RUOK?

[g-boaf]

Okay, it's ROUK Day, so how is everyone going?
Foo

Missed this yesterday. Another day closer to retiring.
Struggling to let go, but still looking forward to a new life.

Think about it, you'll have time to pursue new ventures and hopefully wake up in the morning when you want to wake up and not be in the permanent state of rush rush rush.

[foo on patrol]

Okay, it's ROUK Day, so how is everyone going?

Foo

I have been in worse places, but also better as far as mental health goes. My main ongoing problem is that I have soft tissue degeneration and resultant arthritis developing in several knuckles in my right hand, and that's not a great thing when you're right-handed and work in very hands-on environments. It's frustrating to know that while I have the skills to do the tasks at work, at times I do not have the physical ability to handle the necessary tools with adequate precision to do the job efficiently because my knuckles just won't handle it. Today was one of those days.

Yeah that would suck balls big time.

Okay, it's ROUK Day, so how is everyone going?

Foo

Okay for the most part, but tired. My back pain seems to have settled down at least.

People that have never suffered with chronic back pain really can't understand how bad it is.

Okay, it's ROUK Day, so how is everyone going?
Foo

Missed this yesterday. Another day closer to retiring.
Struggling to let go, but still looking forward to a new life.

I have no regrets about retiring and wish that I could have done it about 5yrs earlier or more because the chronic fatigue that I pushed myself into is very hard to shake off and very frustrating.

Foo

[g-boaf]

People that have never suffered with chronic back pain really can't understand how bad it is.

Before I started riding bikes, I used to have that all the time, I was not in a good way. I wasn't always fit - before I got persuaded into riding bikes I hated anything fitness related.

Last week I was hunched over like some old pensioner. Getting up from my chair was not great.

[foo on patrol]

People that have never suffered with chronic back pain really can't understand how bad it is.

Before I started riding bikes, I used to have that all the time, I was not in a good way. I wasn't always fit - before I got persuaded into riding bikes I hated anything fitness related.

Last week I was hunched over like some old pensioner. Getting up from my chair was not great.

Yeah I've been putting up with it since I was 18 and why I could do over 100Klm Road Races because my lower back woould give out and the the sciatic nerve would come into play and I'd lose power to my legs. Being very fit and being at the gym four nights a week and having good core strength made no difference to my back giving out when racing.

Foo

[g-boaf]

Here is an interview that went online recently:

https://youtu.be/2IOqjZ97g3E?si=op3Ac3i5qdv8P1cN

It's timely with the RUOK day. Warning - it has themes that may be disturbing.

[foo on patrol]

Yes I saw this last weekend and found it very interesting and not only from the fact of who it is but much of his comments. He is also right about the wealth side of it = He'd rather be depressed and wealthy (or financially okay) then be depressed and poor because the latter one just compounds things even more fro the point of worry about how you wil get by/survive for the coming days/weeks/months.

Foo

[Tim]

So a man who made and lost a fortune consorting with criminals, laundering cash and fleecing problem gamblers feels bad about himself.
Diddums.

[g-boaf]

So a man who made and lost a fortune consorting with criminals, laundering cash and fleecing problem gamblers feels bad about himself.
Diddums.

So what about the poor teenager who tried to take his own life? Diddums to him too? Or did you just see Packer and not watch any further?

Give him credit, he's doing a damn good job spreading the word and trying to help others these days, despite being in a wheelchair.

[foo on patrol]

So a man who made and lost a fortune consorting with criminals, laundering cash and fleecing problem gamblers feels bad about himself.
Diddums.

Say What, he's had problems for his whole life with depression and he is certainly not lacking money, with that boat. I was aware of his mental health issues many year ago. Just because he was born into a wealthy family, it doesn't make him immune from mental health issues!

At least he has the balls to talk about it, instead of hiding the problem like a lot of blokes do and then end up in an even worse state or worse still, taking their own life.

Foo

[g-boaf]

So a man who made and lost a fortune consorting with criminals, laundering cash and fleecing problem gamblers feels bad about himself.
Diddums.

