Make health a top priority

I’m going to venture off in an outdoor-related but slightly different direction this time. Rather than address the latest Cook Inlet fisheries developments, or some aspect of hunting, or an interesting firearm, I’m going to talk about something of great importance to each of us whether we be hunters, anglers, and just plain folks.

Most of us take our health for granted. Some folks work hard to get and maintain a healthy body. Others not so much, but they still assume or at least like to think they’re fairly healthy. Young folks, in particular, do a lot of crazy things and never give a thought to how their overall or long-term health might be affected by their activities.

Most hunters are well aware of the need to get in shape prior to the hunting season, especially if there’s a sheep or goat hunt planned. Those looking at a backpack hunt also know the importance of physical fitness. Whether you fly in, travel by boat, or access your hunting area by ATV or highway vehicle, hauling moose quarters any significant distance on one’s back is not what most people consider to be fun.

I’ve learned than even dealing with a heavy anchor and chain while anchoring a 20-foot riverboat in a relatively strong current can take its toll on one’s physique, especially if dragging anchor and trying to reset several times happens during the same trip. Enjoying the outdoor life in Alaska can be a physically exhausting activity, regardless of what you choose to do.

We’ve all heard the old phrase, “If I knew I was going to live this long, I’d have taken better care of myself!” I’m experiencing that first hand. I’m not “old,” but I am enrolled in Medicare and get a Social Security deposit to my checking account every month (not much, though!). I’m in the middle of getting a second specialist’s opinion on my left ankle, which was badly broken in an auto accident over ten years ago. I’m guessing they will decide that, in order to relieve the constant pain from bone spurs and degenerative arthritis, the ankle joint will need to be fused.

I’m also scheduled to see another specialist about my neck and the probability of degenerative disc removals and fusion of neck vertebrae. I’ve already had one disc removed and a single fusion of two vertebrae performed about five years ago. Most of the other vertebrae in my neck appear to be wearing out too.

While I’m starting to show the signs of “structural breakdown” from my years living remote and heavy work in the largest state fish hatchery at that time, I have more concerns about my wife’s health.

She’s been suffering from a couple of health issues for the past few years. Her doctor has worked diligently to try to correct the problems, but my wife is stubborn and didn’t always follow doctor’s orders. As a result, her general health has declined and, among other ailments, just walking any distance became an issue. She’s always had a fairly poor sense of balance and her worsening health situation didn’t help.

Over this past weekend, my wife had a couple of serious falls in the house where she hit her head on solid objects like door jams. These falls happened faster than I can even write the words to describe them. Over her strenuous objections, I called an ambulance and the paramedics didn’t even blink as they hauled her off to the hospital. She was quickly transferred from Mat-Su Regional to Providence in Anchorage when CT scans indicated she had bleeding in her brain.

As I write this, my wife is in the intermediate care unit with a 24-hour bed-sitter present. It seems she likes to try to get out of bed on her own and has fallen once, hitting her head yet again on the hospital bed. I said she was stubborn! She also likes to brag about her hard head, but enough is enough on that point!

Initial tests seem to indicate the bleeding is not getting any worse, but she is still very confused about things. I have no idea when she might be released and I’m wondering if she will ever recover totally back to being her lovable “old” self.

If your health is good, work to keep it that way. If not, check with your doctor and begin getting healthy. And do your best to avoid avoidable accidents like falls.

Howard Delo, a retired fisheries biologist, writes a weekly outdoors column for the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman.