Anyone battle a illness that makes the game tough?

Matthew · Nov 8, 2012

Nothing like the rest of y'all but my right knee is pretty well shot. It swells & aches from the time I wake up until I go to sleep. My right shoulder acts goofy from time to time. It doesn't take much for a splitting headache to ruin the day.

99srxman · Nov 8, 2012

All of the above: Not really seemed to go to hell after 40 but doin ok except for the plantar fasciitis witch can be very painful.Back issues kept me down for a few weeks this pass summer. Your only as old as you feel i must be push'n mid 80's hahaha...

Dance_Business · Nov 8, 2012

JeffReedMO said:
Migraines can certainly make golf rough. The headache is actually the easiest part to contend with. It's the blurred vision and nausea that follows that makes it rough. I played with one a few weeks ago and it was horrible. I switched out from Excedrin to Motrin Migraine, and it's working pretty good so far to combat some of those nasty side effects. I don't get them as often as I used to, but they still suck when I do get one. Usually a couple per month.

I used to have them too. Same deal vision loss etc. I gave up alcohol & caffeine and have had 2 in 6 years!

rghilljr said:
I played last year severly over weight, would sweat a lot during a round and could hardly walk from cart to fairway or green with out breathing hard. It made the game hard for me. This year, I am down 110 lbs. and been cleared by my surgeon and my family doctor and am said to be very healthy.

Dude! Congrats! You lost a whole super model! Awesome!

hitmanharleyk said:
For me personally it is a battle each time I step onto the course. I have

1. Diabetes (insulin dependent)
2. Crohns Disease
3. Duprytrens Contracture

I take pride in the fact that I play to a 4 or 5 with the above issues plus the normal aches and pains from being 46 and playing sports all my life like bad knees,back, ect.

Reading yours & others, I won't even whine about my issues! Good for you for getting on with life & setting a great example!

hitmanharleyk · Nov 9, 2012

Been a while since I've been by the board.

My Diabetes is the easiest of my problems, control it using a pen and before a round error a little on the high side. I use to wear a pump but about a year ago I decided to change to the pens and I'm happy I did.

Dupuytren's makes my hand hurt most of the time and they are both starting to draw up where it is only going to be tougher to hold a club, once it gets bad enough I'll have surgery on them again. I could get shots in them for pain, but my doc recommends living with it as long as I can.

Now for the Crohn's. It bothers me the most from a mental stand point. I basically can't eat anything prior to a round and if I do it is the bare minimum out of fear of having to run to the restroom multiple times during the round. It is part of my life of basically looking at a course and the first thing I look for is where are the restrooms, that is my safety blanket and eases my mind. Also I play in a lot of tournaments and it is hard to commit knowing that I could possibly wake up the morning of doubled over in pain from the cramps. My wife and I have the routine of starting a very bland diet for me on like Tuesday night prior to a Saturday tournament. I've had flair-ups so bad on a course that along with the cramps and running to the restroom, I run a fever and sweat so much my clothes are totally soaked. I tried for years to hide the problem and only recently have I started admitting to my golfing buds what is going on, I was to embarrassed and it still in embarrassing but it is part of my life and theirs to if we are going to play together.

dadoffive · Nov 9, 2012

Hitman,

I feel your pain. Part of being open about your condition helps to reduce the stigma and misunderstanding. As I was a sophmore in H.S. when I was first diagnosed with U.C., I was running to the bathroom greater than 15x daily, passing blood, occassionally not making it in time. I was afraid to tell my parents (my Dad's perspective was... "you're only sick if you want to be"). Having few friends and being afraid to tell my parents (i.e. EMBARASSED!), I tried to hide it until it almost killed me. Between the fatigue and anemia (I was sleeping 12 hours a day... falling asleep right after dinner, and STILL COULDN"T WAKE UP IN THE MORNING... my parents just felt I was "lazy") it wasn't til I passed out at school and they starting running tests that I finally told a doctor what was going on... that ultimately led to the diagnosis.

As for the "restroom" situation, even though I've had a total colectomy (I have about 2/3rds my small bowel left) and now have a permanent ileostomy... the first thing I evaluate BEFORE booking a tee time is what is the restroom situation. Though I am cured of the disease through surgery... I still never know when I'm going to need to empty the pouch. Through years of management, you get to be more comfortable with those situations... but damn I hate port-a-potties on the course!

There are alot of support groups, Crohns and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA), as well as a personal one of mine www.greatcomebacks.com a place where others share their stories relating to Crohn's, Colitis, IBD, Cancer, 'ostomies in an effort to help educate and raise awareness.

At 46... I'm beyond my prime, and fortunately I have a wife who completely supports and loves me for me. I'll never play pro, but would love to get better and compete competitively (at some level).

If you ever want to chat offline sometime, don't hesitate to text/email.

Patrick

hokiegolfer · Nov 9, 2012

rghilljr said:
I played last year severly over weight, would sweat a lot during a round and could hardly walk from cart to fairway or green with out breathing hard. It made the game hard for me. This year, I am down 110 lbs. and been cleared by my surgeon and my family doctor and am said to be very healthy.

Little late, but I'm just reading this. Atta boy!

Trout Bum · Nov 9, 2012

hitmanharleyk said:
Been a while since I've been by the board.

My Diabetes is the easiest of my problems, control it using a pen and before a round error a little on the high side. I use to wear a pump but about a year ago I decided to change to the pens and I'm happy I did.

Dupuytren's makes my hand hurt most of the time and they are both starting to draw up where it is only going to be tougher to hold a club, once it gets bad enough I'll have surgery on them again. I could get shots in them for pain, but my doc recommends living with it as long as I can.

