Who else here metal detects with a disability?

[disabled detecting]

Hi everyone, my husband has been detecting since he was 9 years old and he is now 60. Just over 3 years ago he took 2 antibiotic tablets for a suspected infection. Unfortunately, he had a severe adverse reaction which has left him disabled. He went from being very active, riding motorbikes, walking miles, detecting all day to becoming housebound. It has basically attacked his soft tissue throughout his whole body, joints, muscles, tendons etc. We have experienced some very dark days in the last 3 years. He needed some semblance of normality back so he sold a motorbike and bought a secondhand powerchair, we took out a loan to buy a different vehicle that could carry the powerchair and had hand controls fitted. We now detect as a team, basically I do all the hard work lol. We do have a Youtube channel, it isn't just about detecting, it is about the powerchair and accessibility etc. I will share our channel, you may find it quite informative.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZyIBugNGMTYwNHO--eQ7zQ

 

[SeabeeRon]

Hi everyone, my husband has been detecting since he was 9 years old and he is now 60. Just over 3 years ago he took 2 antibiotic tablets for a suspected infection. Unfortunately, he had a severe adverse reaction which has left him disabled. He went from being very active, riding motorbikes, walking miles, detecting all day to becoming housebound. It has basically attacked his soft tissue throughout his whole body, joints, muscles, tendons etc. We have experienced some very dark days in the last 3 years. He needed some semblance of normality back so he sold a motorbike and bought a secondhand powerchair, we took out a loan to buy a different vehicle that could carry the powerchair and had hand controls fitted. We now detect as a team, basically I do all the hard work lol. We do have a Youtube channel, it isn't just about detecting, it is about the powerchair and accessibility etc. I will share our channel, you may find it quite informative.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZyIBugNGMTYwNHO--eQ7zQ

Awesome! Welcome to The Friendly!

 

[Beachhunter]

Hi everyone, my husband has been detecting since he was 9 years old and he is now 60. Just over 3 years ago he took 2 antibiotic tablets for a suspected infection. Unfortunately, he had a severe adverse reaction which has left him disabled. He went from being very active, riding motorbikes, walking miles, detecting all day to becoming housebound. It has basically attacked his soft tissue throughout his whole body, joints, muscles, tendons etc. We have experienced some very dark days in the last 3 years. He needed some semblance of normality back so he sold a motorbike and bought a secondhand powerchair, we took out a loan to buy a different vehicle that could carry the powerchair and had hand controls fitted. We now detect as a team, basically I do all the hard work lol. We do have a Youtube channel, it isn't just about detecting, it is about the powerchair and accessibility etc. I will share our channel, you may find it quite informative.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZyIBugNGMTYwNHO--eQ7zQ

Welcome aboard!

 

[bottlecap4u]

We now detect as a team, basically I do all the hard work lol. We do have a Youtube channel, it isn't just about detecting, it is about the powerchair and accessibility etc. I will share our channel, you may find it quite informative.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZyIBugNGMTYwNHO--eQ7zQ

You two are an awesome combo, checked out some of your videos, really good, loved the fake gold one, that has happened to all of us.

 

[Relichunter3]

pretty much same issue here. Im actually in a bad flare up in my neck right now. It is ok for detecting because my flare ups actully pull my head forward in a downward looking direction. It hurts more to look upward and it pulls on the neck down between the shoulder blades. HORRIBLE! I also had a spinal cord stimulator implanted in my lower spine back in 2018. Join the Army they said, It will be fun they said!!

 

[KOB]

There are always risks. But anyone contemplating neck surgery , I say do it. I had neck pains for years until when I made certain movements I would get severe tingling and what seemed like an electrical charge spiderwebbing down my back , legs and arms. It was scary. Doctors told me I'm lucky I'm not paralyzed from the neck down. A fall , head bump anything normal could have pinched my nerve off. Only problem I have now regarding that surgery are my hands. Though they look normal and I can move my fingers , they will never be the same....Greatfull to be alive , count my blessings , don't take everything for granted. Others have it worse...

