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Posts: 585
Location: Gaithersburg, Maryland | Not Musky related, but I thought this post might save somebody's life so they can go Musly fishing when the season starts.
Since most Musky guys live where it snows a lot, I thought this post would be in order. As most of you know, we are getting a ton of snow down here in Maryland. Last year, my wife bought me a snowblower as a present. It's a two-stage model and cost $700-$800. Not cheap. However, at 59 years old on January 1, I guess she thought I might drop dead shoveling snow. Perhaps she was right. I have used my snowblower (the neighbors love me) a couple times now in some pretty deep snow. After I'm done, I hardly feel as if I've done any work at all!! On top of that, it's kind of fun. I also remember what it was like shoveling snow last year - it really got me sweating and my ole' heart beating. It was not fun shoveling.
This morning (January 27) I was at the local restaurant and talking to a friend of mine that is in charge of security at the local hospital. He told of two people that were brought in to the hospital yesterday with heart attacks. Both were shoveling snow. Both died. One guy was 50. The other fellow was 40 years old!!
Think a snow-blower is too expensive or hiring some kid to shovel your driveway)? Consider the alternative. |
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Posts: 148
Location: DES MOINES, IOWA | My dad was shoveling snow with no history of heart attacks, and suffered a massive heart attack.I was able to make flight connections to make it up to Virginia, Minnesota to see him before he passed.He was 64 with 6 months to retirement, a cabin by Ely, and been saving his money to enjoy his life fishing after retirement.Changed my whole life perspective.I fish and hunt as much as I can now,spend the money on this pursuit, and worry about retirement when it happens. |
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Posts: 1516
| Snow shoveling can and does bring on heart attcks. My sympathies. Now is also a good time to lose weight, quit smoking and get some exercise. Also, cut done on the saturated fats. Not only will you feel better but you'll be able to fish longer each day and hopefully for years to come. |
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Posts: 492
Location: Lindenhurst, Illinois | My issue is that I feel like I will have a heart attack swearing and kicking my snow blower when it won't start.
Just re-read my post and hope that it didn't come across as insensitive -- not what I was trying to do. This is actually a great topic as it happens every year. I know I would not want my parents out shovelling snow for the reasons posted.
Edited by MeHabeeb 1/27/2004 12:30 PM
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Posts: 736
Location: Hartford, WI | My dad had a heart attack after shoveling snow. That was 6 years ago, Damn do I miss him. If anyone here has problems with there snowblower starting. I will help you the best I can. Thats what I do for a living, and on that day ours didnt start, and he had already shoveled the drivway before I got home. To this day it bothers me, but I guess everything happens for a reason.
Jim |
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Posts: 585
Location: Gaithersburg, Maryland | Thanks for your comments. It's unforutunate when we lose someone, especially if it could have been avoided. If this post saves one life, it did what I hoped for. Tom |
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Posts: 1137
Location: Holly, MI | I'm only just peeking at 40 (in a couple of months). We got a ton here too. I took it nice and slow. The kids can't believe how high the piles are getting along the driveway.
Warn all to take it easy. Thanks for the reminder. |
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Posts: 32958
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I am 52, and in pretty good shape, but splitting cords of firewood or shoveling the entire drive is best left for my son, who is in his 20's. I shovel the drive area the plow doesn't get to, and slpit a bit of wood now and again, plus stack and put down firewood every three days. Deer hunting, Muskiefishing, and walking out on the ice and drilling holes with a hand auger give me a pretty good workout.
It's tough to stay in shape these days with the sit down work I do. I decided last Summer when I hit 234# it was time to lose weight, and got myself back down to between 190 and 195 fluctuations now, shooting for a permanent 190. Clarence Kalkofen, Jim Kalkofen's Father(Jim is the executive director of the In Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail) is my role model. He deer hunted with me, shot and dragged his own deer, and helped me load it into the truck. Clarence is in his lower 90's. He insists that it is diet and supplements and excercise that have kept him in great shape, so I intend to implement what he has done as closely as possible! |
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Posts: 642
Location: mount prospect illinois | This is a sobering but great (off) topic. i am not yet 40 (3 years away) but i have seen guys in their early 30's drop so take every day and enjoy it! |
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| good topic - and good reminder that everyone should check their health, even if they are "too young" or haven't had any warning symptoms. years more fishing to all!
in the winter of 2001 i was deployed overseas (in the Army), so snow care was left in my wife's hands. i had checked the snowblower at the house right before i left and it was broken - the pull cord had snapped. (the snowblower was Army issue as i lived in gov't housing at the time.) so this left my wife to shovel the TONS of snow that we got in upstate New York at Ft.Drum. anyway...that early spring after she had shoveled feet and feet of snow, i came back home. my neighbor asks to borrow the snowblower and i told him it didn't work because of the pull cord; he says he's handy at fixing those things and so we went to take a look at it. at this point i notice something odd...the key hanging out of the electic start!!! DOH.
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Posts: 585
Location: Gaithersburg, Maryland | |
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Posts: 1137
Location: Holly, MI | I thought about this post yesterday while I was out taking a walk.
I got the great idea to go see the woods, look for some deer bedding and feeding areas and maybe even get lucky enough to find a shed. It was the hardest walk I have ever taken. Snow was up to my knees most of the time. I stopped to rest many times, MAN that is some hard walking. It sure was beautiful out in the woods however. My thighs are a bit sore today. |
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Posts: 1516
| Part of taking care of yourself is that yearly check up including blood work. They might just find something early enough to make a difference. Lots of stuff you may have and not know. Early detection is the key |
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Posts: 736
Location: Hartford, WI | The biggest thing is, enjoy life, treat others with respect, because ya never know when its going to happen. In my dads case he was very healty (unlike me) and did his yearly check ups and so on. Just enjoy life the best you can.
Jim |
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Posts: 585
Location: Gaithersburg, Maryland | Amen brothers. Tom |
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Want to be around next year to go fishing?