18,564.2 miles, and throwing-in the towel

[deleriumtremor]

This is such an old thread, I thought it was appropriate for an old guy to revive it just one more post.

I broke down and bought a Deezee tailgate damper.

Last winter I took a pretty good fall on one of the steeper (and turns out icier) trails we hike frequently and tore my left rotator cuff. It has been a long slog back and while in the rehab process I have had enough occasions to be swearing with one thing in the hand of my good shoulder, having the tailgate come slamming down as my bad shoulder started barking at me loudly while I let go....

I fought it mightily, but the other day, finally gave up and ordered it. It arrived last night, but the truck got a reprieve for a day or so as I couldn't find my T50 Torx socket, so had to order a replacement. Soon enough though, that tailgate will be tamed for good.

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[AzScorpion]

This is such an old thread, I thought it was appropriate for an old guy to revive it just one more post.

I broke down and bought a Deezee tailgate damper.

Last winter I took a pretty good fall on one of the steeper (and turns out icier) trails we hike frequently and tore my left rotator cuff. It has been a long slog back and while in the rehab process I have had enough occasions to be swearing with one thing in the hand of my good shoulder, having the tailgate come slamming down as my bad shoulder started barking at me loudly while I let go....

I fought it mightily, but the other day, finally gave up and ordered it. It arrived last night, but the truck got a reprieve for a day or so as I couldn't find my T50 Torx socket, so had to order a replacement. Soon enough though, that tailgate will be tamed for good.

Sorry to hear about your rotator cuff but I guess it was a blessing in disguise having to buy a damper. Well, well, well it was only a matter of time but sooner or later they all cave in!?

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

This is such an old thread, I thought it was appropriate for an old guy to revive it just one more post.

I broke down and bought a Deezee tailgate damper.

Last winter I took a pretty good fall on one of the steeper (and turns out icier) trails we hike frequently and tore my left rotator cuff. It has been a long slog back and while in the rehab process I have had enough occasions to be swearing with one thing in the hand of my good shoulder, having the tailgate come slamming down as my bad shoulder started barking at me loudly while I let go....

I fought it mightily, but the other day, finally gave up and ordered it. It arrived last night, but the truck got a reprieve for a day or so as I couldn't find my T50 Torx socket, so had to order a replacement. Soon enough though, that tailgate will be tamed for good.

 

[deleriumtremor]

Sorry to hear about your rotor cuff but I guess it was a blessing in disguise having to buy a damper. Well, well, well it was only a matter of time but sooner or later they all cave in!?

Thanks Dave, it is getting better. I have almost full range of motion back, it may be a very long time before I have all my strength back on that side (at my age, maybe never). I haven't yet resumed my upper body resistance training and it is kind of shocking how much I have withered up top. I kind of do resemble the pictures of the guys you post occasionally on these topic threads.

Recently, we have both started adding weight to our packs on our hikes and we are really stepping up our game on the some of the trails we pick at least a few times a week. 10 miles with 2000' elevation gain with 30 lbs added to the pack actually does start building muscles back in the legs (even at 73). So I guess there is hope, at least for a while....

 

[deleriumtremor]

Yeah, I probably should have gotten a code Red.

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

Thanks Dave, it is getting better. I have almost full range of motion back, it may be a very long time before I have all my strength back on that side (at my age, maybe never). I haven't yet resumed my upper body resistance training and it is kind of shocking how much I have withered up top. I kind of do resemble the pictures of the guys you post occasionally on these topic threads.

Recently, we have both started adding weight to our packs on our hikes and we are really stepping up our game on the some of the trails we pick at least a few times a week. 10 miles with 2000' elevation gain with 30 lbs added to the pack actually does start building muscles back in the legs (even at 73). So I guess there is hope, at least for a while....

Never stop moving Bill.

 

[deleriumtremor]

Never stop moving Bill.

Absolutely right.

 

[Grumpaw]

Sorry to hear about your rotor cuff but I guess it was a blessing in disguise having to buy a damper. Well, well, well it was only a matter of time but sooner or later they all cave in!?

Make sure you send him his "COOL" t-shirt !!!

 

[YaBoiNewton]

This is such an old thread, I thought it was appropriate for an old guy to revive it just one more post.

I broke down and bought a Deezee tailgate damper.

Last winter I took a pretty good fall on one of the steeper (and turns out icier) trails we hike frequently and tore my left rotator cuff. It has been a long slog back and while in the rehab process I have had enough occasions to be swearing with one thing in the hand of my good shoulder, having the tailgate come slamming down as my bad shoulder started barking at me loudly while I let go....

I fought it mightily, but the other day, finally gave up and ordered it. It arrived last night, but the truck got a reprieve for a day or so as I couldn't find my T50 Torx socket, so had to order a replacement. Soon enough though, that tailgate will be tamed for good.

