Watcha doing today?

[j.w]

The Robin is back in the nest now. Hope all goes well w/her and her eggs and babies.

[rubyduby]

Nice shot...she is well camouflaged!

[brokensword]

So, it was a day...


...that lasted almost 24 hours...


but first, the backstory from a couple days ago; Wednesday night, felt a bit of back stiffness and figured it was from the weeding and gardening I'd been doing and probably also from messing with the mower. As some may or may not know, I'm a landscaper and my mower has been in need of repair (welding), something which I don't personally do. The guy that HAS been doing all my welding repair, gave me the idea he really didn't want to do it (he does welding on the side of his Castor Wheel company, so not a full time welder or anything) and I got the hint and went hunting for someone else. This involves swapping an older, much less used front mower deck for the one I was using currently (and in need of replacement or more repair). As I couldn't find anyone, I altered my 'plan' to involve LESS welding of parts and more adaption, old to newer. My original thought was to get a new mower, but at $6K start price, and knowing I only have this summer and next to go before retirement, I balked at that idea. Hence the older but less used deck swap idea took root.

The other day while working, met an old friend and I just nonchalantly asked if he knew of anyone that welded. He had a 'guy' for me and I followed up. Called and made an arrangement to get the mower and replacement deck to his place at week's end (Friday). My normal Friday is light, to allow for catching up due to rain or machine ornery-ness. So, Wednesday, it rained and I got behind for Thursday. This was the night I first felt the back stiffness. Thursday dawned and I knew I'd have to hustle with MORE than usual lawns; the hustle was because right now, the grass is 6+ inches and I'm double cutting almost every one. So, hard to make any time. At the back of my mind is, I told the 'guy' I'd be to his place (he works out of his home and is retired but does welding on the side jobs) between 1 and 1:30, figuring there was welding to do but more importantly, there was 'build me a mower' mentality. See, I don't have backukp; once I start pulling and cutting pieces from one, that's it--no real going back so whatever happened, I needed time to fix the things I DIDN'T anticipate (of which there's always more than I ever want!). So, Thursday, worked longer, harder, and the whole time, my back was bothering me even worse. Almost came home and told the guy maybe Saturday would be better, but no, I persevered and finished, albeit late. Friday dawns, feel better, have a good day working--even gained some time over what I planned, so loaded everything up, mower and swap-deck, and found the 'guy'.

Turns out he has a childhood affliction that affects his whole left side and leaves him basically one-handed. And he's now my age and still making life work, so I was impressed. But in having this situation, I did more help than otherwise (holding, wrenching, etc) as I had him weld the parts I needed to make the old-less-used deck mate to the back of my current mower. Then we had to adjust, etc to make sure everything would actually work and work well. Well, about 3 hours into this, with me on the ground, different angles and positions, my back started acting up again. And it got worse. I kid you not that I spend a lot of time on all fours, on the pavement, holding nuts and bolts, cranking this and that, taking stuff off, putting it back on, lifting here, etc, and all the time, it worsened.

Finally, about 10 p.m., we finished and I was actually worried about my 30 minute drive home; felt the pain radiate and there was no let-uip. Feared I might just get distracted with the pain and not pay attention to the road. Got home, thank God, got out of the truck, bracing and everything flared more.

Well it was about then that certain individuals ON THIS FORUM (you KNOW who you are!!) came to mind with recent posts. All that 'bad talk' about kidney stones suddenly took root in my head and I knew I was doomed! Yeah, sure felt like I was going to birth another one of them lil devils. Tried to relax and hope it got better but it didn't. Told mrsbrokensword, I think it's another kidney stone and we better get to emergency. I was already unable to bend and take off shoes, socks, etc as that was NOT the position of comfort to say the least. So, got myself ready and we got to emergency about midnight. And we were still there almost 2 hours later with no pain relief. I nearly left as I couldn't hardly stand it anymore. But we got seen. And finally, someone noticed the level of pain I was in. Finally.

Went for the catscan and around 3:30 was told there was NO obstructing stones. My wtf face turned on. No stones moving and making me wish I was dead? He had to be kidding. But no, apparently, unless I'd passed them already, that was not the source of my pain. So I asked the doc; ah, so what's causing the pain? And without blinking, he said 'We don't know'. Okay, another wtf face mixed with doubt this guy looked at the right chart. I said 'so, now what?' and he says' 'you go home.'