Say What, he's had problems for his whole life with depression and he is certainly not lacking money, with that boat. I was aware of his mental health issues many year ago. Just because he was born into a wealthy family, it doesn't make him immune from mental health issues!

At least he has the balls to talk about it, instead of hiding the problem like a lot of blokes do and then end up in an even worse state or worse still, taking their own life.

Foo

I could see he was uneasy talking about it as well, any moment he seemed ready to choke up. That is the hardest thing, getting people to open up about it.

Many years ago I came across an old guy riding - he had a small off, nothing major and he was really, really down - not helped by multiple other health issues that had come along the way.

I had to convince him it was okay to not be okay, we are all humans, not robots and we have feelings and that getting down is a normal thing, and when we are not okay that’s when we reach out to others and talk about it.

He’d never thought of it that way, it’s not something to be ashamed of.

We need people like James Packer, Jacquie Lambie, John Brogden and others to be open about these things because it might help someone else.

[foo on patrol]

So a man who made and lost a fortune consorting with criminals, laundering cash and fleecing problem gamblers feels bad about himself.
Diddums.

Say What, he's had problems for his whole life with depression and he is certainly not lacking money, with that boat. I was aware of his mental health issues many year ago. Just because he was born into a wealthy family, it doesn't make him immune from mental health issues!

At least he has the balls to talk about it, instead of hiding the problem like a lot of blokes do and then end up in an even worse state or worse still, taking their own life.

Foo

I could see he was uneasy talking about it as well, any moment he seemed ready to choke up. That is the hardest thing, getting people to open up about it.

Many years ago I came across an old guy riding - he had a small off, nothing major and he was really, really down - not helped by multiple other health issues that had come along the way.

I had to convince him it was okay to not be okay, we are all humans, not robots and we have feelings and that getting down is a normal thing, and when we are not okay that’s when we reach out to others and talk about it.

He’d never thought of it that way, it’s not something to be ashamed of.

We need people like James Packer, Jacquie Lambie, John Brogden and others to be open about these things because it might help someone else.

Yep and it's why I now talk about stuff more freely, whether it's mental or physical in manner because it's only a small jump to things dragging you down mentally when the physical side of things start worsening and if others can see something that they might be going through and realise that some help is needed, then that's good.

Foo

[warthog1]

So a man who made and lost a fortune consorting with criminals, laundering cash and fleecing problem gamblers feels bad about himself.
Diddums.

I agree he would have caused a lot of harm to others and is hard to feel sympathy for any Packer.
I have not been interested enough to watch the video, so you are ahead of me.
On the other hand it is good that people can talk about mental health and depression. It needs to be discussed and stigma removed.

[Tim]

My earlier comments might have created the impression that I am lacking in compassion. If that's so then I'm sorry. But it isn't true.
I work for an organisation that deals exclusively with the victims and perpetrators of domestic and family violence.
On an almost daily basis I witness the consequent fear, destruction and turmoil wrought on victims (and perpetrators) exposed to violence and intimidation driven entirely by factors such as poverty, trauma, drug and alcohol abuse and to a very real extent problem gambling.
My role frequently takes me into their homes to physically repair smashed doors, broken windows, destroyed furniture and often times help relocate fear stricken occupants to a safer location.
I know what compassion is and I regularly feel and practice it. At the same time I have zero empathy for those directly and indirectly responsible for facilitating the problem in the first place.

[warthog1]

Good on you Tim. We need more people like you.
I struggle with compassion fatigue. I treat people within our guidelines as objectively as possible.
Everyone has a finite amount of compassion to give. I give when required but I am very sparing as there aint much left it feels at times.

[Duck!]

So a man who made and lost a fortune consorting with criminals, laundering cash and fleecing problem gamblers feels bad about himself.
Diddums.

Noting your subsequent comment, this one reeks of someone who has never experienced true depression first-hand. What you think of Mr Packer's business practices is not relevant here - in some regards I'm alongside you throwing pitchforks at him! However, mental illness does not discriminate; it can, and does affect anyone from the most privileged to the most adverse social standing.