It is infuriating how painful a rotator cuff tear can be for months after the injury!

I tore mine during a crash on my mountain bike back in October. While it feels better and I can lift weights again, it occasionally flares up and hurts like hell when I move my arm just right. Pisses me off more than anything.

Still won't get a tailgate damper!

 

[deleriumtremor]

It is infuriating how painful a rotator cuff tear can be for months after the injury!

I tore mine during a crash on my mountain bike back in October. While it feels better and I can lift weights again, it occasionally flares up and hurts like hell when I move my arm just right. Pisses me off more than anything.

Still won't get a tailgate damper!

Good for you, never give up!

I can’t remember the exact date it happened, but mid winter. My range of motion is just about back completely, but anything with heavy lifting and I can really light it up.

We planted some tomatoes and basil at the end of May. Wrestling around some wet bags of compost caused such pain for the next few days, it was like I tore it all over again.

A few days ago I tried doing some below the shoulder level dumbbell work (curls, row, etc.) and I got by with just some tenderness in the last few days. I honestly think it will be a full year before I am doing my whole upper body workout routine again without significant pain in subsequent days.

Bummer.

 

[5thranger]

I have had five rotator cuff surgeries three on right and two on left. I never got strength back in either shoulder. Range is okay but strength is diminished.

 

[AzScorpion]

Good for you, never give up!

I can’t remember the exact date it happened, but mid winter. My range of motion is just about back completely, but anything with heavy lifting and I can really light it up.

We planted some tomatoes and basil at the end of May. Wrestling around some wet bags of compost caused such pain for the next few days, it was like I tore it all over again.

A few days ago I tried doing some below the shoulder level dumbbell work (curls, row, etc.) and I got by with just some tenderness in the last few days. I honestly think it will be a full year before I am doing my whole upper body workout routine again without significant pain in subsequent days.

Bummer.

I have had five rotator cuff surgeries three on right and two on left. I never got strength back in either shoulder. Range is okay but strength is diminished.

I never torn mine but did have a frozen shoulder (I thought it was torn it hurt so bad) which was painful enough! The PT for it was even more painful trying to unfreeze it but they were awesome and after a couple months it was as good as new.

 

[AzScorpion]

Make sure you send him his "COOL" t-shirt !!!

We still have rules here. It has to be installed and a picture posted so he can do the walk of shame like everyone else.

 

[deleriumtremor]

I have had five rotator cuff surgeries three on right and two on left. I never got strength back in either shoulder. Range is okay but strength is diminished.

I don't know how old you are, but I have noticed a definite stair step down kind of thing going on when I injure myself, etc. A guy I follow on YouTube is named Dr Attia. His practice I think is centered on longevity and I think he is pretty good with his advice. At 73, I hope I am not yet at what he calls my "marginal decade", but I absolutely understand the concept where the decline is measurable and big setbacks (like a torn rotator cuff) may mean permanent limitations.

The one exception to my observed stair step effect is my hip replacement which I had about 2 years ago. I think it actually made me better than before (knock on wood). Along with zero pain in that hip and strength better than I had before the surgery (about 50 miles a week on mountainous trails a week), they also squared up my back in some way, where the lower back pain that plagued me for the last 30 years is completely gone. So I think the stair step down may not be 100% the aftereffect of a major issue, at least at 73. At 83? We will see.

 

[deleriumtremor]

I never torn mine but did have a frozen shoulder (I thought it was torn it hurt so bad) which was painful enough! The PT for it was even more painful trying to unfreeze it but they were awesome and after a couple months it was as good as new.

I did a partial tear on my other shoulder maybe 5 years ago now. It was during what they call around here the "snowmageddon" winter. We had a lot of snow that winter and some fearsomely low temps. I slipped on a step taking the dogs out for their final pee one night and landed on my elbow, causing the damage. Two days later we were out walking the dogs (my arm in a sling) and I slipped on some black ice on the asphalt trail we were walking on and landed again on that elbow. I was rolling around on the ground screaming "sh%t, I fell on it again!". Mary couldn't stifle her snicker with the old geezer rolling around screaming he did to again! I have to admit, it must have seemed a little funny, talk about seeing stars.

The orthopedic guy I went to that time said, "we can do surgery and then you can do PT to rehab, or you can try rehab right away and maybe avoid the surgery, depending on how it goes". He sent me to a gal who has since moved to the Boise State Football team staff and she was absolutely great. The whole healing and rebuilding process took about 5 months. Other than a little pop I have mid arc, I have zero pain and full strength.

I tried the same thing thisgo around, but things didn't turn out quite as good, at least so far. The PT person I was using didn't employ the same techniques as the first gal, so I finally quit and have tried to do as many of the things the first gal used on me and it has improved, but I think it will be a very long slog.

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