Getting old sucks: Post your ailments

[tahoebum]

Back in 2011 and 2012 I had surgery on both knees and my left shoulder and all those joints plus my back give me some amount of pain each day. I will need surgery on my left hip at some point in the next decade but I’m putting it off as long as possible. The scoliosis in my back is not improving with age it’s one of the reasons I’ve lost 1.5” in height and am now down to 5’10 1/2”.

On the bright side, I went through the extensive multi-day, 11 doctor executive physical at the Mayo Clinic in January and everything checked out great and I’m in need of zero medications at age 58. They scored my cardio fitness(CT calcium heart scan, treadmill stress test, blood pressure, VO2max, cholesterol, etc.), in the top 5% for my age. The cardiologist told me I’ll die of something other than heart disease. The funniest part was I have minimal hearing loss but my wife had moderate loss in one ear. She’s always telling me that I need hearing aids and now she knows it just my selective hearing.

 

[MGoBlue]

Teeth are bad
Tinnitus
Aches and pains all over at different times.

Still wake up on the right side of the divot, wife loves me, so do the dogs and cats, and can still play semi-decent golf. So life’s good.

 

[WSox fan]

I get my steps in going to the bathroom!

 

[Just_Brad]

Kidney Stones
Sore back
Bad knees
Wonky wrist
Sometimes waking up feeling like my brain is rattling in my head.

 

[hackitup]

Oh, boy. It might be easier to say what’s not broken down. Two weak ankles showing signs of arthritis and popping. Two bad, arthritic, trick knees. Cartilage may or may not be almost completely worn down. What do doctors know? Funny right hip. Tight sometimes, painful at other times. Two misaligned discs, almost bulging (whatever that means). Doc wanted to give me the Tiger treatment with new knees and a spinal fusion surgery. Psh! Bad right shoulder from a subluxation 28 years ago. Only took a year to partially re-dislocate and seat it properly. Nerve damage is probable from the initial injury and refusal to see a doctor. Trick right elbow with arthritis. Arthritic left elbow. Arthritic hands. Arthritic fingers, worse in the double jointed fingers.

Sheesh, that’s a lot. But I got a job, a place, food, clothes, a family that puts up with my adolescent humor, and I can still golf. Life is good.

 

[AuzzieMatt]

4 shoulder dislocations, degenerative disc disease L5/S1, arthritis in my hands, feet and knees.

 

[That post]

I just want to say I love how many people are laughing at my pain.

@AuzzieMatt @USAF Retired @donny475 @Deebo76 @odom730 @jbb2388 @McLovin

 

[Daluteh]

I'm just in bad shape. In addition to my usuals - my right shoulder has been hurting me lately.

Oh, and I can barely walk right now without a brace.

 

[Snickerdog]

Mostly just back pain for me, regular chiropractic and stretching keeps me in golf form.

 

[Bob M]

As the great actress Bette Davis said: "Getting old is not for sissies"!

My knees have been bothering me for a few years now, however after my last few rounds (haven't played since 9/22) my left one has really started to hurt so I'm going to an orthopod on Tuesday to get evaluated. Hopefully its nothing that some rest or non-invasive treatment won't fix.

 

[AuzzieMatt]

I just want to say I love how many people are laughing at my pain.
View attachment 9210857
@AuzzieMatt @USAF Retired @donny475 @Deebo76 @odom730 @jbb2388 @McLovin

 

[leftygolfermn]

Rheumatoid arthritis since like 2011 and only turning 40 this year

 

[El Rayo X]

Left ankle has some kind of issue that randomly causes a sharp stabbing pain when dorsaflexing my foot. This will go on for several days, then go away.
Xray shows some degenerative changes and a odd calcification that runs from the fibula anteriorly across to the tibia following a presumed tendon.
It's weird. Probably need an MRI to really see what it is.
Of course at 61, I have the usual sore shoulder ( Left ) and low back pain ( fat ).

 

[PatsFan]

Getting old sucks big time!!
Arthritis in my hands and feet and my back feels like I can't turn atm.

 

[WLG1952]

Too many to count. My positive meeting with the grim reaper last December took a lot out me.

I'm pretty much done from the waist down.

