Life's Battle Scars

[ducati1974]

I've been laying in bed since 3AM thinking about my life's battle scars...
When I look in the mirror I can still make out the scar from the stitches on my chin from riding my tricycle off our porch fifty years ago...
I can clearly see the 3" gash on my side from a largely superficial wound from my teens...
I still have aches and weakness from my surgically repaired knee that I wrecked riding a four wheeler in my twenties and wonder how that will come back to haunt me as I age...
There is still a ring around my upper arm from a bad rope burn in my thirties...
I still have aches & numbness from the finger I caught in a fan blade and severed all the tendons, arteries, and nerves...
When I turned fifty my physical revealed that I've had a lifelong rare, benign condition called "Congenital Absence of the Pericardium" (just what it says)...
I've lost some of my hearing capability due to years of pounding sheet metal without ear protection and I wonder how I've been so lucky to have escaped serious eye injury after years of wood & metal chips in my eyes due to carelessly not using protection...
Today I had a CT scan revealing I have a small amount of pneumonia and a small nodule on my lung thats probably benign but they want to watch in the future..
Mostly I wonder if some of my memory loss or future ills were caused by 38 years in the HVAC field and breathing in varying amounts of asbestos, Freon, CO2, poisonous welding gases, dust, lots of insulation, fibers, etc...
All in all I'm lucky to be where I am after a lifetime of carelessness, and I know that compared to a lot of you my life's scars are nothing. Here's hoping that I can get to TV soon and continue to have some luck on my side...

Tell us about your life's scars....

[l2ridehd]

Wow, so many and some that still are a problem. When I was young and foolish, broke my right foot and back. Foot doesn't bother much, but playing 18 holes of golf and my back does, it really starts to be noticed. Then I got old and foolish and broke my left foot. And that one is still a problem. OK once I move a bit, but first thing in the AM or after riding in the car a while and it wont support me for a step or three. Then there is the thumb and index finger on my right hand that has no feeling in the tip due to a tangle with a table saw. And then the left thumb that can't bend back due to a cut tendon. Then the hearing loss because of all my flight time. And of course my eyesight is not what it used to be. A few scars from sudden stops on skis, bikes, and other toys. Once had 38 stitches in my nose and chin to put it back together. Had several skin cancers removed because I never heard of sun screen growing up. Got a couple internal things on the "we need to watch that" list. And I refuse to give up my love of wine so who knows what the liver looks like. Probably a few other things I chose to forget. So it's not the age, but the hard miles that is the real issue. But all in all I still feel great.

[ducati1974]

Wow 12rideHD- you're making me feel better this morning! Great attitude, though!

[Happinow]

I consider myself very lucky. I'm 52 and most of the time I feel 40. I have never smoked nor drank so my body is in good shape (I hope). Only two surgeries, one for trigger finger, due to painting so much, and then the hysterectomy 3 years ago. (shoulda done it 10 years ago!) My eyes aren't the same as they were cause I have to wear glasses to read and I think my memory isn't serving me like it did but no complaints here. Now if they would just come up with something so I could continue to eat my chocolate, cakes, cookies, ice cream, and so on, without gaining weight. That seems to be the biggest battle at this time. I was at the mindset of "it won't happen to me" when I went most of my life weighing under 110 pounds, but you know what happens when you have the "not me" attitude??? Here comes the spare tire syndrome....at least I'll float in my pool better with the tire around me! NOT

IMHO the biggest battle scar is from raising my daughter. They don't tell you how hard parenting is. I learned a lot and am grateful to have had the experience, as hard as it was (and still is). Just because they grow up and move out does not mean you still aren't a parent and doesn't mean you don't worry any more. Parenting is forever and so are the worries.

[CarGuys]

I've been laying in bed since 3AM thinking about my life's battle scars...
Mostly I wonder if some of my memory loss or future ills were caused by 38 years in the HVAC field and breathing in varying amounts of asbestos, Freon, CO2, poisonous welding gases, dust, lots of insulation, fibers, etc...
All in all I'm lucky to be where I am after a lifetime of carelessness, and I know that compared to a lot of you my life's scars are nothing. Here's hoping that I can get to TV soon and continue to have some luck on my side...

