Paying the price?

B

Bluewolf

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have heard people talk about paying the price of early abuse of drugs and alcohol. I have a slightly different story.

I was diagnosed with back and neck problems at age 12, but chose to go full tilt anyway, a lot like gremlin's sig line. At 30, when I was really into karate and busy pushing my body and going to tournaments, etc, well I kept pushing only harder. If I landed on my neck after a flying kick, I went to the chiropractor, took muscle relaxers and kept tormenting my body;)

Now at 51, with a few herniated discs in my neck, etc, just now facing up to and accepting limitations. I always said I would rather go full tilt, even if it put me in a wheelchair than to have lived my life 'ascaired of livin' and afeared of dying'. There are so many fun things to experience in life, I did not want to spend it being 'cautious' and not doing fun stuff.

Life is still great and pool is not as tough physically as karate but still finding that even in that, my body will not do what it did at 30 nor what the younger players can do. Oh well

Life is life and we all made choices.I made mine,but I sure had fun.Still is, just different.
:D :D

Laura
 
Laura, I can certainly sympathize. I'm 55
& it seems like everyhing is falling apart.
Thank God I'm still a sexy mfer.
 
blud said:
I hope you get better, real soon.
god bless Laura
blud
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Thanks blud. One thing my very wise father taught me was to take life on lifes terms. We all get older and as he loved to say 'I am just passing through'. He had so much courage. No matter what physical challenges he faced, he maintained the attitude that life was wonderful. I would like to think that I have a little of my daddy in me.;)

I think it is a matter of focus. A person can focus on their physical ailments, loved ones lost or financial difficulties or chose to focus on the good stuff. I think it is a choice. It is all good.

Laura
 
Laura,

Most of us that are in our 50's are paying the price of living through the 60's and 70's! We're pretty lucky we made it this far! I have been so fortunate to have lived a wonderful life and if I kiick tomorrow, it will be with a smile on my face. Every day from here on is just icing on the cake. I still have one or two flying back kicks left in me, they're just not as high or as fast as they used to be! LOL!!
 
Laura, it's not to late to get healthy and back in shape, so long as you are not permanently crippled. There are types of therapy you can have for neck and back problems. They may be a little pricy, but you only live once, so why live in pain? You are not hopeless unless you consistently admit you are. There are many things you can do to stay healthy, and learning about what you should eat and what vitamins and minerals to take is the most important part. If you experience any type of health problems, please contact a physician and see what you can do to start feeling better.
 
LastTwo said:
Laura, it's not to late to get healthy and back in shape, so long as you are not permanently crippled. You are not hopeless unless you consistently admit you are. There are many things you can do to stay healthy, and learning about what you should eat and
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Not crazy about docs. The neurologist I went to put me on these seizure meds, tried several, and I was ending up in the floor in complete paralysis. Well I decided I would rather have seizures, stopped the meds and guess what, no seizures either. It was an incorrect diagnosis. Other than routine bloodwork and things like that, I will take a chiro anyday. Docs just want to drug you up and none of the drugs work on me anyway. If my neck hurts, I take excedrin, easy stretching to make sure everything is working, heat, ice or whatever, and go to the chiro. Pain pills, muscle relaxers, nasty stuff imo that I want nothing to do with!!!

You are so right. I take gobs of vitamins and other supplements every day that were recommended to me by an immunologist and a couple other ones recommended by my chiro to keep my omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids in practice. I love to swim also and am such a good swimmer, I can do it for an hour no problem.

In spite of herniated discs etc, believe it or not, I am not in much pain. It does give me some arm pain on occasion, but I pretty much dont pay much attention to that unless it is real bad ust do a shorter ligher practice.Just put on a wrist brace and keep shooting, up to a point. It is just the way it is. Besides my chiro said that arm pain from discs is usually temporary anyway.

Last match I got real fatigued. Someone talked to me about hydration, diet and all of that. I think I let myself get dehydrated so am now drinking lots more water. It is amazing how something like hydration and/or keeping your blood sugar stabilized can be such a huge factor.

It is so easy to drink that cup of coffee in the morning and think one has had something to drink. And cokes, yuch. They eat away at your stomach lining, real corrosive, even on metal. Imagine that!!

Since fatigue IS such a factor, am changing my practice routine to build up my stamina too. Last night I played my sl7 hubbie, races to 5, no spot. Now that is fun for me. I hated having a spot in apa because that kind of win is not nearly as satisfying as one where the race is dead even. Well that is me. I guess it has been there all along. When I was a green belt in karate, for instance, I always wanted to spar against brown and black belts.;)

Laura
 
Coffee, coke, anything with alot of caffeine will do quite the opposite of hydrating you.

