EQGuy
US Veteran
Around the time I hit 50, I am now 68, I started having a lot of aches and pains in my back and shoulder’s. Occasionally it would feel like someone would kick me in the shins with a pair of sharp pointed cowboy boots. This occurred when I was walking or sitting in my chair at work. It was quite painful but happened only occasionally so I did not see a DR. About 6 years ago I was digging a hole to plant a lemon tree in my back yard and I pulled my back and experienced the most severe pain I had ever experienced up to that time. I ended up in the ER and they finally decided they really needed to do something for me when I vomited on the floor. They took X-rays but could not find the cause of my pain. I was finally released after the pain subsided.
About four years ago I had severe pain in my left shoulder shortly after starting to take Zocor. I saw that one of the side effects was severe muscle pain so I quit taking it. I saw my Dr. and he recommended physical therapy. I could not lift my left arm above my shoulder. After several months of PT I regained the use of my arm.
I thought all of this time that these aches and pains were just part of getting to be an old guy. I was eating Motrin like it was candy. When I retired in 2010 I bought a 16 foot square back canoe and a 3.5 HP outboard to go along with it. The canoe weighs about 70 pounds and I would load it on top of my camper shell and go duck hunting. In January of 2011 I got to where I could not use my left arm to load the canoe so I saw my Dr. again. He sent me to a orthopedic Dr. and she ordered an MRI. When the results came in she set me up an appointment with an Orthopedic Surgeon.
I had my first rotator cuff surgery and the surgeon was surprised to discover that my bicep tendon was severed from one of its attachment points and it was an old tear. That explained the previous problem. It turned out that I also had bone spurs that were tearing the tendons. As he explained it was like taking a cheese grater to my tendons every time I moved my arms. I asked what the likelihood was of my right shoulder doing the same. He told around 25%.
By this time I had purchased a 14 foot V-hull aluminum boat along with a 9.8HP motor. In January of 2012 I was pulling my motor off of the boat and injured my right shoulder. You guessed it I had to have rotator cuff surgery on it which I had May last year. The surgeon told me that I was close to severing one of the tendons in my right arm and it was good I had the surgery when I did.
OK now all is well and I can live the rest of my life in peace. Wrong! I had been having occasional tingling and numbness down my right leg for several years but now it was getting to be common so off to the Dr’s I go. He ordered another MRI and the results showed spinal stenosis. He then referred me to a sports medicine Dr. I started physical therapy but that did not help. He gave me an epidural injection last December and that helped considerably but then I started having severe pains in my left leg. I had a very painful charley horse in me left calf that lasted for 10 days. The only relied I had was by reclining in my lazy boy and icing the calf. I had my final visit with my orthopedic surgeon who did my rotator cuff surgeries last September and I asked him if he would look at my MRI of my lower back. It turned out that he used to do back surgeries and he told me that I was a very good candidate for surgery. He recommended a surgeon when I asked him to and I consulted with him. He told me to try the epidural first which I did. I had the surgery 3 months ago and they discovered there was fluid filled cyst bearing against my spine that was the main culprit. I am well on my way to recovery now and for the first time in many years I do not have these aches and pains that I associated all of this time with old age. I even got the all clear to start limited shooting from my Dr yesterday. I have not taken a Motrin for a couple of years now. I just hope my body does not have any more surprises in store for me. Oh well I see it is time to leave for my PT appointment. Before I go I just wanted to tell you 'old' guys and gals out there that if you are experiencing aches and pains all of a sudden maybe you should see your doctor.
About four years ago I had severe pain in my left shoulder shortly after starting to take Zocor. I saw that one of the side effects was severe muscle pain so I quit taking it. I saw my Dr. and he recommended physical therapy. I could not lift my left arm above my shoulder. After several months of PT I regained the use of my arm.
I thought all of this time that these aches and pains were just part of getting to be an old guy. I was eating Motrin like it was candy. When I retired in 2010 I bought a 16 foot square back canoe and a 3.5 HP outboard to go along with it. The canoe weighs about 70 pounds and I would load it on top of my camper shell and go duck hunting. In January of 2011 I got to where I could not use my left arm to load the canoe so I saw my Dr. again. He sent me to a orthopedic Dr. and she ordered an MRI. When the results came in she set me up an appointment with an Orthopedic Surgeon.
I had my first rotator cuff surgery and the surgeon was surprised to discover that my bicep tendon was severed from one of its attachment points and it was an old tear. That explained the previous problem. It turned out that I also had bone spurs that were tearing the tendons. As he explained it was like taking a cheese grater to my tendons every time I moved my arms. I asked what the likelihood was of my right shoulder doing the same. He told around 25%.
By this time I had purchased a 14 foot V-hull aluminum boat along with a 9.8HP motor. In January of 2012 I was pulling my motor off of the boat and injured my right shoulder. You guessed it I had to have rotator cuff surgery on it which I had May last year. The surgeon told me that I was close to severing one of the tendons in my right arm and it was good I had the surgery when I did.
OK now all is well and I can live the rest of my life in peace. Wrong! I had been having occasional tingling and numbness down my right leg for several years but now it was getting to be common so off to the Dr’s I go. He ordered another MRI and the results showed spinal stenosis. He then referred me to a sports medicine Dr. I started physical therapy but that did not help. He gave me an epidural injection last December and that helped considerably but then I started having severe pains in my left leg. I had a very painful charley horse in me left calf that lasted for 10 days. The only relied I had was by reclining in my lazy boy and icing the calf. I had my final visit with my orthopedic surgeon who did my rotator cuff surgeries last September and I asked him if he would look at my MRI of my lower back. It turned out that he used to do back surgeries and he told me that I was a very good candidate for surgery. He recommended a surgeon when I asked him to and I consulted with him. He told me to try the epidural first which I did. I had the surgery 3 months ago and they discovered there was fluid filled cyst bearing against my spine that was the main culprit. I am well on my way to recovery now and for the first time in many years I do not have these aches and pains that I associated all of this time with old age. I even got the all clear to start limited shooting from my Dr yesterday. I have not taken a Motrin for a couple of years now. I just hope my body does not have any more surprises in store for me. Oh well I see it is time to leave for my PT appointment. Before I go I just wanted to tell you 'old' guys and gals out there that if you are experiencing aches and pains all of a sudden maybe you should see your doctor.
