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Post by lampiniafloat on Sept 29, 2018 3:47:26 GMT
Not been around much on any forums as we have had a shit year involving losing Dad and an Aunt and Uncle in a short space of time.. Dad had a long illness during which we moved onto the boat up here (midlands) to be closer but also to fulfil our dream! Sadly we both still have to work; OH in admin of various sorts - and I am a Bus Driver for a small local branch of Arriva. I’ve had back problems in the past; probably due to refusing to give up my last work as a lighting event tech; loading 16ton trucks with flight cases etc on a freezing 4am get out - wouldn’t give up till in my late 40s - idiot - but I did love it! Would have liked to continue as a project manager of some sort as would have been the normal progression a few years ago - but the trend has recently been towards teenagers with clipboards who have been to “project management school” and have no clue about (for instance) 3-phase temp. power installation etc... so I ended up becoming thoroughly sick of it all and wanted a Big Fat Change.. So I learned to be a bus driver - great! Really enjoy it - pootling about this lovely countryside, mainly rural routes - with proper nice passengers and not stuck up London twats! Thing is; my back keeps giving out on me - I have been diagnosed with “cysts” on my spine - but this time it seems to be in a different place, and just “in spasm” - wotever that means? So the question is - who here has back issues and what are your remedies/ tricks?
The boat is great - we were pretty toasty through last cold winter - no bad back at all! We don’t have any “damp spots”. Went for all portholes for extra cosy and high security when we bought her, knowing we would be year round live aboards. Got an ace online mooring with water & leccy so we’re not exactly slumming it here! Thing is - our bss is coming up, first one (for us, not the boat) and I NEED to be a bit active.. getting stressed! Tried Serrapeptase (anti inflammatory enzyme) and CBD, yukky painkillers from Doc are crap.. Help!!!
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Post by naughtyfox on Sept 29, 2018 5:42:20 GMT
Bus driver with bad back here Perhaps the solution is the boring one - get some weight off and do more exercise. Magnetic resonance picture could show the reason. I've just been told if I want one (from a private health centre) they'd like 500 Euros off me; that's not the kind of slimming I had in mind... my employer pays for an X-ray so I had that done last Wednesday. It shows if anything major is amiss. It did show that I have a backbone, unlike that jellyfish Theresa May. I went to a physiotherapist 4 years ago for 20 45-minute sessions. He said 'slipped disc' straight away, and seemed competent in his treatment. 'Slipped disc' is a broad term, and you can read about this kind of thing on t'Internet until the cows come home as it's the commonest reason for employees' sick leave, all round the world. Another driver last week recommended a local 'witch doctor' who 'massages the spine'. Having read about chiropracters and deciding they are 'fake' I am sceptical (look at Penn & Teller's episide on Youtube about chiropracy) but, based on this driver's view (he goes there himself) I think it might be worth chucking some hard-earned in that direction and giving it a whirl. I know, though, that I have to do 'stretching' by myself, to try and sort out that lower right side of my back, there's no easy way out. I can't bend enough to touch my toes. Just old & rusty.
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Post by naughtyfox on Sept 29, 2018 6:01:20 GMT
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Post by ianali on Sept 29, 2018 6:28:05 GMT
I can’t help with your pain. However, I would suggest not getting to stressed over your upcoming BSS. I’ve found as long as the boat is in decent nick, wires, gas appliances and stove in good fettle you will have no hassles with the examiner. To be honest many of the boats I see look rather iffy. Assuming they pass then the standards can’t be very high. May your pain be little.
