Any Disabled Airgunners On Here?

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BnHappy

BnHappy

Member
Apr 22, 2018
133
4
NC, United States
I'm sure there are some on here, I am probably posting in the wrong topic again, but I get confused as to what is considered "General Discussion" when there is no special spot for the conversation, so, I'll put it here and see if it goes somewhere else.

Anyway, I was kind of wondering what others may go through just to enjoy their hobby. I guess I don't think about it much, at least I didn't, then I did and decided to take some video cuts of myself in my daily life, the things I do on a daily basis, the things I do to get myself ready to go out and shoot, etc. I think it's the first time I've seen myself on video like this, full body and actual movements, hard to believe it's me, but that's what I've become.

I am sure there are some of you have come up with tools and things that help you out, at least I would think so. My curiosity is peaked because I see the rapid decline in my body, what will happen when I can't use body parts any longer, are there tools that have been, or can be made so I can still enjoy shooting? I'd like to see what's out there. I'm a chronic pain person, I live with it 24/7, I've had musculoskeletal disorder since I was a kid, in my mid 20's I picked up Crohn's, severe Crohn's by the time I was 30, with that came Rheumatoid Arthritis and Musculoskeletalosteoarthritis and the combination of all tried to take me under again about five years ago, but this time it crippled me up pretty good. I've worked most of my life to keep my body strong and healthy, kept muscle on via body building, and a bunch more stuff. Either way, I can no longer keep my joints, muscles, tendons, etc healthy because of limited mobility. I guess I am looking to find some things that will help me later, such as special shooting gear, etc, etc. I know ya'll are creative and some of ya have had to come up with some really cool stuff. 

So, this is what I do pretty much daily, not the same food, but to be able to get my body moving. I must really love this arigunning stuff.



Real airgunners keep pumping. Extreme Airgunning Prep for the Not So Agile https://youtu.be/dtY2AEzWOFk






 
Yes, I'm 100% disabled, but still have use of my limbs to continue shooting. Severe degenerative scoliosis and advanced lumbar spondylosis, so ya, I'm no stranger to pain either. My indoor, members only range; have permission to shoot Mon-Fri early A.M. 0530-0900. Heated, no wind, no distractions. $120 a year with my senior discount. I'm shooting 3-4 times a week here in the winter. 
1577138751_17748408035e013a3f7d5b68.44769094_101_0125.JPG

 
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My goodness watching your video made me realize how lucky I have it with just lower back issues. Watching you I can only say I've ever been in the same condition and pain you look to be in all the time. That was 3 years ago when I had a ruptured L3/L4 disc that was pressing into the nerve which then made my upper leg have knife shooting pains and the lower half go numb. It was truly the worst experience of my life for about 7 days until the MRI and surgery I literally only had one position I could put my body in to relieve the nerve pain. There was not a medication or drug (legal or not) that would take the pain away (morphine included).

All I can say is my heart goes out to you for your struggles, but your determination is also a really powerful note of positive energy and very inspiring. Thank you for sharing something both honest and private about yourself. 
 
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I guess I'm technically disabled. I'm early stages Muscular Dystrophy. 

While I don't have any special tools, I've heard of several "Hunting Schools" nationally that cater to ether handicapped or disabled Veterans. Since each persons needs are different, they design solutions for each situation. Solutions range from rifle rests for wheel chairs to whatever is needed. Resources exist, but are mostly custom.

Eventually, I'll need some of the help, but for now, can still shoot Bench without anything special. My time is coming though.


 
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After 8 spinal surgeries(6 back surgeries and 2 neck fusions), 3 knee surgeries(2 meniscus repairs, and third one a reattachment of my quad tendon to my kneecap) I was given the placard to hang on my windshield mirror. My last back surgery the Surgeon said let’s just put an end to all of this and he fused me up from T9 all the way down to tailbone. My troubles today are I cannot tie my shoes, trim toe nails, and have a hard time getting in a car due to my head scraping on the door opening, as I can’t haunch over. To top all of this off, I ended up with drop foot syndrome on my left foot and calf. Somewhere in all the back issues I lost all feeling in my left calf and foot, and if I don’t literally watch how I place my step down my ankle will role and down I go. I fall probably twice a month, from anywhere to tripping over a crack in the sidewalk to an acorn that I stepped on. Being out in the woods hunting deer and elk, which I used to do, is out. I think the worse thing that I’ve done is accidentally lean up onto the power sprayer my wife just used. While wearing shorts, I backed up onto the exhaust plate of the power sprayer, and what told me something was burning was the smell of my calves flesh against that hot a$$ plate. Not fun, lol.