 

[atomicbrh]

I am not listing all the things that are physically wrong with me.
It would take too long.
After my dot gov medical career, I worked for a gas company.
After a company physical, the corporate office said I was disabled and fired me.
I did not believe them, but now I do.
This summer I had trouble walking, could not drive or ride in a vehicle.
I stayed away from the neurosurgeon and with the help of a good chiropractor I am working my way back to normal.
I swing the detector with my left hand instead of my right now but that is no big deal.
I encourage everyone here with health issues not to give up.
During my time working in huge medical centers, I saw quite a few patients come back from horrific things.
Things that I did not think they would survive.

 

[djramey1975]

I don't have a physical disability but gotta say metal detecting did help me with my PTSD & bipolar.... It cleared my mind & all I concentrated on was the task at hand.... Can't wait to start back up in this great hobby & find some trash & treasure

 

[bottlecap4u]

Well, though I don't have a disability, I'm a caretaker for my wife who was diagnosed with Early Onset Fronto Temporal Dementia (EO FTD) in 2019, had it since 2017. We have no children and had to retire early to take care of her as she began wandering and it was too dangerous, fortunately, once she qualified under our state's Medicaid Waiver program (as she was too young for Medicare and it took over 2 years to win a fight with social security to get her designated as disabled), I was able to get in home daycare help in 2022 enabling me to get out of the house again after 3 years. In 2021, prior to getting help, I took up detecting, back then, I'd take my wife with me, when she was still able to travel, so I could keep an eye on her as she clutched her stuffed animal and plucked at tree leaves often shouting, for a few hours and rush back home when her anxiety was too bad. Now, she's no longer able to travel and has excellent daycare workers looking after her while I can step out for the day. I so hate this horrible disease but blessed with help now and we both are no longer alone and making doing the best we can. Detecting for me allows me to get out again, meet new people and continue my lifelong passion for history without fearing for my wife while I'm out.

 

[JCinCNJ]

I thought being a detectorist was a disability.

 

[Magicmantx]

I could go on and on. I manage to get down to the hole and use my shovel to help me get back up lol. It does seem to take me a bit longer to fully recover from a 4-5 hr hunt. I only sleep 5-6 hrs a night and probably wake up at least twice . Had Rhumithoid Authritis since I was 26 and 66 now. People look at me funny as sometimes I'll actually lay down beside the hole if it takes long to locate the target. I've always found a way to deal with my issues and a way to get things done. I always hurt to some degree but just deal with it and go on.

 

[ChiSoundGuy]

Chronic Lyme disease, so the list of health problems is pretty long. Over the past decade my health deteriorated to the point that I could no longer play hockey, which I love and kept me in shape. I started detecting because I thought it would be an enjoyable way to get some exercise and hopefully begin to restore my health. I'm far from cured, but I look forward to every opportunity to get outside and dig, and that alone has been helpful.

 

[60streeter]

Was thinking about this the other day, I have one of those “not obvious” disabilities myself. Anyone else and want to share?
I’ll start with mine, I can’t kneel, also nerve issues in same left leg and arm both damaged return nerves. I try to dig a little bigger little deeper plug and will bend down and see if it’s a easy pinpoint and grab. If it seems it will be a challenge target I have a funny way to kinda get to my butt without using my knees. Left knee had half the connecting tissue cut off the knee cap to have it sit more correctly and if I run into something or if I kneel I’ll dislocate the knee cap then it swells etc. I usually just adapt when getting to the ground or even getting up off the ground without using the knee method.
And I guess I could say it was a trade off, lifetime restrictions for a knee that doesn’t want to constantly buckle under me and all. The nerve issue was a “slight chance can happen” well yea I shoulda bought a lottery ticket too.
I’m just getting into detecting a lot more since I have more free time now, beach runs have been fun but also hit and miss, almost a full skunk last two trips.
I’m slowly working a local park now and I think someone has cleaned it of silver lol.
But I know I can’t be the only one here with a disability and won’t give up on detecting.
Gimpy detectorists unite

I had a total kneel replacement of my right knee two years ago, best decision I ever made! Worked thru a lot of pain over the years just to keep mobile. Detecting has given me the motivation to get out there even when the pain was a 9+. they want to replace my other knee and both shoulders..... but I wont let them... at least not yet.. Keep digging!

 

[romyrome]

Been fighting terminal stage four cancer for ten years and am also a type 1 diabetic and have many complications from both ailments but detecting was something I started when I found out I had cancer and fishing again and I am thankful to have beat cancer in fact I’m on my way to my drs for a PET SCAN lol but with out this hobby and fishing I wouldn’t have made it