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Post by patty on Sept 29, 2018 6:38:01 GMT
My daughter collapsed with dreadful back issues earlier in the summer..involved surgery as specific nerves affected..shes recovering now but its a long journey She'd had pain for years and it slowly worsened
the members of our family who are Dr's..neurologist and neurosurgeon both favoured non invasive treatment and to carry on..to try some injection first.. Both suggested trying Gabapentin and amitryptlline as helpful in pain for backs.. Unsure as to fact you have cysts whether this would help.. Daughters was a collapsed disc
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Post by JohnV on Sept 29, 2018 7:23:57 GMT
Sympathise on several levels ...... I used to rig and operate for a friend with a sound and lighting company, cabaret events all over including international. Also roadying for a couple of London based dance bands after he died. I gave it up when in my 50's although like you I thoroughly enjoyed the (sometimes a bit precarious) living. As you say humping coils of 25mm 5 core HO7F cable complete with 125A plugs and connectors and loading into the truck ..... never mind the bloody followspots. Also bad back after a fall off the gunnel of a narrowboat on trestles. Heavy duty painkillers helped when the pain was unbearable but the only real cure was time. (clutching a large wooden object) it has now been several years since it has been very bad, now it is just an occasional twinge. I did find visits to a (good) chiropractor helped ....... much worse immediately after but a noticeable improvement later. Physiotherapy courtesy of the NHS also helped to a certain degree. As I said, time and not dragging bloody great flight cases into trucks helped the most. As regards BSS I have limited experience, my narrowboat days were pre the introduction and it's only my little yoghurt pot that needs one. (both times it failed on a realy minor item ....... on something that had been like that for 50 bloody years I think sometimes they get picky just to prove they are doing their job) Still it's not something to stress about ..... after all it presumably got through it's last one and if you haven't changed things around and barring an unnoticed bit of wear, there is no reason why it shouldn't pass again.
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Post by lampiniafloat on Sept 29, 2018 10:28:23 GMT
Thanks for all the BSS assurances - think my mind is making it a bigger issue than it should be! Mr Fox - bus driver too?! You’re absolutely right - losing weight n stretching does help.. I’ve tried to see a chiropractor up here, but as I have MRI diagnosed cysts, he wouldn’t touch me - just put me on a tens machine. I have one of those!
Funny you should say that Patty, am on amytriptaline at the moment! Also my 82 year old mum is trying to help with driving us around - her driving is SCARY and the OH really doesn’t want to get In the car with her! How do you tell a very independent 82 year old that their driving is scary? :0
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Post by lampiniafloat on Sept 29, 2018 11:59:10 GMT
Sympathise on several levels ...... I used to rig and operate for a friend with a sound and lighting company, cabaret events all over including international. Also roadying for a couple of London based dance bands after he died. I gave it up when in my 50's although like you I thoroughly enjoyed the (sometimes a bit precarious) living. As you say humping coils of 25mm 5 core HO7F cable complete with 125A plugs and connectors and loading into the truck ..... never mind the bloody followspots. Also bad back after a fall off the gunnel of a narrowboat on trestles. Heavy duty painkillers helped when the pain was unbearable but the only real cure was time. (clutching a large wooden object) it has now been several years since it has been very bad, now it is just an occasional twinge. I did find visits to a (good) chiropractor helped ....... much worse immediately after but a noticeable improvement later. Physiotherapy courtesy of the NHS also helped to a certain degree. As I said, time and not dragging bloody great flight cases into trucks helped the most. As regards BSS I have limited experience, my narrowboat days were pre the introduction and it's only my little yoghurt pot that needs one. (both times it failed on a realy minor item ....... on something that had been like that for 50 bloody years I think sometimes they get just to prove they are doing their job) Still it's not something to stress about ..... after all it presumably got through it's last one and if you haven't changed things around and barring an unnoticed bit of wear, there is no reason why it shouldn't pass again. Yup 3phase 125 cable is wot done it for me!
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Post by lampiniafloat on Sept 29, 2018 12:00:20 GMT
My daughter collapsed with dreadful back issues earlier in the summer..involved surgery as specific nerves affected..shes recovering now but its a long journey She'd had pain for years and it slowly worsened the members of our family who are Dr's..neurologist and neurosurgeon both favoured non invasive treatment and to carry on..to try some injection first.. Both suggested trying Gabapentin and amitryptlline as helpful in pain for backs.. Unsure as to fact you have cysts whether this would help.. Daughters was a collapsed disc Tell your daughter she has my every sympathy..
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Post by patty on Sept 29, 2018 12:08:36 GMT
Funny you should say that Patty, am on amytriptaline at the moment! Also my 82 year old mum is trying to help with driving us around - her driving is SCARY and the OH really doesn’t want to get In the car with her! How do you tell a very independent 82 year old that their driving is scary? :0 My friend is 83 and his driving freaks me out..he's had so many near misses and scrapes...yet the driving assessment he had to do he passed!..How? I have no idea.. The DVLA have now requested he gets GPs cert that he's fit to drive...I am hopeful he will decide to quit before he really hurts himself or other road users. If I visit I will only go cinema with him as I just cannot sit beside him and he refuses to let me drive him. Cinema is just about next door!