I have suffered depression for pretty much all of my adult life; there are some underlying triggers that set me off on depressive episodes at times; irrationally excessive responses to minor negative stimuli. But sometimes my brain just falls in a heap with no obvious trigger - they are the bad days to deal with, because I feel like schidt and don't know why. That then makes me feel more schidt, because I don't know why I feel schidt in the first place, and so the spiral grows.

[fat and old]

Okay, it's ROUK Day, so how is everyone going?

Foo

I have been in worse places, but also better as far as mental health goes. My main ongoing problem is that I have soft tissue degeneration and resultant arthritis developing in several knuckles in my right hand, and that's not a great thing when you're right-handed and work in very hands-on environments. It's frustrating to know that while I have the skills to do the tasks at work, at times I do not have the physical ability to handle the necessary tools with adequate precision to do the job efficiently because my knuckles just won't handle it. Today was one of those days.

Mate, I feel your pain! My left leg and ankle have got to the point where I can't use a manual vehicle, and mostly need some sort of assistance if I want to walk more than 50m. Therefore, totally useless in my world. And with no light at all in the tunnel it's kinda depressing.

[warthog1]

Mate, I feel your pain! My left leg and ankle have got to the point where I can't use a manual vehicle, and mostly need some sort of assistance if I want to walk more than 50m. Therefore, totally useless in my world. And with no light at all in the tunnel it's kinda depressing.

That sux F&O. What is going on there?

[g-boaf]

Mate, I feel your pain! My left leg and ankle have got to the point where I can't use a manual vehicle, and mostly need some sort of assistance if I want to walk more than 50m. Therefore, totally useless in my world. And with no light at all in the tunnel it's kinda depressing.

Damn.

What else can you do to help with it? Any kind of non-impact exercise?

[fat and old]

What's going on? 45 years of heavy manual labour combined with old white guy approach to health: ignore it and it'll fix itself As for what the actual problem is.....3 GPs, 2 Podiatrists, 3 Physio's, 2 Ortho surgeons with a foot specialty, assorted orthotics and get this....I don't know any more than I knew at the end of last year! The first Physio was shocked when I told her how much I used to ride....where's the muscle?? It's gone. Almost all of it.

Although I'm quite happy to name and shame one particular Poddy who actually made things worse. Stupid so and so.

What else can you do to help with it? Any kind of non-impact exercise?

With the foot....nada. Was doing daily physio up until two weeks ago. Then spent 3 days working at my son's. Couldn't walk morning after, two days later Ortho reckoned I won't be walking around for exercise at all for a long time, stopped the ankle exercises straight away. Maybe some light cycling by next year on a trainer, spin type stuff. We'll see. Have only got worse since then so who knows?

I refuse to sell my bike and gear tho. Gotta stay positive. Only issue is the damn orthotics require a 4E shoe size

[g-boaf]

What's going on? 45 years of heavy manual labour combined with old white guy approach to health: ignore it and it'll fix itself As for what the actual problem is.....3 GPs, 2 Podiatrists, 3 Physio's, 2 Ortho surgeons with a foot specialty, assorted orthotics and get this....I don't know any more than I knew at the end of last year! The first Physio was shocked when I told her how much I used to ride....where's the muscle?? It's gone. Almost all of it.

Although I'm quite happy to name and shame one particular Poddy who actually made things worse. Stupid so and so.

What else can you do to help with it? Any kind of non-impact exercise?

With the foot....nada. Was doing daily physio up until two weeks ago. Then spent 3 days working at my son's. Couldn't walk morning after, two days later Ortho reckoned I won't be walking around for exercise at all for a long time, stopped the ankle exercises straight away. Maybe some light cycling by next year on a trainer, spin type stuff. We'll see. Have only got worse since then so who knows?

I refuse to sell my bike and gear tho. Gotta stay positive. Only issue is the damn orthotics require a 4E shoe size

How about swimming, would that be okay? When I was recovering from my hip injury that was suggested to me, but I objected because I just don't enjoy it at all.

[g-boaf]

^^ There are still some good people out there.

Just on that, saw another interview with Nicho Hynes where he made the point on just switching off from social media because it just weighs you down.

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/hynes- ... 5kbb3.html

“All I try and do is wake up every day happy and try and make a positive impact on people’s lives and play some good footy. And some people want to bring you down for it. That is a ‘them’ problem.”

