# Survival > Bushcraft Medicine >  Be Careful Out There

## kyratshooter

I had a fall this afternoon.  I was simply walking across the back yard, hit a wet spot where the grass went out from under me and I went down hard.

For you guys in your twenties and early thirties that might not sound like a big deal, but when you are 66 it can be a life changing, or life threatening event.  For me that is especially true since I have had several back surgeries and the last one was induced by a fall that destroyed my L5-6 disk.

So now I am chock full of pain killers, still hurting from head to toe, and have an MRI scheduled for next week.

As I was walking back to the house, and still evaluating how much damage I had done to myself, I suddenly thought about the same thing happening if I were far from communication or help.  

A simple slip and a broken leg, a fall and a broken back, a poke in the eye from a tree limb.  There are more things that can happen in the woods than you can count, and about the time you think things are under control something jumps up and bites you in the butt.

Do your due diligence, let someone know where you are headed and when you will be back, where your jump off point is, have a communication device or signal device at all times and keep your day bag packed with realistic gear.  You might be there all night waiting for an evac, you never know.

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## Rick

It's that easy and that quick, too. Hope everything is okay and you get to feeling better.

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## crashdive123

Hope you heal up quickly and completely.

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## madmax

I got to thinking along the same lines when, a while back, I locked my knee at a 90 degree angle turning from sink to fridge.  I scooted around backwards on the floor for days until I eventually got it straight and could use crutches.  A pinched nerve in my back now limits my standing or walking to 20-30 mins. at a time.  

The other side of this is if you have family at home.  My wife never punched the panic button if I was a day or 2 late getting back from a solo, but things are different now from her perspective as well.  If she's worried and upset, her family and friends are worried and upset.  The ripple effect.

Yes, my itinerary is more detailed now.

Heal fast.

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## LowKey

This goes for going out to get your mail or wood for the woodstove in the middle of winter in only your bathrobe and slippers.
My dad lived alone and was always doing this. 
A slip and fall won't take long for cold to kill you.
Finally convinced him it might be a good idea to put his cell phone in his robe pocket at least. A jacket might help too...

Best wishes for a speedy recovery KYRS

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## WalkingTree

Rest easy. Stay warm. Hum a diddy to yourself. And git yo'self betta.

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## hunter63

I can relate....pulled something in my back cleaning up the dirt next to the replaced fence, yesterday afternoon.

You have brought up a valid concern, particularly for many of us that are getting older, out selves, have wives, and other family that have their own life challenges.

DW had he knee done in Dec.....was doing well, ended up with a viral infection (means the Dr. has no clue) that sapped her strength...to the point where she was kinda down for  awhile....working her back now.

This effects me many ways.... 
I been handling the wash, (down stairs she hasn't been down there since Dec.)...shopping, can't walk that far or drive yet.......
Now that bring up turkey season......Mine starts Wednesday.

So question is, do I go?....Leave her home?....Can she use the stairs at "The Place"?
That cool looking loft bedroom....have a set of stairs to get to...with bathroom down stairs.....slow isn't good sometimes....

I will be by my self....so do I hunt alone?....what happens if I fall, or have a "event?"
Even with my phone...what do I say?....."I'M by the big oak in Eddies winter wheat field, up the hill from the cabin"? 

So we are aware of these limitations and are working thru......But there is still two of us.

Kyrat, as you are by your self....how are you getting by?.....Getting around, ...fixing food, and taking care of stuff?

All this does come to everyone at some point....but was never a concern as a younger man and family......

So for the Bug Out people ...is your BOL wheelchair accessible?....
Makes a lot of things kinda silly...

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## kyratshooter

Fortunately I woke this morning in much less pain than I anticipated.  

I stay stocked up on some pretty strong meds.  Not opiates but very potent anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce swelling.  They seem to be working and preventing the pinched nerve situation.  

This is somewhat depressing since I had been feeling real good for the past few weeks and was anticipating some intense car camping as soon as it warmed.  Now this happened as soon as the weather broke.  I should have waited one more day to do the lawn and let it dry just 24 more hours.  I guess timing is everything.

Taking stock of the situation, I do all those things mentioned above, and in spite of some outdoorsmen's resistance to technology, I keep my cell phone in my pocket even while doing yard work for just this reason.  Had it in my pocket yesterday.  It's one of the reasons I stick with my small flip phone.  I would not have a smartphone in my pocket while working like that.  Sort of the difference between carrying a compact CCW pistol over a service size daily carry gun.

I think I am going to make it through this one without a trip to the hospital, but I an still going for the MRI next week since I have had several incidents in the past couple of years and I need to have the accumulated damage checked out.  It may be time for a non-surgical procedure just to clean up the damage or a change in meds to control swelling and pain.  

I am really hoping this will not kill my summer.

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## 1stimestar

Glad you are not feeling as badly as anticipated.  Good luck with the MRI.

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## hunter63

I agree.....hang in there....heal fast....

Just took a couple of over the counter ibuprofen for my back and will be heading out to a Archeological Society Presentation if a few minutes.
Hope I can sit up right for an hour or so......,

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## Rick

> I should have waited one more day to do the lawn




And look at what you would not have learned if you had waited. Glad you are getting around better than expected. Good idea on the MRI. It's always good to know how bad "bad" is.

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## randyt

ever notice the older we get the longer it takes to heal up?

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## kyratshooter

Comes a time when you stop healing up entirely!

I have been dealing with this back issue since 1988.  I have not healed up from that first incident, just patched up enough to get by.  

Degenerative disk disease.  Sometimes they can not "fix" you, they just keep you alive.

"Back in the day" I would have been eaten by a bear and my bones scattered by the coyotes 28 years ago.

Of course you could also get opium and morphine over the counter back then, so I might have been in less pain when the bear jumped me.

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## hunter63

> ever notice the older we get the longer it takes to heal up?



Also takes longer just to "get up"...when you go down.....so It better be worth it when you make up your mind that want you need to do "down there".

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## randyt

I can't imagine, I'm 50 year old. A winter ago I was going down some steps and my feet  came out from under me. I went down hard. but hole over tea kettle, it went through my mind at the time that this was it, the big one. I hit bottom and hit hard. it was the hardest fall I ever had. I thought to my self at the time, dang I can still move so I carefully got up and started moving. I was pizzed at myself for slipping but fter looking things over I found that the step had broken causing the fall. I hurt for a couple months after that.

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## tundrabadger

My mom slipped getting off the bus end of december....ironically enough,  she was only taking the bus that day because there was a snowstorm and she had an appointment with her chiropractor she didn't want to miss, but she felt driving would be dangerous and irresponsible....and broke her ankle.  Minor fracture,  really the sort you want to have, if you have to break ankle, but she was out of commission for weeks,  and she's still not 100%.  She has a bad foot,  it collapsed a few years back,  so she wears a brace.  Naturally,  that was the side that broke. Now, with the added pressure  from favouring that ankle,  it looks like the other foot is starting to go.  Not much for it....I'm trying to get her to use a stick  in the winter, but  she isn't thrilled with the idea.  This is a woman who used to do 10k runs overland just for the joy of it. 


trying to enjoy myself as much as possible before I get to that point.

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## nell67

Heal fast KYrat, prayers for no more back surgeries!

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## hayshaker

were not spring chickens anymore krat, hope you heal soon,
i know i feel it every day.

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## natertot

Sorry to hear that Kyrat. Keep mending the best you can and keep carrying on. Give me a yell if you need something!

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## OMark

Heal up fast! It's so true that accidents happen in the most common of places, not always the extreme.

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## kyratshooter

After dealing with the injury for nearly a year I finally had the necessary work done in January.  

and just this week the push to keep up with all the neighbors and mow the lawn while the mud is still slippery began.  

Not going to push this year.  If the neighbor does not like how my grass looks he can drive that expensive John Deer tractor over here and mow my grass, cause I am not going to cut it until I things dry out ad I ca walk without sliding.

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## Rick

Well, the positive side is mowing downhill is pretty easy when it's muddy. You just need to hang on to the mower and let it pull you. Let go before you reach the bottom. Those hills a pretty big so you could reach maximum velocity before you hit the creek.

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## hunter63

Muddy wet hills....
Don't mow when dewy...or right after a rain...
4 wheel drive, w/differential lock....ROP, seat belt ....brush hog acts a training wheels (sorta).......
If you are gonna crash....close your eyes...you think you what to see this....but you don't.

Or have some one else do it ...while you sit on the porch....
BIL (may he RIP)

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