Usually can't wait for fall-winter leagues to start up again, but this year is different.

Had 2nd knee surgery in 8 years in April 2012, an it was December before I got my shot and my confidence back, despite coming back after only 27 days from the first one. Then finally hit my stride and was helping my team and then the body parts started failing one at a time.  Plantar Fasciitis, both hips (no cartilage left) and then, of course the knee started acting up somewhat.

The upside is that even though I still haven't had a pain-free day since December, I continued to bowl at a high level and my team and I won the championship last season (was our 3rd trip to the finals in 12 years and 2nd in 3 years, but we were flat in the first two).

Plantar Fasciitis was eradicated with 2 cortizone shots, and the knee has calmed down again, but despite various kinds of therapy (most recently something called ARP), my hips are still sore and constantly bothering me.

I know I will be ABLE to bowl, and I miss the competition and the my teammates, but I'm not optimistic about the pain subsiding and not looking forward to a whole season of fighting through the discomfort.

But I need to bowl. It's my mental stress-buster, and so much more to me.

And yet.....  I really wish I had another month ---at least!!!---before the season started.

Unless bowling will actually help---in moderation?  Not sure if I'm just trying to rationalize returning or not, but after "retiring" from bowling for the summer, I've only ended up feeling more stiff and more sore most of the time.

Anyway...   sorry this turned into more of a whine than intended, and there is no magic answer (not mentally ready for hip replacement yet), but decided to throw this out there into a forum of people who can certainly understand how important bowling can be to one's mental health and self esteem.

Thanks for reading. (and no...  I'm not anywhere near suicidal. Just very bummed out that the season is upon us, and I'm not ready for it.)

Having lost 3 months of this past season to an ongoing hip problem and then losing the last 2 months of the season to a sprained ankle, complicated by Plantar Fasciitis from this past summer, I can understand your trepidation about starting this Fall season.

I started last season with my normal 15 lb. balls, but when I returned in February from the first hiatus, I started with 14 lb. balls, so as not to aggravate the hip. Swinging that extra 1 lb.creates more force and momentum than the 1 lb. So, dropping 1 lb. in ball weight will go a long way towards reducing the forces operating on the hip. Moving from 16 lb. to 15 lb. or 15 lb. to 14 lb. can help a lot.

After the 2nd injury, ankle sprain on the sliding foot, healed in June, I started bowling again, slowly at first, then joined a summer league midway through it and then started bowling a 2nd day in the week, keeping to 3 games per outing. Then I found my winter injury, the hip, starting to bother me again. So I increased my dosage of Glucosamine/Chondroitin (they "seem" to help with joint inflammation from cartilage problems) and added some calcium and also started doing a bunch of exercises to strengthen the muscles around and supporting the hip. These also seemed to help a lot.

Not sure what exercises you do or were told to do, but they are especially important for older people as the entire body degenerates more and more the older you get. Focused exercises can be even more important. I got mine from the physical therapist during my recuperation in January.

As MI 2 AZ said, stretching exercises are, from what I can tell, the most important thing in dealing with Plantar Fasciitis. When I had mine last Summer, it was the worst pain I ever had; it felt like someone was driving a spike into my heel with a hammer. The orthopedist diagnosed it; I thought I had re-injured the torn tendon I have in the same foot. I was wrong; it was PF. His therapist gave me the stretching exercise to do and it was gone in 2 weeks.

PF is/can be caused by a fallen arch which stresses the tendon that goes along the entire sole of your foot. Stretching it along with wearing good insoles seemed to fix it for me. That arch needs support all day long; so, I use inserts for all shoes including BOWLING shoes. These helped me originally, http://www.walkfit.com/info.html. But good inserts, from New Balance and SofSole ($20 - 30), which I use in all shoes and slippers insure it doesn't happen again. This SofSole is good, https://www.sofsole.com/product/Arch, as a starter. This is the New Balance insert/insole I use now: http://www.theinsolestore.com/new-balance-supportive-cushioning-insoles-iusa3810-2.html

Thank you MI 2 AZ and Charlest for your replies,

My Plantar Fasciitis didn't respond to the exercises, so I went to a podiatrist in March, and got the first cortisone shot, which gave dramatic relief, but only for a couple days. Still ...it was remarkable how I was suddenly walking better and sleeping better. Unfortunately, I went out and bowled 10 games or so on it and messed it up again (dummy that I was!), and thus needed the 2nd shot, but that one did the trick and everything was better for awhile.

Even the hips and knee improved, cause I resumed my stretching exercises and used some judgement in how many games I bowled. But then went crazy again in April, figuring it was the last month of the season and I'd have 3+ months to heal my wounds and get ready for the fall.  And that's where things went south.

I'm 57 (58 soon), and finding out that things don't recover the way they used to as recently as a year ago.  It's like I still have a hangover from getting drunk 9 months ago, so I get disillusioned and am doing what I term "yo-yo exercising".

For a few days I religiously do the exercises and start to feel a little stronger and less sore and stiff, but then I plateau out and lose my incentive.  No---  wait a minute...  I don't just lose incentive. I get angry and disgusted and go on strike (not the good kind...the labor dispute kind), and stop exercising altogether, which of course is foolish.