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Post by lampiniafloat on Sept 29, 2018 13:16:01 GMT
Funny you should say that Patty, am on amytriptaline at the moment! Also my 82 year old mum is trying to help with driving us around - her driving is SCARY and the OH really doesn’t want to get In the car with her! How do you tell a very independent 82 year old that their driving is scary? :0 My friend is 83 and his driving freaks me out..he's had so many near misses and scrapes...yet the driving assessment he had to do he passed!..How? I have no idea.. The DVLA have now requested he gets GPs cert that he's fit to drive...I am hopeful he will decide to quit before he really hurts himself or other road users. If I visit I will only go cinema with him as I just cannot sit beside him and he refuses to let me drive him. Cinema is just about next door! Patty - I feel you! Sadly we’re well rural round here and oh ha to use the shit buses as he doesn’t drive - he’s alwYs making excuses to mum why he doesn’t need lifts everywhere! (I know the buses r shit cos I drive some of em!) Is harder now Dads gone - she needs to feel USEFUL!
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Post by patty on Sept 29, 2018 15:46:23 GMT
My friend is 83 and his driving freaks me out..he's had so many near misses and scrapes...yet the driving assessment he had to do he passed!..How? I have no idea.. The DVLA have now requested he gets GPs cert that he's fit to drive...I am hopeful he will decide to quit before he really hurts himself or other road users. If I visit I will only go cinema with him as I just cannot sit beside him and he refuses to let me drive him. Cinema is just about next door! Patty - I feel you! Sadly we’re well rural round here and oh ha to use the shit buses as he doesn’t drive - he’s alwYs making excuses to mum why he doesn’t need lifts everywhere! (I know the buses r shit cos I drive some of em!) Is harder now Dads gone - she needs to feel USEFUL! Yep I guess she does, its a tough one. I hope I have the sense to give up the wheels before my kids decide i'm a danger.. However 3 out of 4 have already told me they have seen a 'nice' old dears home..fortunately number 4 has stated no way!..Im only 61 and they've already got my end residence mapped out.
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Post by ianali on Sept 29, 2018 16:21:07 GMT
Patty - I feel you! Sadly we’re well rural round here and oh ha to use the shit buses as he doesn’t drive - he’s alwYs making excuses to mum why he doesn’t need lifts everywhere! (I know the buses r shit cos I drive some of em!) Is harder now Dads gone - she needs to feel USEFUL! Yep I guess she does, its a tough one. I hope I have the sense to give up the wheels before my kids decide i'm a danger.. However 3 out of 4 have already told me they have seen a 'nice' old dears home..fortunately number 4 has stated no way!..Im only 61 and they've already got my end residence mapped out. I will always remember my late dad, handing me the keys to his car, when he decided he was unsafe to drive. I felt his pain, I recall the sad look in his eyes like it was yesterday. He loved driving and riding motorcycles as much as I do. It’s not a moment I look forward to as I age. I can’t explain but the day I can no longer ride my motorbike will be as awful a moment as I can imagine. Please be gentle with the elderly and their driving habits.
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Post by Mr Stabby on Sept 29, 2018 16:33:35 GMT
Thanks for all the BSS assurances - think my mind is making it a bigger issue than it should be! Most of the BSS is about testing the gas and diesel systems for leaks. My examiner spent a lot of time calculating the ventilation areas, even though the boat is 32 years old and I'm sure it would have been noticed by now if this was insufficient. They do tend to cut you some slack- my one looked at my inverter, which I had temporarily installed while I repaired my normal one and said "It's a good job this inverter isn't connected to the battery with crocodile clips". My one offered a free re-test in the event of a first-time fail, just pay his petrol money, though this wasn't needed. He did mention that the vast majority of fails are on brand-new boats.
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Post by peterboat on Sept 29, 2018 17:18:27 GMT
Bad back for years had two discs removed bad back gone!! and it was bad as by the end I was in a wheelchair unable to walk. Exercise is best for me swimming in particular is very good, weight is an issue as it doesnt help when you have more at the front than the rear!! I now jump of the roof of the boat without fear of pain, so the op worked for me. As for BSS every inspector is different and as others have said something that has been ok for 500 years suddenly isnt!!
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