Here is an easy way to check your hydration level- Check the color of your urine. Someone who is perfectly hydrated has clear urine. The more yellow or orange your urine is, the more dehydrated you are. Here is a small scale-

Clear= Good Hydration Level
Light Yellow= Adequate Hydration Level
Yellow=Low Hydration Level
Dark Yellow/Orange=Dangerously Low Hydration Level

I learned this a few years ago when I was in the US Army. Also be careful about drinking TOO much water, that can be dangerous too. Although it you would have to drink way more then you would ever want to get Hyponatremia, it has happened to people who vigorously work out and keep drinking tons of water thinking that they should.
 
Hi Laura,

Several years ago, I was playing in Toronto and meet a very nice young lady who seems to share some of your pain. I believe hers was accident related. As you play pool, have you met Maureen Seto? If not, perhaps it would be educational for both of you.
 
LastTwo said:
Coffee, coke, anything with alot of caffeine will do quite the opposite of hydrating you.

Here is an easy way to check your hydration level- Check the color of your urine. Someone who is perfectly hydrated has clear urine. The more yellow or orange your urine is, the more dehydrated you are. Here is a small scale-

Clear= Good Hydration Level
Light Yellow= Adequate Hydration Level
Yellow=Low Hydration Level
Dark Yellow/Orange=Dangerously Low Hydration Level
Click to expand...

This sounds good except for one thing. If a person is taking vit b, that turned the urine yellow. One of the vit b, i think it is six is a diuetic also so maybe should not take it before a tournament?

Laura
 
cardiac kid said:
Hi Laura,

Several years ago, I was playing in Toronto and meet a very nice young lady who seems to share some of your pain. I believe hers was accident related. As you play pool, have you met Maureen Seto? If not, perhaps it would be educational for both of you.
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Gosh, I think I have heard of her. They think mine got herniated when I flipped my car on the interstate;)

Geez. I know there are way worse off people than me and they are very much an inspiration to the rest of us.

I just want to compete and get better at pool. Last night my sl7 hubbie beat me 5-3 at nine ball. I was doing pretty good at 3-3, until he ran out the last two racks.haha. I have definately got aways to go.

Laura
 
Laura,

I read no where in this thread about your rolling a car. I do not know how to take your answer. My suggestion was purely one of assistance.
 
LastTwo said:
I'm not sure.... is b6 fat soluble or water soluble?
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Yes, all of the b vits and c are water soluble. Whatever your body does not need, it just passes.

The fat soluble ones that you have to be a little more careful of are A,D,E and K. Generally, you have to take a lot of ADE for this to be a problem. K is potassium. people on diuretics often have to take supps of this but too much can cause heart irregularities. My body makes the right amount of this. This is one of the things they check for when they do a blood test to check electrolytes(potassium, chloride etc).I take 400mcg E, Coenzyme A. D I get from diet and sunlight. I also take calcium mag, b complex and c.

I take two supps to help the liver with its job of clearing all of the toxins from the body and flaxseed oil for the omega 6 and 3.There is lots of research also coming out about grains and breads, etc putting that omega 3 and 6 severely out of balance so I stick more to protein, veggies etc. Bt taking the flaxseed, when I do have that ocasional sandwich, it does not hurt my body as much. They are associating an imbalance in these fatty acids with pain such as spinal stuff.

I also take selenium. Not sure why except that she said too. She is a nutritional immunologist who also has MS, which is one of those diseases caused by a persons immune system gone haywire. This stuff is for anyone really but especially good for someone with any neurological stuff or other things like lupus. I count my screwed up back as a neuro problem LOL

Well that is probably more than you want to know.;)

Laura
 
cardiac kid said:
Laura,

I read no where in this thread about your rolling a car. I do not know how to take your answer. My suggestion was purely one of assistance.
Click to expand...

I should have said thanks. It would be kool to meet her. Does she compete anywhere near me. I am in DC. In terms of womens events we get CAT and Falcon tour here, if she competes in those. Or is she already a pro?

I mentioned the car thing (something that happened 4 months or so ago)only to say that if her injuries were caused by an accident, we have that in common. Most of my back and neck problems seem to be a series of 'small accidents' like a hairlline fracture in my neck at age 12 (was a pretty crazy kid, jumping off tops of garages and things) and they think the herniated disks I now have in my neck came from rolling the car.

If she is the person I have heard of, she has overcome more than I will ever have to deal with and someone like that is an inspiration to all of the rest of us who have had some problems. It is kind of like when you meet someone who has overcome so much, it gives a person hope, courage and all of that.

Sorry if the way I said it first did not come across right.

Laura
 
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