Problem is...  I don't seem to be able to sustain my belief that the exercises are helping...or helping enough or quick enough. And I am not in terrible excruciating pain at all. Most of the time is a 2 or 3 at the most on a scale of 10. But it's non-stop...perpetual...round the clock soreness/tightness/stiffness, and it wears me down.  It's worst when I am NOT active, like trying to sleep or relax and read or watch TV. 

If I compare my progress on a weekly or monthly basis, I am better off than a few weeks ago and a couple of months ago.  But I am in constant pain (except when I give in and take a Vicodin) and that's part of the "yo-yo" cycle too, which goes like this:

1) Take a Vicodin to knock the pain down close to zero so I can be comfortable enough to get a good night's sleep.
2) wake up feeling refreshed and do the exercises and feel pretty good mentally and physically. Not pain free, but more positive attitude and I can "feel" myself getting stronger (strengthening the muscles around the hips so the bones aren't rubbing together).
3) manage to go 2 or 3 days of doing the exercises and not taking Vicodin
4) fail to see any further improvement and start to feel (or notice?) more pain again.
5) stop exercising cause I'm pissed off
6) eventually take another Vicodin
7) "rinse and repeat" (the cycle resumes)

Last night (Friday), for instance, I took my first Vicodin since Monday night, slept like a baby and woke up feeling refreshed and motivated once again to do my exercises, which I WILL definitely do this morning.  But ....how long will I continue?

And more importantly...I am not convinced that they are helping....or helping ENOUGH.

Sorry for rambling yet again.  But that in a rather large nutshell, is why I am kind of upset with the Calendar.  If it were July, still, I would probably grade my progress a little less harshly.  But September is upon us and I don't think I'm ready physically Mentally I crave my bowling fix, but I want to feel good and enjoy kicking people's asses and feel like there's extra juice in the tank.  I don't want to start the season limping around and having to put 120 % of my strength into ever shot.

On a more positive note....  I do have one 14 lb ball that I could maybe start with, versus my 15 and 16 pounders.  Although I don't feel like it's the weight of the ball that's a problem as these days I have trouble bending over to pick things up and just  getting in and out of the car. But at least with the lighter ball...  maybe will make things a little easier still.

Neptune,

Ok, your feelings and inclinations are not any different from anyone else's; HOWEVER you're old enough to know better.

Exercise is NOT like taking an aspirin or a Tylenol for a headache. Exercise is a life long necessity that allows you to continue doing both what you like and what you need to do. Now at this age, it is an absolute essential.  Your brain know that as a theoretical concept; your body knows it as a practical concept. Let them talk or just do it; stop thinking about it. Too much thinking gets you into trouble.

Vicodin is a habit forming narcotic and only gives temporary relief. Besides, as time goes by, you need more and more to do less and less. You're also old enough that a lecture is not necessary.

If you're having all these joint problems, the 14 lb. ball can only help; buy some more used ones. You should find you need more surface and lower RGs than your 15s and 16s because they're so light. You'll throw them faster, also.

Ok...   One legitimate question having very little to do with feelings and motivation, etc.   When I do get to the point where I decide to do the hip replacements....which one goes first?  I'm right-handed, and despite equal levels of discomfort overall, have found that the left hip ---when it's acting up--- interferes more with my ability to throw a "normal' delivery.  It also kills me getting into the car.  Not so much with the right hip.

Does that necessarily mean that the left one should be taken care of first?

And I'm feeling pain in my knees and my thighs and my shins as well.  They all started after the left hip became an issue, but what if I replace the hips and the other pains remain?

Yeap...   I should ask the doctor and probably will soon.  But from a strategic...more so than a medical....perspective, is there any kind of rule of thumb about which side to replace first?

Neptune,

I understand your feelings.  It's part of being human and living in an imperfect world.  We are all subject to highs and lows physically and emotionally.  Knowing that doesn't make it easier, however, it does help to know that others are probably feeling the same things from time to time, and really do empathize with you.

I truly believe that we are all very much alike in some respects.  We all have hopes, and fears, and illness, and bumps, and bruises, and sadness as well as happiness. You are not alone.  And through it all we will hopefully learn to have compassion towards our fellow man, and appreciate more than ever the good times because tomorrow holds no guarantees.

Instead of being happy or sad because of the end results, or lack thereof, find joy in the process.  I found this years ago and feel like now is a good time to share it.

"Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he's been robbed. The fact is that most putts don't drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to be just people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, and most jobs are more often dull than otherwise.

Life is like an old time rail journey... delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride."

Appreciate the friendships you have through bowling, and cultivate them as you go through the coming weeks.  Then your enjoyment will return regardless of your scores for the night.  The more you give of yourself, the less you will focus on your own problems, and your perspective will change.  People will look forward to being with you because of how they feel when you're around. 

Bowling is part of life for many of us, but it's not everything.  Bring happiness to others and they will return it for the rest of your life.  Best to you and all the gang here on ballreviews.com.  May this season be one of personal growth for all of us.

Mr Carter .. you said things I might have said .. but you said them better!

After my operation my surgeon recommended that I sleep with a pillow between my legs (I sleep on my sides).  I do, and it helps.  In fact I can't sleep without it now.  My wife recently had a knee replaced, and he recommended the same for her.  Give it a try.  --  JohnP