Really sucks, but as of late, I’m finally accepting this at age 57, and I keep telling myself things could be way way worse. I’ve shared this with other fellow airgunners thru PM’s, in a more serious level, and wanted to say if any of you are reading this I wanted to say thank you for being a lending ear. 



People with disabilities wether mental or physical need to be heard once in awhile, or allowed to vent off steam, to avoid getting in a state of depression. It’s good to hear from others that can relate, besides family members that say they know what you’re going thru but don’t have one issue going on with them. Know one knows better, than someone with the same aches and pains, as you all know. I have met some great folks thru PM’s in this forum. Great folks they truly are.

Now to tie all of this in to what I believe the OP meant for this tread to head to:

I’ve bounced back my situations with others in way way worse condition than I, and we all have agreed, if it were not for this silly hobby of Airguns, we would go into a deep state of depression and go crazy in our lives. Seems silly, but if your body isn’t up to building a deck, wrenching on a car, being on your feet for hours on end doing wood working hobbies, how else are you going fill that need to “tinker” or design and build? To be able to use the mind, yes, that’s what this pcp hobby offers. It keeps my mind occupied, late at night when I can’t sleep due to pain. Thinking about re setting my regulator and shooting over a chronograph at 2am, makes me look forward to the next day full of airgunning pleasure. 

Im gonna stop here, cause I know the disabled folks reading this can all relate. This Airgun hobby is more than just a hobby to us. It gives us something to do, and gets our mind off of negative things.
 
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It's funny you say that you feel lucky, I feel the same way when I see others who are worse off than I am. I struggled with my crazy diseases since I was 25 yrs old, they've knocked me down and tried to kill me more than I can count, but I almost fell for the last time about five years ago, it crippled me up to where I couldn't get outta bed, I was a mess, definitely on my last leg that time, but I pulled out of it, I'm walking, hiking, fishing, hunting, not that I don't hurt 24/7, but nothing like I did for a good while, I feel lucky that I made it through it, I have kids, youngest is seven so I need to be around for a while, lol.

Hope things get better for ya, find ways to help yourself the best you can, the doctors are not always right, take care of yourself dude, I had it for years but then one day it just hammered me and had me down and curled in the fetal position, couldn't walk, fight it is all I can say, stretch your back and get the pressure off of it.


 
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Thanks for the reply, and I completely get ya, it's hard to accept that your body is now this way, but that's the hand your dealt when it happens so you have to find a way to deal with it.

I could be a lot worse so I am happy for not being worse off, I was, I thought I'd never stand or would be bedridden the rest of my life at one point, but I made it back up. I do go hiking, hunting, fishing, etc because I am going to do it while I can, seeing the fast decline of my body this last time, and not being able to build my strength, muscle, or anything else back has been rough, all I can do is find a way to go until I can't. I have back issues, have since I was a teen but it a twist of luck, I get kinked up all the time and pinch nerves, etc, etc, but it doesn't bother me as bad as it once did. I guess when all the other limbs messed up and curled their different ways, it somewhat balanced me and my core seems to be straighter, lol. 

I do agree that something to keep your mind busy is a must, those of us in here happen to chose airguns, many may not understand, but they'll deal with pain one of these days and they'll know.
 
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In making light of things,



I have to say, about the only good thing I look forward to in a surgery as intense as a back surgery, is the best sleep you’ll ever get the minute the anesthesiologist puts the go sleep juice in the ivy(hope that’s spelled correctly, lol)

my last one, where they fused me up with titanium rods and anchors, my surgeon came up to me at bed side at the prep station to tell me I’m on deck, and he was off to get a quick cup of coffee. In the meantime, he introduces me to the anesthesiologist. The guy looked exactly like Robin Williams, and I told him that. We both had a laugh, then I noticed on his shirt pocket of his scrubs he had all these what looked like a set of ball point pens. I asked why he had so many pens, and he pulled one out, and said “ oh, these? These aren’t pens, these are mini syringes that contain your cocktails, and since you appear nervous, I’m about to give you one now”.

I quickly asked him if he was putting me out right now, and he said “ no, your nervous, and I can tell. This is a cocktail that’ll relax you. You know, the stuff we use in the operating room is never ever gonna be something you’ll ever find in your local pharmacy, lol” I asked him what it was gonna make me feel like, and he says “ let’s put it this way, whatever your thinking about now, in five minutes you won’t remember, hows that for a description?” 

Within two minutes, the nurses aids came to role my bed towards surgery. I kissed my wife and mother good bye, and told them I’d see them in 8 hours. While wheeling me thru the corridors towards surgery, I remember looking up at the T-Bar ceiling, and it hit me when I asked where my wife was, and if she knew I was on the way to the operating room. The nurses aids laughed and reminded me that I had just kissed her good bye. OMG, I had already forgotten.

At surgery, I quickly saw that the anesthesiologist snuck in that last injection into my ivy, and I said “hey, bro, you were suppose to let me know when you were..........” I was out, lol

I look forward to that sleep. It’s the best sleep, as I don’t hardly get any sleep now. To lay in bed, painless, is a rarity. 

Maybe I should be cuddling up next to my wildcat from now on, lol, so as I can sleep well.
 
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Interesting thread, I to have the blue placard. Pain I am very seldom without , a drop foot and bottom of the back fused. Thanks to my wife I can still do a bit of fun things. It's hard when your used to doing your fair share and being told by her to follow her rules so I'm not a bitch, they being watching her doing the lifting of even the grocery bags. Lifting and carrying MY shooting bench. Well add heart valve surgery and I don't know how some can get by by them self. At least I know their are others with more pain and more none functional body parts. Thanks to a great wife and a son that keep me looking forward to life.
 
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Blue card here since 1985, at the age of 25. Started with a fused right ankle and fused right wrist (makes a pistol grip gun a real asset to me) been downhill since then. I'm up to 32 surgeries under anesthesia so far-some minor, some life threatening. The best assistive things I have found: electric ATV, Caldwell Tree Pod, Caldwell Chair Pod, Primos Trigger Sticks, and airguns (due to the low/no recoil). I am lucky, I have a wonderful, understanding wife, who works hard (even though I have not since 1997) and has never denied me anything that I thought would help me.
 
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Blue card here since 1985, at the age of 25. Started with a fused right ankle and fused right wrist (makes a pistol grip gun a real asset to me) been downhill since then. I'm up to 32 surgeries under anesthesia so far-some minor, some life threatening. The best assistive things I have found: electric ATV, Caldwell Tree Pod, Caldwell Chair Pod, Primos Trigger Sticks, and airguns (due to the low/no recoil). I am lucky, I have a wonderful, understanding wife, who works hard (even though I have not since 1997) and has never denied me anything that I thought would help me.
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I hear you on assistive aids. I’m on 5 acres and to even go and attend to a leaking 1/2” drip line watering my trees at the far end is an ordeal. I mean, how do you carry the replacement part, misc tools needed, while on a cane? It would take at least two trips back and forth at 175 yards one way. By the time that drip line gets fixed, the rest of the day is ice, meds, and rest. 

I picked up a used, but near mint 1993 dodge diesel awhile back for $2K. Four wheel drive with a rebuilt auto transmission, if any of you know that model year truck with the Cummins engine, you are correct as I stole it for that price. After having all fluids serviced and a good clean up job, I turned around and sold it for $8500(still under what those are worth) and with that money I had every intent on picking up a side by side four wheel drive UTV from Tractor supply. I came out of that purchase with $50 profit still from the sale of the truck. That side by side has been a blessing, as it has become my legs. Man, oh, man can I attend to things now, and most importantly, it saves my energy so I can still do things with my family later in the day, when before that drip line fix would’ve rendered me in bed for the rest of the day.

Another big help has been my 23 year old son. I’m sure glad I involved him in all our remodels on this house when he was a young one. He has been a tremendous asset in repairs and needed projects around here. 
 
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I’d like to add a big question to this tread, if BnHappy doesn’t mind. Are there any disabled air gunners on here that compete in any air rifle events, like field target shoots and benchrest competitions? I’d like to one day, but wondered how it could be done if on a cane?
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I don't mind at all, everyone talk away, ask questions, etc. I thought this would be a good thread for a few of us out there that can relate. Thanks for adding to the conversation.


 
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