 

[Hitsnmisses]

@62.4 yo

No medications or optical needs
No pre-existing injuries or impairments
No pain or soreness from injury

What l do have is seldom hand/ fingers sore from tool use at work 2/10 hurts

That’s basically it , health / medical checks regularly all very good and
Even better for someone my age

Looking forward to
Road worthy condition in
Retirement ) ,

 

[Vortex]

Left elbow tendonitis (tennis elbow). Going on a year and can't shake it despite rest, ice, steroid injection and oral regiments. Haven't touched a golf club since our club championship 3 weeks ago. Trying this weekend but not optimistic. Might be looking at 4-6 weeks of complete rest. I can barely move my arm in the morning. Good times!

 

[G-Man]

Arm/ shoulder pulls and feels a bit numb every thing agitates it

 

[WMac19]

L4 L5 Herniated disc and daily sciatica pain.

It's pure hell.

I'm sorry to hear this, and yeah, this is my primary issue, too.

Even though I've had this frequently recurring since my late 20s, I only started epidural shots in 2019 at 51 years old. They were (are, still) revolutionary for me. They don't work for everyone, for some odd reason, but I'm one of the lucky ones.

That said, meds must've worn off because on 7/29, the back went out again. And for the 1st time, insurance denied coverage twice. This, despite my being eligible for 4 shots per year, yet my only requiring 2. And the doc saying that many others with similar coverage have had the shots for many more years than myself.

Anyway, coincidentally speaking, I just had dual lumbar epidural injections very early this morning. Doc's office called yesterday saying that I was approved. I didn't believe it . I'd mentally checked out following the 2nd denial. I didn't call the doctor or the insurance company. But, the office stuck with it, thankfully. They wanted to rush me in by making an appointment for the next day, today.

Honesty, I didn't believe that it was gonna happen until that first local was injected.

All the best to you. It's damned awful.

 

[War Eagle]

I'm sorry to hear this, and yeah, this is my primary issue, too.

Even though I've had this frequently recurring since my late 20s, I only started epidural shots in 2019 at 51 years old. They were (are, still) revolutionary for me. They don't work for everyone, for some odd reason, but I'm one of the lucky ones.

That said, meds must've worn off because on 7/29, the back went out again. And for the 1st time, insurance denied coverage twice. This, despite my being eligible for 4 shots per year, yet my only requiring 2. And the doc saying that many others with similar coverage have had the shots for many more years than myself.

Anyway, coincidentally speaking, I just had dual lumbar epidural injections very early this morning. Doc's office called yesterday saying that I was approved. I didn't believe it . I'd mentally checked out following the 2nd denial. I didn't call the doctor or the insurance company. But, the office stuck with it, thankfully. They wanted to rush me in by making an appointment for the next day, today.

Honesty, I didn't believe that it was gonna happen until that first local was injected.

All the best to you. It's damned awful.

Im so stubborn it's stupid. I know what stretches I need to do daily and get lazy with them. If I do what I need to do, I can go pain free. But, I get lazy and think, "it will be fine." And it isnt.

 

[WMac19]

Im so stubborn it's stupid. I know what stretches I need to do daily and get lazy with them. If I do what I need to do, I can go pain free. But, I get lazy and think, "it will be fine." And it isnt.

For specifically the L4/L5, I've found simple piriformis and hamstring stretches to work best for me. Even though you're not supposed to stretch while symptomatic, careful piriformis stretches will take the edge off, at least for myself.

Key, I've found, is a steady stretch, no bouncing, and held for at least 25-30 seconds. Right before bed has been a great routine for me, takes only a few minutes. I'll wake up way less tight and sore than without the stretches.

Like you, I'll sometimes get away from them, and it's then when I'll pay. But since July, I've stuck with it, and for the last few weeks, the herniation moved off the nerve. Today's shots became more of a preventative measure as to pain.

I've no doubt that the persistent and quick stretchings' cumulative effect (twice/day, only 2-3 minutes each time) has played its part in receding the herniation. Oh, and ice. Ice is my friend. Rotating ice and heat is a no-no for me. ICE.

All the best, bud.

 

[War Eagle]

For specifically the L4/L5, I've found simple piriformis and hamstring stretches to work best for me. Even though you're not supposed to stretch while symptomatic, careful piriformis stretches will take the edge off, at least for myself.

Key, I've found, is a steady stretch, no bouncing, and held for at least 25-30 seconds. Right before bed has been a great routine for me, takes only a few minutes. I'll wake up way less tight and sore than without the stretches.