Now for the Crohn's. It bothers me the most from a mental stand point. I basically can't eat anything prior to a round and if I do it is the bare minimum out of fear of having to run to the restroom multiple times during the round. It is part of my life of basically looking at a course and the first thing I look for is where are the restrooms, that is my safety blanket and eases my mind. Also I play in a lot of tournaments and it is hard to commit knowing that I could possibly wake up the morning of doubled over in pain from the cramps. My wife and I have the routine of starting a very bland diet for me on like Tuesday night prior to a Saturday tournament. I've had flair-ups so bad on a course that along with the cramps and running to the restroom, I run a fever and sweat so much my clothes are totally soaked. I tried for years to hide the problem and only recently have I started admitting to my golfing buds what is going on, I was to embarrassed and it still in embarrassing but it is part of my life and theirs to if we are going to play together.

dadoffive said:
Hitman,

I feel your pain. Part of being open about your condition helps to reduce the stigma and misunderstanding. As I was a sophmore in H.S. when I was first diagnosed with U.C., I was running to the bathroom greater than 15x daily, passing blood, occassionally not making it in time. I was afraid to tell my parents (my Dad's perspective was... "you're only sick if you want to be"). Having few friends and being afraid to tell my parents (i.e. EMBARASSED!), I tried to hide it until it almost killed me. Between the fatigue and anemia (I was sleeping 12 hours a day... falling asleep right after dinner, and STILL COULDN"T WAKE UP IN THE MORNING... my parents just felt I was "lazy") it wasn't til I passed out at school and they starting running tests that I finally told a doctor what was going on... that ultimately led to the diagnosis.

As for the "restroom" situation, even though I've had a total colectomy (I have about 2/3rds my small bowel left) and now have a permanent ileostomy... the first thing I evaluate BEFORE booking a tee time is what is the restroom situation. Though I am cured of the disease through surgery... I still never know when I'm going to need to empty the pouch. Through years of management, you get to be more comfortable with those situations... but damn I hate port-a-potties on the course!

There are alot of support groups, Crohns and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA), as well as a personal one of mine www.greatcomebacks.com a place where others share their stories relating to Crohn's, Colitis, IBD, Cancer, 'ostomies in an effort to help educate and raise awareness.

At 46... I'm beyond my prime, and fortunately I have a wife who completely supports and loves me for me. I'll never play pro, but would love to get better and compete competitively (at some level).

If you ever want to chat offline sometime, don't hesitate to text/email.

Patrick

As someone that doesn't deal with the issues you guys have and I suspect a few others have here, I find it inspiring that you just keep moving forward and cntinue with your aspirations. So often now a days we hear about the dismal futures of folks that have become ill, and there's a complaint around every corner now a days. I just wanted to say thanks to you guys for putting yourselves out there and sharing your troubles, but mostly thanks for sharing your triumphs. It honestly tells me that attitude is everything, and that I need to be more grateful for the quality of life that I do have.

Perkins Rooster · Nov 9, 2012

mward2002 said:
Ugh dude that sucks. I've known two people who've had it, and one of them I was dating. It seemed like once a month something would set it off and she'd be miserable. I felt so bad for her

Thanks for the sympathy mward. I haven't needed surgery yet so I'm lucky in that sense...

Seems like there are a number of people here with CD and other similar issues.

inthehole · Nov 10, 2012

Bad back kills my flexibility. Worst is my aching index finger on left hand - hurts for days after a round - never gets better...

slodsm · Nov 10, 2012

Mine are purely physical/self induced for the most part but I have plenty. I spent 12 years in the Marine Corps. I was medically separated for me knees being completely shot (bone on bone in both) so my weight transfer isn't as good as it should be.

Add to that, my L5 is cracked in half and the disc above and below it are collapsed so my rotation is limited.

Go ahead and throw in a torn rotator cuff in my right shoulder and I'm generally screwed.

I work on a drilling rig for a living though, I'm 6ft tall, weigh 190 and am strong as an ox but I can't perform the needed movements to properly execute a textbook swing (or even a resemblance of a textbook swing) but I work with what I've got. Love the game and eventually I'll figure out a way to repeatedly work through my flexibility issues.

Ole Gray · Nov 11, 2012

It's my brain :bulgy-eyes:. That sucker has a way of getting in front of my golf game and wrecking havoc :bicker:

motoo344 · Nov 11, 2012

Ole Gray said:
It's my brain :bulgy-eyes:. That sucker has a way of getting in front of my golf game and wrecking havoc :bicker:

I think we all have that one. My back bugs me sometimes but it could be worse.

CharlieMoy · Nov 11, 2012

I've been battling my back lately and I don't even know why. It's never happened before but it is now, and I'm a little worried.

TT on iPad

Tedfroop · Nov 12, 2012

Lost an eye playing shinny hockey in the schoolyard in grade 5.

Tore up my left SI joint working for my dad in mid teens. My spine now tilts slightly to the left from my pelvis up. Spinal decompression every couple weeks leaves me in good enough shape to play golf now.

After losing 90 pounds and feeling sick every day for about 9 months and going to the wrong doctor, my wife took me to her doctor. Walked in and when he took my blood pressure it was 60/40. Had not slept more than about 1/2 hour at a time in about two weeks. Found out I have Addison's disease. Basically explained I have low blood pressure, problems with immune response, and thyroid problems as well. Since I was diagnosed I have found hot weather to be a challenge as part of what Addison's causes is for your body to not want to hold on to electrolytes (thus the low blood pressure). Being outdoors and sweating a lot I can get in trouble if I don't drink enough Nuun and water.
Thankfully I have only had one major crises a couple of years ago brought on by a flu or something. That was really fun. Started feeling sick at work about 10:30 am. Went home an hour later. Passed out in the kitchen. Ambulance ride to the hospital during which my blood pressure dropped 20 points in as many minutes, followed by a week in the hospital getting back to normal.