A lot to look forward to...

[KeithB]

Well, to update the soap opera known as my life...

I'm still seeing podiatrist to debride scar tissue from toe amputations, but that is almost healed up. The Dr is mostly trying to reshape a cleft where my fourth toe used to be to allow me to keep area clean in the future. Not a lot of fun, I always end up with a shoe full or blood, but the blade is sharp and the pain is tolerable for the one or two days it takes to stop bleeding. At least I have good circulation there now.

The pain in my right knee is mostly gone. Stress fractures in end of tibia have almost totally healed, and the ACL tear has also healed w/o surgery.

It has been almost a year since I felt good enough to go downstairs to my armory/gun room and look around. Didn't remember how much stuff I had that I hadn't used. It all dates back to 2013/14 when I first started having problems with left leg that led to below knee amputation.

I found a lightly used .44 Mag Redhawk and five brand new bullet molds. An NOE 358292 in 92 grs that I bought to try in my Mustang .380. A Lee 358-158RF and a Lee 358-148 wadcutter. An RCBS 45-325 for my 45-70 Marlin lever. And a Miha .41 caliber 220 gr SWC that was specced as a group buy on CB forum from the bullets from my 10 cavity H&G #258 mold. I got all the HP pin options with this one.

In a few weeks I am going to try to get out and shoot up some old ammo to make room for some new stuff. Probably won't be able to hit my butt with both hands but you got to start somewhere.

Yep, got a lot to look forward to.

 

[Minute Of Berm]

Yep, got a lot to look forward to.

Always nice to hear positivity, you wear it well.

 

[S Mac]

Sounds like therapy to me. Hope it goes well for you.

 

[462]

Keith,
You've been through a lot, the last several years, but have always shown a brave face and kept a positive attitude. Your fortitude and courage should be an inspiration to all of us.

 

[Rick]

No no no Keith. DO NOT aim at your butt.

 

[fiver]

^^^that would be doing it wrong^^^.
point the round hollow part away from you.

 

[KeithB]

I knew I could count on you guys having a sense of humor.

 

[freebullet]

Glad to hear your doing better.

Get well & keep shooting!

 

[Brad]

Once we stop looking forward we are screwed. There is always a bright side, it is just a challenge at times to find it.

 

[JonB]

Glad to hear things are getting better...better enough to do a little shooting...sounds great.

 

[358156 hp]

You're making progress Keith. Important progress. Keep going forward, and don't shoot backwards....

 

[Catshooter]

Keith,

It was with a glad heart that I realized who you are and that you're doing well by reading your post. I just yesterday found this forum, so I'm way behind the curve. I hope in the almost year that has lapsed since you wrote it you're doing well and recovering.

So, when you went out shooting, did your butt escape injury?


Cat

 

[smokeywolf]

Sounds like things are actually looking up. Instead of having to catch up on medical issues, you're now blessed with the task of catching up with the good stuff, the fun stuff, the stuff that you've endured so much to keep being able to do.

 

[KeithB]

My butt is fine, Cat. I’m doing really well now. Got a new prosthesis a few months ago and it fits like a dream. I’m probably in better shape now than I was five years ago. Lost some weight, daily shop activities have helped me build up some muscle mass, more endurance since I quit smoking.

The folks here are real nice, they worked with me to set up a little area in Swap/Sell for my reloading stuff, thanks again to Brad and troj.

Glad to see you join our politics-free site. Some great folks here.

 

[Kevin Stenberg]

Glad to hear you are getting around better! I hope it continues at an increased rate. Kevin

 

[KeithB]

One ironic benefit of a prosthetic lower leg - when we got a lot of snow and ice a couple of weeks ago I was able to easily shovel a path to the street and the shop - and my prosthetic leg with its semi-rigid ankle was the steadier and more slip resistant leg on the ice. My right ankle was sliding and trying to roll over but my left foot/prosthetic was my plant foot and was firm and steady. Course it helped that I put on my shoes with all the metal chips in the soles...

 

[Catshooter]

Keith,

That is excellent news. When you fell off of CB I sent an email. When I never heard back I was concerned plenty.


Cat

 

[Ian]

Yes, we all were pretty concerned for a while, lots of PMs and emails were going around at the time. So glad you're doing better, Keith. Brad's vision for this forum was to provide a venue for those of us whose blood pressure gets too high around certain subjects (even if we agree!), and it has been very successful in that regard. It's more of a coffee klatch instead of a soap box.

 

[KeithB]

Well, I kinda had to step WAAAAY back from the CB forum. I went cold turkey - just like I kicked cigarettes - and routed all my mail from there into my Junk folder. It wasn't doing my recovery and rehabilitation any good. The physical and psychological sides of healing are like two sides of a coin or the Roman god Janus, separate yet one. Had to get my head right before I could get my body right.

I think I am the same person now that I have always been in many ways but when you face certain crises and death or disability is a strong possible outcome it changes you in ways that I can't really describe. It made me contemplate my values and decide what is really important and what is just noise and static.

At this point I can do just about anything any reasonably fit 64 year old man can (or ought to) do. I've got a growing business doing interesting things, and have bought some land and am working with contractors to put up a new shop building. Got a great apprentice and an understanding wife. Keeping my fingers crossed, but things look pretty good right now.

 

[Brad]

I understand entirely Keith. When a hobby becomes a major source of irritation and angst it just isn't worth it any more. I sold a rifle for just that reason.

I want this forum to be a place where we can all go and share our stories. What are we doing, what is working well, and what are we struggling to overcome.

What I didn't want is a place where every day sources of frustration came to fester and grow. We can all get plenty irritated at the TV over politics and other similar sources of irritation. Why would we clutter and poison a place of relaxation and kinship with that garbage?

Every day we grow and get better as a forum. I say we because the forum is far more than myself or the staff. You guys, the members, are what make it work and function. We have some damn fine gentlemen here and I am quite proud of what the site has become.