Hmm, and all I'm hearing is when this drug wears off (and at that time, the 'waves of pain' had subsided but a deeper centered pain in my lower back was keeping me in the '7' range for pain, as opposed to the 10+ I'd been having), and the pain comes back, I'm going to be in a world of hurt. He WAS sending me home with pain killers and muscle relaxants, which I deduced is where they thought my issue originated (maybe, probably), but the emergency doc who first examined me, well, she pushed and prodded, even thumped me pretty hard (at my request) in the back and nothing akin to pain. It all felt internal, JUST LIKE A KIDNEY stone adventure! How could this be muscular if prodding didn't bring any pain?

So fine, finally, by 5:15 this morning, I was discharged and my wife drove us home. The pain in my lower back DID finally abate, even if I can still feel it but now it's like a 2 and not a 7. Tired but Saturday is the best day of THIS weekend (one in which my wife took Monday off and we'd planned on actually mini-vacationing to somewhere), so we're up and going PONDING! (if I can sit in the lounge and not aggravate my back) but pretty wiped out. Hoping NOTHING needs fixing or doing for the next 3 days so I can get healthy enough to work again!

...so, it was a day!

[j.w]

Oh my @brokensword all this and you still don't really know what it was. Must have been your back and muscles etc. giving you grief from all that torturous work w/that mower. I hope you at least have a working mower now! Praying your condition whatever it is will go away soon. Perhaps you need to enter into a regime of exercising to get your back muscles in better shape? I do and hour each morning and then my 6 mile walk or bike ride. Also just started taking Creatine to help my muscle's get stronger. Mayo clinic says it's cool for aged to perfection peeps!

[brokensword]

Oh my @brokensword all this and you still don't really know what it was. Must have been your back and muscles etc. giving you grief from all that torturous work w/that mower. I hope you at least have a working mower now! Praying your condition whatever it is will go away soon. Perhaps you need to enter into a regime of exercising to get your back muscles in better shape? I do and hour each morning and then my 6 mile walk or bike ride. Also just started taking Creatine to help my muscle's get stronger. Mayo clinic says it's cool for aged to perfection peeps!

I guess it HAD to be muscular as they didn't see any obstruction. Hard to believe then, and now, but I'll soldier on. Yep, wouldn't have worked like that while hurting if not to finish the mower. Nice load off my mind (and apparently, now on my back!).

Thanks for the prayers, they're much in need! Ended up sleeping away the whole afternoon and NOW we're going to try ponding! (it was cloudy at earlier posting and now, sunny!)

[SarahT]

and now? hope you're doing ok.

[brokensword]

and now? hope you're doing ok.

was a slug and didn't move hardly at all just so I didn't aggravate anything further. Sure felt like kidney stone movement, but guess it wasn't. Felt better today and I 'tested' out both my body and 'new-ish' mower by cutting my own grass. Things went pretty well, so crossing my fingers all the prayers worked and if i don't do anything to tweak it, should heal throughout the week while working. 'Work' didn't seem to bother me, so...That's the plan, at least! Appreciate the concern!

Still a bit miffed that the doc couldn't really tell me why I was in such pain, but our theory is muscle fatigue and overuse once I tweaked it again; should have just stopped working on the mower and called it a day--lesson learned! And my new 'emergency room' plan, figuring i'm probably going to have kidney stones again, is to keep some of the drugs they gave for muscle relaxants and some pain pills and take them with me when this happens again; didn't like suffering for no obvious reason. I mean, what does emergency mean, then? At least I'll be less miserable waiting next time!

[j.w]

and now? hope you're doing ok.

was a slug and didn't move hardly at all just so I didn't aggravate anything further. Sure felt like kidney stone movement, but guess it wasn't. Felt better today and I 'tested' out both my body and 'new-ish' mower by cutting my own grass. Things went pretty well, so crossing my fingers all the prayers worked and if i don't do anything to tweak it, should heal throughout the week while working. 'Work' didn't seem to bother me, so...That's the plan, at least! Appreciate the concern!

Still a bit miffed that the doc couldn't really tell me why I was in such pain, but our theory is muscle fatigue and overuse once I tweaked it again; should have just stopped working on the mower and called it a day--lesson learned! And my new 'emergency room' plan, figuring i'm probably going to have kidney stones again, is to keep some of the drugs they gave for muscle relaxants and some pain pills and take them with me when this happens again; didn't like suffering for no obvious reason. I mean, what does emergency mean, then? At least I'll be less miserable waiting next time!

Thankful you are feeling better now and hope you will stop working if this ever happens again so you don't make it worse. I too saved two bottles of the good pain meds just in case stones come back w/a vengeance. So far i have not needed them w/any of the kidney stones that came after that first attack. That one was the real king doozy! They don't hand those pills out like they used to so keep them forever!

