. It takes a while but I have been told after the last contest in Dallas I should consider moving up to expert so it can be done. The are some craters around the circle where I learned to do it but just get a good flying profile and practice and you will get the hang of it. Mark Troutman.