Tell us about your life's scars....

Suck Squeeze Bang Blow the four strokes. Intake Compression Power and Exhaust. Like our life cycle. HVAC or CarGuy we were exposed to it all.

For all of us trades technicians the toll of years of exposure is now reminding us daily in payback!

I sure Feel your Pains! Every Day!

[CarGuys]

[QUOTE=Happinow;470746]I consider myself very lucky. I'm 52 and most of the time I feel 40.

I thought The Villages required us to be a 55 and older community. Or at least is was explained to me by management.

Must be I missed something?

[DandyGirl]

Life's battle scars teach you lessons and make you stronger. Some are foolish lessons - don't run out in the street (broken collar bone) - don't skid on gravel (crash thru window, scars on face), use more caution on motorcycles (broken wrist, road rash) and some are life lesssons - breast cancer (lumpectomy,chemo port scar). Every look in a mirror reminds me who I am and the strong woman I am. I live life to the fullest at all times here in my paradise, The Villages. Peace!

[CarGuys]

Life's battle scars teach you lessons and make you stronger. Some are foolish lessons - don't run out in the street (broken collar bone) - don't skid on gravel (crash thru window, scars on face), use more caution on motorcycles (broken wrist, road rash) and some are life lesssons - breast cancer (lumpectomy,chemo port scar). Every look in a mirror reminds me who I am and the strong woman I am. I live life to the fullest at all times here in my paradise, The Villages. Peace!

Right on! Good post for all to read

[Bill-n-Brillo]

........Tell us about your life's scars....

Mine are all mental..................... :loco:

Bill :wave:

[KEVIN & JOSIE]

[QUOTE=Happinow;470746]I consider myself very lucky. I'm 52 and most of the time I feel 40.

I thought The Villages required us to be a 55 and older community. Or at least is was explained to me by management.

Must be I missed something?

NO, a small percentage can be less than 55.

[CarGuys]

Kevin,

What is a small percentage? I bet that it's not even regulated. Oh well it dosen't concern me.

Tomorrow concerns me as I ride 1250 miles on my Harley to her new Home,

Gonna be way to cold from NY thru you PA till VA.:cold: At least it will be dry and I'll take it. I liked the 80's last week better.

[mrfixit]

Kevin,

What is a small percentage? I bet that it's not even regulated. Oh well it dosen't concern me.

Tomorrow concerns me as I ride 1250 miles on my Harley to her new Home,

Gonna be way to cold from NY thru you PA till VA.:cold: "AT LEAST IT WILL BE DRY" and I'll take it. I liked the 80's last week better.

Good luck on your ride......Sounds like you checked the weather reports and scheduled this so you can ride along with a high pressure system.

Safe Journey........WOW

[l2ridehd]

1250 miles on a Harley, WOW is right. I am bringing mine down sometime this year and I have been thinking the auto train is the best way as I don't want to do 850 miles on it. You have to give us a trip report and tell us about it. And when I finally do get mine there, lets get together for a ride or two.

[Bill-n-Brillo]

Have a safe ride, Herv!!

Bill :)

[pauld315]

You know, it is funny because I had been thinking about this a couple days ago. I think my parents or an ambulance had to take me to the emergency room every year when I was a kid. Slammed my thumb in a car door when I was very young (don't even remember it) which required a couple stitches. Fell on a broken off tree playing army at 5 and it went right through my lip (41 stitches), was swimming in the river and cut my toe on a piece of glass (4 stitches), had a fight and broke my nose which required surgery, had another fight and head was sliced open when somebody through a crushed soda can (6 stitches) Also had 2 surgeries. This was all by the time I was 13. Since then have been fairly lucky except the two motorcycle wipeouts in my early 20's. Lost a lot of skin on one and completely separated my shoulder in another. Since then, I have had a ruptured disk in my neck (surgery) and a shoulder surgery to remove a bone spur.

It is funny what you collect over the years. I think that is part of the reason people look at newborns and see the purity and perfection of the child.