Like you, I'll sometimes get away from them, and it's then when I'll pay. But since July, I've stuck with it, and for the last few weeks, the herniation moved off the nerve. Today's shots became more of a preventative measure as to pain.

I've no doubt that the persistent and quick stretchings' cumulative effect (twice/day, only 2-3 minutes each time) has played its part in receding the herniation. Oh, and ice. Ice is my friend. Rotating ice and heat is a no-no for me. ICE.

All the best, bud.

I sit on ice packs nightly, and it helps so much.I just need to stick with my stretches but most days its hard weird a suit and not. being in clothes that can allow for an easy stretch.

I set up my office this week with a stand up desk, and i can tell the last few days that it is helping a ton.

 

[WMac19]

I sit on ice packs nightly, and it helps so much.I just need to stick with my stretches but most days its hard weird a suit and not. being in clothes that can allow for an easy stretch.

I set up my office this week with a stand up desk, and i can tell the last few days that it is helping a ton.

Awesome, do try to keep it up!

As for ice-packs, I've absolutely dulled or maybe even killed the nerves in my skin's lower lumbar. I have 5 ice-packs that I use on rotation. 3 are good for an hour apiece, 2 are good for 2 hours each. Conventional wisdom says that there's NO WAY a person should ice as long as I do.

Well, I've found it to be a must.

 

[Greg Kulbick]

Guess we can hit the high spots...

Grew up thinking I was going to be a stuntman and threw myself off of everything I could climb or ride and hurt myself all the time. Dislocated my right shoulder surfing. My knees blew up in high school after running since i was 5, I've got no cartilage under my knee caps.

Wrecked a motorcycle, dislocated my shoulder again, shattered the right side of my rib cage, including separating all my ribs from my spine. To quote the doctor, my lung was pulverized. I couldn't lay flat, since my crushed rib cage couldn't protect my lung, i had to lay on an incline. All those broken off ribs sank as they healed so they're all wonky.

Left shoulder got messed up fighting off an Americana while rolling jiu jitsu, its been a problem ever since. Bulging disc in my neck, another I'm my lower back. Pretty sure I've got arthritis popping up in several places. Last year I developed some spike-shaped calcium deposits that were stabbing my rotator cuff giving me a dead arm.

 

[Buckeyegolfnut]

Just the build up of a long and active life's injuries. For example, I broke my right shoulder, and shattered my left wrist, in separate dirt bike racing injuries, and still have a Ti plate in the wrist. I don't have pain from those two injuries, but I do have a bit of reduced mobility from both, which restricts the length of my back swing in golf. I also have a degenerative disc in my lower back, again, it doesn't bother me most of the time, but occasionally I'll just aggravate it somehow and be in pain for a few days.

Other than the build up of old injuries, it just gets harder and harder to stay in shape, and keep my weight down at an acceptable level. It's so easy to find myself 20 lbs overweight, and so hard to do anything about it.

I have no problem with my weight. I'm 71, 5'9" and 155lbs. I used to be 185lbs! I also used to be the guy who had a 2 liter of Coke in the fridge and would fall asleep with his hand in the potato chip bag. I knew darn well what was putting the weight on me, and why my knees were complaining about it. I cut both of those out cold turkey, and the weight just fell off of me! Plus I started eating more sensibly. I still eat well, foods that I like, but in moderation. Tomorrow night, BBQ ribs!

And yes, we kids played every sport known to us. Football was the first one to tear up my right knee, and basketball committed the next two offenses. That's when I finally went under the knife for an ACL reconstruction. I still played basketball into my 50's, then decided that was a younger man's game. Plus the broken and sprained ankles, dislocations, concussions, etc.

I played 9 on Thursday with a buddy of mine at the local muni which we have just rediscovered. On the 5th tee I tries to go after it, and felt a twinge in my lower back. I've never really had back issues in my life, and I'm sincerely hoping that this does not become a trend. I lived in a world of hurt yesterday. I had to rise from a sitting to a standing position in stages! It feels a little bit better today after doing absolutely nothing!

I hope that it keeps loosening up because my main golf buddy's Son has arranged for us to play a private club a week from today and I'd hate to miss that. It's to be followed by a fabulous steak dinner at a nearby restaurant that we all like. However, the long range forecast suggests that the weather might screw us. It's calling for about a half inch of rain on Friday, and another quarter of an inch on Saturday, with a high in the mid 50's. Not a temp conducive to loosening up!