So far, I can't come close to
@Beelzebub's personal torture, but I'm waiting impatiently for back surgery for L- 3,4,5 & S-1. It's been constant pain for 55 years, but I've finally decided to turn it over to the cutter.
In 1969 I was in Vietnam when a Chinook helicopter set down in the bush with a conex container with ammo, C-Rats and water for the company. After we unloaded and threw our trash in it, I climbed on top to hook the straps to a hovering Chinook. Long story short, it didn't turn out well. I hooked it, but chopper came too low and I got mashed.
It was a miracle I survived, but the next day I was on a Huey going to a hospital. It was raining hard and the pilot was running near to ground, I guess for visibility. He was following an old road when he clipped a tree and tore off a rotor. We started spinning like a top and I flew out the door. The Huey hit the ground about 50-60 feet from me, but ended up upright sans rotors and tail. Another miracle! I was fine, thanks to the morphine.
The crew was a bit beat up, but we were extracted in about an hour by a Huey and a Chinook picked up our ruined Huey. I made it to several hospitals in country, a couple months in Japan and finally the USA. 7 months later I was on 2nd tour back with Charlie Company, but that's enough of my story.
Within a couple years, my lower back was constantly hurting, but young bucks can take it and I could get by with over counter pills. As the years past, it was more painful. 20+ years ago, I was at VA going thru ever thing. Started out with pain patches, then many injections, RFA, different injections, etc, but they never lasted very long.
In October 2021, I was mowing the grass when lighting bolts shot thru my back and both legs to my feet. That lasted about 30 min. before I could get in the house. I've known pain, but that was a whole new level. After 3 days, I was able to walk again. Having a November elk hunt, I was really being cautious getting my gear loaded up, thanks to my neighbor doing the heavy lifting.
I saw plenty of legal bulls, but I wasn't about to pack out anything that wasn't big enough to call @Predator22 to get his butt up the mountain. After 2nd day, the pain came back, the 3rd day was really bad. I loaded up and came home empty of elk, the first time in Colorado ever.
, I'm getting close to surgery date, but lots of surgeries were set back by Covid the last years. I have a good doctor and I'm ready to take a chance, hope I get a few more years to hunt. There's always worst things to deal with.