Author Topic: Frustrations...  (Read 1493 times)

Offline 10KPete

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Frustrations...
« on: November 15, 2018, 08:57:24 PM »
Don't get me wrong, I'm better off than many.  I just came in from the shop where I'm trying to do what should be a simple job. I need to weld a 1" square by 1/8" thick tab to the edge of another bit of 1/8" flat bar. Hot rolled steel. Gas welding.

This I could do without blinking a few years ago. Done it hundreds of times. But my body won't let me do it any more except on select days which I cannot predict. Tremors. I just cannot hold still any more. I did a similar weld the day before yesterday and had trouble by got it done. The shakes weren't as bad.

I'm even having trouble typing sometimes.

I don't have MIG here and I'm in the main part of the shop so MIG would be out as well as stick because of sparks....

My eyes give me troubles nowadays as well and I'm just more and more finding I just can't do many things I could before. Simple things like soldering, center punching, anything that requires fine motor movement. It's very frustrating as I'm finally getting the shop so I can actually use it!!

I've had a brain implant for almost 10 years now that has nicely taken care of the tremors, but not so much any more. Docs say the technology can't yet do more......

Very frustrated.

Thanks for listening,

Pete
Craftsman, Tinkerer, Curious Person.
Retired, finally!
SB 10K lathe, Benchmaster mill. And stuff.

Offline Ye-Ole Steam Dude

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Re: Frustrations...
« Reply #1 on: November 15, 2018, 09:18:21 PM »
Hello Pete,

Do not let this kind of stuff get you down. I am 77 and have many of the same issues but have decided to accept where I am in life at my age and just move right along.....when this kind of event happens now to me, I set the tools aside and move on to another project. Sometimes I have to move again, but I do and eventually that day I find something that I can accomplish without TOO MUCH trouble.

My old saying was "Life is a composite of random good luck and bad luck".

My new saying is "Life is what it is and if it wasn't it would be something else".  :shrug: :thinking: :headscratch:

And of course, Have a great day,
Thomas

Thomas

Offline zeeprogrammer

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Re: Frustrations...
« Reply #2 on: November 15, 2018, 09:53:41 PM »
Sorry to hear about your frustrations Pete.

My new saying is "Life is what it is and if it wasn't it would be something else".  :shrug: :thinking: :headscratch:

I like that.
Carl (aka Zee) Will sometimes respond to 'hey' but never 'hey you'.
"To work. To work."
Zee-Another Thread Trasher.

Offline cnr6400

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Re: Frustrations...
« Reply #3 on: November 15, 2018, 10:07:37 PM »
Pete, sorry to hear about the tremors and other things causing the frustrations. Happens to many of us. Awfully frustrating as you say.

Just a thought - are there any youngsters in your area interested in shop work? a Scout troop or 4H group? Maybe there would be one or two young persons in one of these groups  interested in learning shop skills with you, with the leader in attendance. For example you could teach and pass on that skill of welding the tab to the plate you've done so many times and in return the youngster would learn a valuable skill by becoming your second set of hands. The jobs would get done. Everybody wins.
"I've cut that stock three times, and it's still too short!"

Offline Brian Rupnow

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Re: Frustrations...
« Reply #4 on: November 15, 2018, 10:10:14 PM »
Pete--I can do everything at 72 that I could do at 40. Can't do it as well, can't do it as long--you know how that goes. I can't see worth poop to electric weld anymore. I still do weld, but I can't really see into the heart of the arc puddle to see what's happening anymore. I wouldn't want to make a weld that my life depended on. If I stand too long at my lathe or mill, I get bad back pain from a couple of  compressed discs in my back. I'm old and I'm fat and most of the time I feel surprisingly good. Every time I get an ache or a pain I'm not familiar with it scares the snot out of me. My oldest son who is 42 was diagnosed with early onset Parkinsons three years ago. He's had a rough ride, but they have him on a drug now that stops the tremors. (I think it's called cinamet.) Doctors have told him that when the drug stops working, brain surgery will be his next step.---Brian

Offline gerritv

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Re: Frustrations...
« Reply #5 on: November 15, 2018, 11:14:35 PM »
This aging thing is not all it was said to be!!
Sorry to hear that you can't do things as simply or at all. Is there any possibility of clamping things helping at all? Windows 10 has speech to text built in, very handy once you get used to controlling it a bit (starting to learn that to help a friend).

I find myself occasionally dropping small stuff, and now use a small platform to get items closer to me while sitting or standing at the work bench. More clamping for things such as soldering 2 wires together. I have prostate cancer but it is under control for now.  I am heading to 71 and am finding the stories and experiences from others here strangely supportive of whatever ailments might take hold of me in the future.