So true. A good attitude. Social media and quite a bit of TV has become quite a lot of trash at the moment.

[warthog1]

What's going on? 45 years of heavy manual labour combined with old white guy approach to health: ignore it and it'll fix itself As for what the actual problem is.....3 GPs, 2 Podiatrists, 3 Physio's, 2 Ortho surgeons with a foot specialty, assorted orthotics and get this....I don't know any more than I knew at the end of last year! The first Physio was shocked when I told her how much I used to ride....where's the muscle?? It's gone. Almost all of it.

Although I'm quite happy to name and shame one particular Poddy who actually made things worse. Stupid so and so.

What else can you do to help with it? Any kind of non-impact exercise?

With the foot....nada. Was doing daily physio up until two weeks ago. Then spent 3 days working at my son's. Couldn't walk morning after, two days later Ortho reckoned I won't be walking around for exercise at all for a long time, stopped the ankle exercises straight away. Maybe some light cycling by next year on a trainer, spin type stuff. We'll see. Have only got worse since then so who knows?

I refuse to sell my bike and gear tho. Gotta stay positive. Only issue is the damn orthotics require a 4E shoe size

That sounds tough, F&O.
I hope there is some improvement and you can stay positive.
Getting on the trainer for a light spin sounds like a great idea.

[fat and old]

What's going on? 45 years of heavy manual labour combined with old white guy approach to health: ignore it and it'll fix itself As for what the actual problem is.....3 GPs, 2 Podiatrists, 3 Physio's, 2 Ortho surgeons with a foot specialty, assorted orthotics and get this....I don't know any more than I knew at the end of last year! The first Physio was shocked when I told her how much I used to ride....where's the muscle?? It's gone. Almost all of it.

Although I'm quite happy to name and shame one particular Poddy who actually made things worse. Stupid so and so.

What else can you do to help with it? Any kind of non-impact exercise?

With the foot....nada. Was doing daily physio up until two weeks ago. Then spent 3 days working at my son's. Couldn't walk morning after, two days later Ortho reckoned I won't be walking around for exercise at all for a long time, stopped the ankle exercises straight away. Maybe some light cycling by next year on a trainer, spin type stuff. We'll see. Have only got worse since then so who knows?

I refuse to sell my bike and gear tho. Gotta stay positive. Only issue is the damn orthotics require a 4E shoe size

How about swimming, would that be okay? When I was recovering from my hip injury that was suggested to me, but I objected because I just don't enjoy it at all.

Maybe. Have to try it but the issue I have means no flexing of the foot. You know those strengthening exercises with bands you do for your ankle strengthening? Muy no bueno! It will depend on how much pressure is put on the foot. Maybe backstroke, but probably not freestyle or butterfly. ATM just doing seated upper body strength and lay down hip stuff

[fat and old]

That sounds tough, F&O.
I hope there is some improvement and you can stay positive.
Getting on the trainer for a light spin sounds like a great idea.

Honestly tougher on the wife. We should have retired this year, put back 2 years to accommodate idiot son #2 and also a smoother non rushed approach. The way I am has impacted her mental health greatly, more so than me. She just can’t see how we’re gonna get there. Like, I can’t sleep more than a few hours, so get up and run in some voltarin or pop a pain killer then lye around flipping and flopping until I’m exhausted again . This at 2 in the AM. It’s hard on her.

[warthog1]

Honestly tougher on the wife. We should have retired this year, put back 2 years to accommodate idiot son #2 and also a smoother non rushed approach. The way I am has impacted her mental health greatly, more so than me. She just can’t see how we’re gonna get there. Like, I can’t sleep more than a few hours, so get up and run in some voltarin or pop a pain killer then lye around flipping and flopping until I’m exhausted again . This at 2 in the AM. It’s hard on her.

I am there on the sleep too. 22 years of rotating shiftwork my ability to stay asleep is screwed. My wife and I sleep in separate rooms now. At least she gets some sleep. She has had uterine Ca so has had significant surgery to remove that. All good now.
It aint that good getting old but as a workmate used to say, it is better than the alternative.