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rmkrum · 03-05-2019, 11:31 PM

So far, rest and OTC pain meds solve the rare episodes. I just have to remember I’m not a young, crazy teenager any more. I’m just no longer young.

Appreciate the offer, however!

Joyflea · 03-06-2019, 06:48 AM

David , get well soon . It will wait on you . A little drawing time . Blue

Minno · 03-06-2019, 07:37 AM

Did that several times to myself when I was younger. Never did it at work (lifting patients), always at home because I'd forget to lift properly when I wasn't at work. NOW, I'm more careful. Rest, ice, Ibuprofen.
Take care.

Kay

ALUMINUMINUM · 03-06-2019, 10:25 AM

Sorry, David

“Here's another fine mess you've gotten us into” .

Rest up, Go easy, Get well.

dbj216 · 03-06-2019, 07:26 PM

Thanks for the get well wishes everyone. I strained my back with the battery over a week ago. I was taking it easy, but still at it. Sunday, out of the blue, a "massive back spasm" as I call it dropped me to my knees with excruciating pain. I literally could not move. A injury without cause in my view.

Two nights in the hospital and several tests later, they discharged me like so much effluent. All the test were negative, which means positive in medical lingo.

I'm home now and feeling much better. I will start physical therapy soon. I have no idea how long it takes a lower back injury to heal. I don't want an encore.

David

Jeremy9107 · 03-06-2019, 11:30 PM

David. When I'm not fumbling through piecing together an Airstream, I dabble in practicing medicine. I hope for a speedy recovery for you. After a certain age, if you don't wake up aching in most joints, then you are probably dead.

my3sonsdad · 03-07-2019, 04:32 PM

Back injury recovery requires as much patience & perseverance as restoring an AS. Take it slow & all will be well.

dbj216 · 03-10-2019, 08:43 PM

Thank you for your words of encouragement on my recovery from this back injury. I had three more spasms this weekend. I guess I'm starting over on the recovery. The pain is very high. I decided our lower backs are like the transmissions in our tow vehicles. It it breaks, you don't move.

I did take delivery of the cooktop for the galley. It is a simple two burner job with a glass cover. One burner for the pasta, and one burner for the sauce. It will mount pretty flush with the countertop. It is a Dometic unit. I could not order this model online anywhere. My local Camping World is a Dometic dealer and they ordered it for me. Then Dometic couldn't tell us when it would be shipped. I found Dometic hard to do business with, but my Camping World did a great job sorting it all out.

I won't be making a new countertop anytime soon. Maybe on to some light duty jobs next week. We will see how I feel.

David

Jeremy9107 · 03-10-2019, 11:47 PM

David. I had similar experiences with Dometic. Seems they leave all the foot work to the distributor.

ALUMINUMINUM · 03-11-2019, 05:51 AM

Yup,

It slows you down when you're running like an old 426 hemi and the transmission goes into “limp mode”. When it happens to me, during the day when on my feet, I wrap up in a spined back brace to limit my range of motion, and don't use pain killers so I remain very aware of not overextending my movements into the pain zone. I dope up at night to sleep. It's usually about a month of recovery.

"Getting old is ruining my life."

That's a good lookin' cook-top.

Minno · 03-11-2019, 08:02 AM

Last time I did my back in, Dr. put me on Valium as a muscle relaxant. The muscle spasms were putting me on the floor, and my hubby had to rent a walker so I could get to the bathroom. Took the med and went to bed. Put me out of spasms after a couple of doses, so I could move. Carefully.
I remember spasms being extremely painful. Once I got down to just aching, it was wonderful. Haven't done that in years. Hope to never do it again.
Wishing you a quick recovery. Take it easy!

Kay

dbj216 · 03-11-2019, 08:12 PM

Thank you for sharing your experiences. Dr. google says 80% of humans have back injuries during their lifetimes. That's a big failure rate.

What's the bigger pain, Dometic or my back. My back for sure. I too am taking a muscle relaxer to help avoid further spasms. The doc put me on a stronger one today. We'll see if it helps. I feel like when I spasm, any healing that might have happened is lost. Back to square one. I also will get a back brace to hold me together until I heal up. And I don't take much for pain unless it is intolerable.

Let's see, I have to get a 4x8 sheet of 3/4 plywood into my shop and on the table. I have to do this without lifting, twisting, or bending per the doctor. Will be a challenge. Will wait until I heal.