Gerrit
Don't confuse activity with progress

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Frustrations...
« Reply #6 on: November 15, 2018, 11:41:19 PM »
Pete, we are headed there one way or another. Eyes are already bad and other maladies will come as they will. Just enjoy what you can, when you can. Hopefully some new breakthrough will come along as to the tremors as well.

Bill

Offline 10KPete

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Re: Frustrations...
« Reply #7 on: November 15, 2018, 11:44:58 PM »
Thanks for the kind words, guys. I'm fast coming up to 71. I've had to give up watch repair but now even clocks are problematic.
I never thought I would get so shakey that I couldn't weld "on demand" or do many of the things I used to take for granted. I'm going to have to be even more creative when it comes to solving these problems. And I'm going to have to resign myself to aging. I don't feel old. Heck, I still think like I'm 40! Mind is still pretty sharp and quick so that's a positive...

I think it's time to pay attention to finding ways to over come the issues. I'll be reading a lot more about how others have overcome issues in their lives. I need to learn "work arounds" and ways to think about aging...

Including the big one for many of us: What will I do with the shop when I can no longer use it myself.

I've looked for ways to pass along what I know but this area is very short of younger folks who are willing to learn such mundane things. I've looked at maybe 5 or so people as "candidates" but I don't feel like any of them have a long term interest in even part of "things shop". Sigh.

"Life is what it is and if it wasn't it would be something else". I like that and will adopt that if you don't mind!

You folks are the greatest. Thanks for the support.

Pete
Craftsman, Tinkerer, Curious Person.
Retired, finally!
SB 10K lathe, Benchmaster mill. And stuff.

Offline MJM460

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Re: Frustrations...
« Reply #8 on: November 16, 2018, 12:09:48 AM »
Hi Pete, something you said to Don on the forum some time ago led me to realise that you had that brain implant, electrodes I assume.  I have been somewhat distracted this last week, as my wife had the similar operation just last week.  Still in the process of transitioning from chemical therapy to electronic.  She even has a wireless remote so she can turn it up or down.  Both incredible and frightening all at the same time.  But knowing you had gone before us was a great help to us.  And it’s all looking positive so far.  The next number of weeks will tell.

I hope that not being able to weld only means that while you may have to hand that bit over to others, along with other freehand operations, you will still be able to crank the dials, even of it is slower.  As others have said, we are all getting older and experiencing some of those problems.   But I can understand the you are experiencing more of it.  And it is hard to confront.  It was said by one of the experts in a forum we attended a year or so ago, “normal symptoms and movements, just more extreme”.

So keep cranking the dials and enjoying your shop.  You are an inspiration to us all.

MJM460

I see you have posted while I have been typing.  I am glad to see that you will still keep trying.

MJM460
The more I learn, the more I find that I still have to learn!

Offline Brian Rupnow

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Re: Frustrations...
« Reply #9 on: November 16, 2018, 12:16:19 AM »
Pete--When my son was having a terrible time with the shakes, wife and I did a lot of research on things to help him cope with Parkinsons.  We found an anti-shake spoon because he was having an awful time trying to feed himself. Everything on his spoon shook off before he could get it from the plate to his mouth. These spoons were  gyroscopically stabilized and whenever it detected a shake in one direction it set up an equal and opposite shake to cancel it. He finally found a drug to stop his shakes, so we never bought him the spoon, but I remember seeing videos of people eating with it and it was pretty darned amazing. Maybe something like that could help.---Brian
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiVQcgmIi08" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiVQcgmIi08</a>
« Last Edit: November 16, 2018, 12:19:30 AM by Brian Rupnow »

Offline Kim

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Re: Frustrations...
« Reply #10 on: November 16, 2018, 06:05:21 AM »
Pete,
Nothing meaningful to add really other than general commiseration.
I'm sorry you're experiencing this.  I hope that you have a better day soon so you can do your welding.
Hang in there, in spite of the frustrations!
Kim

Offline kvom

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Re: Frustrations...
« Reply #11 on: November 16, 2018, 12:00:44 PM »
A friend of mine has Parkinsons, but despite that he just completed a fantastic 7.5" steam loco and tender after several years of work.  Where there's a will there's a way.

I have no health issues currently at 69, but haven't been in the shop for over a month because of lack of enthusiasm, a malady that kills more projects than disease.  Hoping to cure myself soon.

Offline Don1966

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Re: Frustrations...
« Reply #12 on: November 16, 2018, 05:06:40 PM »
Pete not much to add bud but wishing you a bettter life just keep plugging and don’t give up. I am sure there is something out there that can help with your problem. I thank God every day for my good health. 

:cheers:
Don


 

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