Scored my dream job at age 60. Then I shattered the dream.

For those of you that remember the thread I started on my "Dream job" this is an up date and a warning to the older members here on ATS
This is the link to the old thread
www.abovetopsecret.com...

My dream job started out exactly as I expected, the 25 to 30 minute country drive to work was a joy.
My job sheets for the days were simple enough, re-grout a few wall tiles here, change a door knob there, fix a sticking door, all simple stuff.

Then, I receive a Email from the office, there is a rain water stand needed at an address, can I go to inspect and supply a material take off list of what is needed, easy enough.

The job.
2.400 x 2.400 x 200mm concrete slab base.
78 besser blocks 400 x 200mm
12 besser block halves
8 lengths of 90 x 45mm treated pine timber @ 2.400mm
24 lengths of 90 x 20mm treated pine decking

I Emailed the material list through to the office, along with "I will do the job" hindsight being what it is, I should never have volunteered to do the job on my own, the concrete slab was fine, the timber work fine, the besser block walls are what caused me the grief, simply put, toooo much heavy lifting.

My ego trumped my physical capabilities, I finished the job, but at a cost to me, I had four days off of work in absolute agony. The keep you awake at night type agony.

My shoulders and neck were just aching, sharp pains with certain movements, I couldn't position my body to find relief, it was hell.

The warning in this message, lies in the sentence above, don't let your ego trump your physical capabilities.

I have been offered 3 months work painting new houses 500 yards from where I live, the money is great but I have to decline the offer, WHY!
you guessed it, don't let your ego trump your physical capabilities.

My shoulders and neck are still painful two weeks on.

As for the dream job, I will carry on working there doing the jobs my 60 year old body allows, not what my egotistical brain says is ok.

If you can go to PT it will help. If you can't you can find the exercises online.

I'm sorry you're in pain. Lots of luck.

I looked and found the exercises online, very helpful.
Thanks.

a reply to: Iamthatbish

a reply to: keenasbro

Get a massage chair $200 bucks but well worth it ,mine has paid itself over and over again and doe's better than any medication

I know the feeling all too well.

My last job was my favorite job. I was delivering pharmaceutical items from a pharmacy to nursing homes across the state I live in. Was a nice, 5 day a week job, driving mostly at night, for about 300 miles a day. I also had the ability to pick up extra work if I wanted to earn extra cash, since there were always emergency runs to do.

Then my vision loss really kicked in. See, I have a genetic disorder, called keratoconus. It is a degenerative disease of the corneas that makes your vision look like you are seeing through a kaleidoscope constantly. My visual acuity is approximately 20/36000 in my GOOD eye.

I got to the point that I had to admit I could not drive any more, turned my license in and got a state ID, and have not driven since.

I loved that job. I could drive all around, listening to my music and talk shows, talk on the phone to my wife as much as I wanted, and was, for all intents and purposes, a free man. Sigh.

Since then (9 years ago), I have not been able to work, because there's nowhere that WOULD hire me in the condition I am in. It's an in-between state. I am neither black-blind nor able to see. If I were to work at McDonalds, I would be in the griddle trying to see where the burger was. lol

Luckily I was able to get on disability, but it took 8 years to do so. Now I get to sit and dream about what I COULD do but can't now.


Anyhow, I know the feeling lol

Look at it this way, at least you had your Dream job for awhile.

Most will never see that and therefore you are a rich man.

Peace

a reply to: keenasbro

You at least finished the job, you put the consumer before yourself. I have to say that pretty admirable in this day and age.

I hope you feel better and continue to do a good job. Cheers!

-SAP-

I got to the point that I had to admit I could not drive any more, turned my license in and got a state ID, and have not driven since.

That is a hard thing to do, the admission to yourself that will turn into an enormous life changer in your case.

You have got balls jomina, and of course safety of others too.

a reply to: Jomina

Yes I finished the job, there's that ego thing again.
SloAnPainful but I got there.

a reply to: SloAnPainful

I still have the dream job, problem now is, last week I clocked up 11 hours, so far this week I have 3 hours and the week finishes on Tuesday, with no work orders booked in as yet.

Sort of dampens the dream.

Totally agree, having got a dream job makes me a rich man, having 3 kids and 5 grand kids makes me a squillionaire.

a reply to: jude11

a reply to: keenasbro

See a chiropractor...

I promise you just 1 session makes a world of difference!

That thought crossed my mind, so I asked around my little community as to where the local chiro was located.
Blank looks all around, none in town.

I am heading to the City next week, so I will go see the guy my son uses.

In the meantime I will carry on doing the exercises I found online.

Cheers.

a reply to: combatmaster

a reply to: keenasbro

It's a pain getting old. I built an addition on my house and had to get a truck load of dirt to refill around the addition. The guy that delivered the dirt said "you better take it easy shoveling that dirt." I told the guy it was no problem. The next 3 days I was laying flat on my back in our den. I then had to hear the wife say "that guy told you better take it easy shoveling that dirt, you're not a young guy anymore." lol

HAHA! well that's the moral of the story for us aging teenagers
do we listen....what was the question again.
a reply to: WeRpeons

a reply to: keenasbro

Sorry to hear of all your pains!! I can actually Feel this one. ( I took out the rest of my post. This is about You not me.)

However, I hope You get better.

Immediately go and get it documented and file workers comp so that it is on record that you were hurt on the job so that if this condition deteriorates your health in the future, and you are not able to work, you will have some protection.

I tore a rotator cuff and toughed it out and didn't turn it in on workmans comp and it was a big mistake. I wish I would've went straight to the doctor and filed a workmans comp case. It is for workers who get hurt at work. The company I worked for tricked most of their "company men" employees in to making disparaging remarks against anyone who went on comp so many were too embarrassed to claim it. Get well

No I can't be doing that compensation thing Fylgje, I'm deemed self employed, so not covered by employer.
I did a claim back in the early seventies for a pinched nerve, the claim was a bigger pain than the pain.

Private insurance is not really an option either, one needs to be on their death bed before a claim can be made.

Thanks for the comment, I know people who have had accidents at work and not filed a report, my oldest son for one.
He was around 20 yrs old at the time, well 13 yrs on he wished he had listened to his old man.

a reply to: Fylgje