David

rmkrum · 03-11-2019, 11:14 PM

Enlist the help of a couple healthy, younger friends. Supply beer and pizza AFTER the work is done.

You haven’t felt real pain until your back spasms are so bad all you can do is crawl to the bathroom. My doctor, after working me over with at least three electronic methods of relaxing the muscles in my back, was totally amazed I drove myself to his office. I told him I had no choice.

He worked on me another hour, sent me home with meds I was to take, but NOT even think about driving after I took them. That was “not a good day” to put it mildly.

Slats · 03-12-2019, 05:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dbj216

I was taking it easy, but still at it. Sunday, out of the blue, a "massive back spasm" as I call it dropped me to my knees with excruciating pain. I literally could not move. David

David - I have been going through that kind of hellish, debilitating pain off and on for a few months now, only to have it quite down in the last few weeks. Several trips to an ortho doc for poking, probing and a contrast MRI have narrowed the cause to an unruly SI joint linking the spine to the pelvis. Growing old is a forced anatomy lesson.

dbj216 · 03-12-2019, 07:20 PM

Dog Gone lower backs. Nothing but pain. We have a snowstorm approching from the southwest. I'm guessing a foot for us. Mother Nature puts it there, Mother Nature will have to take it away for me.

I need one of those exoskeletons to strap on. I couldn't afford it, so I think I'll just strap a 2x6 to my back; around the low waste, and around my neck. Stiff as a board as they say.

David

chrisetmike · 03-14-2019, 03:32 PM

Hi David
Sorry to hear about your back. I hope you feel better soon.
Good luck!

dbj216 · 03-14-2019, 08:43 PM

We got the predicted snowstorm. A blizzard they called it. I estimate 15" on my ground, on top of the 2' already there. My wonderful sons came up and dug me out. Bless them. That's why we moved here, to help each other out, and to share life experiences. Especially in a vintage Overlander.

I haven't been in the shop for almost two weeks. I had planned to be under the trailer installing the belly pan, and then axles. That will be a challenge with a sore back. I start physical therapy tomorrow. My goal is to learn how to care for my back, and learn how to make it stronger. I don't want this experience again.

Here is a photo of the door to the shop. Lots of snow. My son did the shoveling.
The photo is scrunched up as it was a phone photo that I resized. Looks better on the phone screen.

David

Hittenstiehl · 03-14-2019, 09:02 PM

Wow that looks like a delightful sledding possibility.

For someone....as I too have a waning back.

You guys be careful up there. I had never heard of a bomb cyclone before but the pictures are something else. Crazy weather everywhere.

dbj216 · 03-17-2019, 06:42 PM

We've had good snows around here. Should make for some drought relief and less wildfire hazard. Moisture is a good thing. Snow is best for us because of all the rocks. It is "time released" moisture, whereas a thunderstorm downpour mostly runs off down into the creeks.

The folks in the midwest and eastern regions are having a rough winter. Even your Arizona has had more rain and cold than normal.

Here is a photo of my shop window. Snow halfway up the window. I can't see my mountain anymore. Sad.

David

dbj216 · 03-17-2019, 06:54 PM

I'm getting more better. I can actually put my own socks on now. Progress. A back injury is very debilitating. It's been two weeks and I'm on the mend. Maybe just waiting for the next spasm to hit me.

I purchased a used big piece of tambour, a finger pull, and the two spirals from fellow Air Forums participants.

I installed these parts and learned more about why horizontal tambour doors stick and jam. The key is having enough clearance between the upper and lower spirals so the tambour will roll up smoothly. I had to adjust mine a couple of times. Also, the aluminum extrusions that the tambour runs in must be the correct width, must be clean, and must not have "burrs" or dents in them. Well, I got all that straightened out and the new tambour opens and shuts with one finger. Same with the one on the right side even all the while going around the curves.

But I discovered that Airstream must have had different colors of tambour slats for different models, or different model years. My trailer has a light color tambour in the galley overheads and in the bath. It has a brown color everywhere else. This new tambour is a darker shade of brown. Oh well, maybe someday I'll find a big enough piece in good enough condition that I will change it. At least my wife can say "look on the dark side". None of that left or right stuff.

It is a small improvement over what was there. Shabby looking hinged doors, also of the wrong color.

David