[brokensword]

and now? hope you're doing ok.

was a slug and didn't move hardly at all just so I didn't aggravate anything further. Sure felt like kidney stone movement, but guess it wasn't. Felt better today and I 'tested' out both my body and 'new-ish' mower by cutting my own grass. Things went pretty well, so crossing my fingers all the prayers worked and if i don't do anything to tweak it, should heal throughout the week while working. 'Work' didn't seem to bother me, so...That's the plan, at least! Appreciate the concern!

Still a bit miffed that the doc couldn't really tell me why I was in such pain, but our theory is muscle fatigue and overuse once I tweaked it again; should have just stopped working on the mower and called it a day--lesson learned! And my new 'emergency room' plan, figuring i'm probably going to have kidney stones again, is to keep some of the drugs they gave for muscle relaxants and some pain pills and take them with me when this happens again; didn't like suffering for no obvious reason. I mean, what does emergency mean, then? At least I'll be less miserable waiting next time!

Thankful you are feeling better now and hope you will stop working if this ever happens again so you don't make it worse. I too saved two bottles of the good pain meds just in case stones come back w/a vengeance. So far i have not needed them w/any of the kidney stones that came after that first attack. That one was the real king doozy! They don't hand those pills out like they used to so keep them forever!

yeppa, I hear ya, Boss! Sure altered my view of hospitals, of their 'triage' methodology. Today went pretty well--no issues once everything dried up and I got out there. Mower cuts like I didn't remember! So glad I pushed to get this done now! I've decided to start drinking lemon juice with my orange juice (can't handle lemon juice straight!) as per your direction and see if the two stones still hanging in each of my kidneys can be dissolved before they wreak any havoc. Figure, it can't hurt and I know full well, I can!

[j.w]

was a slug and didn't move hardly at all just so I didn't aggravate anything further. Sure felt like kidney stone movement, but guess it wasn't. Felt better today and I 'tested' out both my body and 'new-ish' mower by cutting my own grass. Things went pretty well, so crossing my fingers all the prayers worked and if i don't do anything to tweak it, should heal throughout the week while working. 'Work' didn't seem to bother me, so...That's the plan, at least! Appreciate the concern!

Still a bit miffed that the doc couldn't really tell me why I was in such pain, but our theory is muscle fatigue and overuse once I tweaked it again; should have just stopped working on the mower and called it a day--lesson learned! And my new 'emergency room' plan, figuring i'm probably going to have kidney stones again, is to keep some of the drugs they gave for muscle relaxants and some pain pills and take them with me when this happens again; didn't like suffering for no obvious reason. I mean, what does emergency mean, then? At least I'll be less miserable waiting next time!

Thankful you are feeling better now and hope you will stop working if this ever happens again so you don't make it worse. I too saved two bottles of the good pain meds just in case stones come back w/a vengeance. So far i have not needed them w/any of the kidney stones that came after that first attack. That one was the real king doozy! They don't hand those pills out like they used to so keep them forever!

yeppa, I hear ya, Boss! Sure altered my view of hospitals, of their 'triage' methodology. Today went pretty well--no issues once everything dried up and I got out there. Mower cuts like I didn't remember! So glad I pushed to get this done now! I've decided to start drinking lemon juice with my orange juice (can't handle lemon juice straight!) as per your direction and see if the two stones still hanging in each of my kidneys can be dissolved before they wreak any havoc. Figure, it can't hurt and I know full well, I can!

That lemon juice really helped me. I drank it in just water every morning. Now I don't use it but if the stones start to become a thing again I will. I hated drinking the lemon and I don't drink fruit juice as too much sugar. Would rather just eat an apple.
Glad you hear you mower surgery was a success!

[rubyduby]

I just caught up here and can't believe what transpired in the past couple of days! Talk about "power of suggestion" brokensword! Glad to hear you are feeling better and were able to catch up on your chores...I, too, am drinking lemon water like j.w. suggested:)

[brokensword]

I just caught up here and can't believe what transpired in the past couple of days! Talk about "power of suggestion" brokensword! Glad to hear you are feeling better and were able to catch up on your chores...I, too, am drinking lemon water like j.w. suggested:)

I think we just formed our first subchapter here; Lemon Juice Drinkers! (LJD).

heh heh

Funny thing is, I had also talked to a friend (hockey buddy) and he's had back issues now for a while, has had to go through rehab just to get permission for an MRI. I saw him yesterday and read HIM the riot act too, for cursing me with the back issue! Still hard to believe it was NOT a kidney stone, but I guess I should be happy it wasn't. Still have that core soreness in the middle of my lower back but nothing that sends pain or stops me. I'll chalk this up (partially) to an old-age issue and just be more careful if I tweak it again!