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[badblue]

Last year I had a fantastic weekend stay in the hospital. Though that may have been the morphine.

I was just getting over a case of the delta when I started to notice a deep pain in my calf and since there was news at the time about covid related blood clots I decided that I should probably go to the ER to get that checked out. That was probably one of the best decisions I could have made as about an hour later while sitting in the waiting room I got very light headed. I mentioned it to the nurse when I was called to see a doctor. When the doctor came into the exam room I told him why I came in and what was currently happening. He asked me to stand and then quickly caught me when I tried. As he was helping me up on the table my right leg began to spasm uncontrollably.

What followed was a few hours of being wheeled around the hospital and stuck into various machines. I figured that what ever was wrong with me must have been serious when I was being wheeled into the MRI an hour after the CT. After that the doctor came back with a surgeon in tow to ask me a bunch of dumb questions. "No I was not in a car accident, Yes I was sure " and flat out told me that I had to have surgery or I'd possible end up paraplegic/quadriplegic/dead. While I do have a few "minor issues", I am still able to walk without assistance. I'm not really minding the chronic pain as much thanks to my prescription for the chronic for said pain.

They diagnosed me with Cervical Spinal myelopathy. My C4 and C6 disks had herniated into the spinal canal pinching spinal cord and in post surgery follow ups we determined that this had been progressing for a few years with out me being aware. Up until that point I had been working as a boilermaker-welder for the past 15 years. Working daily (10-12 hr) with an extra 5 pounds on my head while having to position myself into weird unsupported angles to be able to reach the work and a lot of other physical labor is the only cause that can be attributed to this, not to mention that anyone working in a confined space is going to bang their head occasionally so I was writing off the aches and pains I was feeling as just due to work.

Recently my doctor has confirmed what I have been thinking for a year. Time for a new career. I just have no idea what to do. The few paths I have open to me as a result of my career unfortunately still don't approve of cannabis for medical (zero tolerance drug policies) so I'm not sure if that is worth pursuing. A desk job is probably what I need but I haven't had one of those in 20 years. I'm ok with #learntocode I just don't see how doing that would make me employable against younger people that are far more experienced. Another option available is helping my wife with her business but she doesn't have the time to train me and I don't have the experience for what she needs. Going back to school is possible but in order to do that I'd need to do some upgrading as my G.E.D is not sufficient due to bureaucratic reasons. I also don't know what I'd go to school for.

So GAF, what suggestions do you have?

 

[NecrosaroIII]

Come work in Logistics. We can move all sorts of shit together.,

 

[chromhound]

You could become a draft person
IT would be the best bet for you

 

[Winter John]

Last year I had a fantastic weekend stay in the hospital. Though that may have been the morphine.

I was just getting over a case of the delta when I started to notice a deep pain in my calf and since there was news at the time about covid related blood clots I decided that I should probably go to the ER to get that checked out. That was probably one of the best decisions I could have made as about an hour later while sitting in the waiting room I got very light headed. I mentioned it to the nurse when I was called to see a doctor. When the doctor came into the exam room I told him why I came in and what was currently happening. He asked me to stand and then quickly caught me when I tried. As he was helping me up on the table my right leg began to spasm uncontrollably.

What followed was a few hours of being wheeled around the hospital and stuck into various machines. I figured that what ever was wrong with me must have been serious when I was being wheeled into the MRI an hour after the CT. After that the doctor came back with a surgeon in tow to ask me a bunch of dumb questions. "No I was not in a car accident, Yes I was sure " and flat out told me that I had to have surgery or I'd possible end up paraplegic/quadriplegic/dead. While I do have a few "minor issues", I am still able to walk without assistance. I'm not really minding the chronic pain as much thanks to my prescription for the chronic for said pain.

They diagnosed me with Cervical Spinal myelopathy. My C4 and C6 disks had herniated into the spinal canal pinching spinal cord and in post surgery follow ups we determined that this had been progressing for a few years with out me being aware. Up until that point I had been working as a boilermaker-welder for the past 15 years. Working daily (10-12 hr) with an extra 5 pounds on my head while having to position myself into weird unsupported angles to be able to reach the work and a lot of other physical labor is the only cause that can be attributed to this, not to mention that anyone working in a confined space is going to bang their head occasionally so I was writing off the aches and pains I was feeling as just due to work.

Recently my doctor has confirmed what I have been thinking for a year. Time for a new career. I just have no idea what to do. The few paths I have open to me as a result of my career unfortunately still don't approve of cannabis for medical (zero tolerance drug policies) so I'm not sure if that is worth pursuing. A desk job is probably what I need but I haven't had one of those in 20 years. I'm ok with #learntocode I just don't see how doing that would make me employable against younger people that are far more experienced. Another option available is helping my wife with her business but she doesn't have the time to train me and I don't have the experience for what she needs. Going back to school is possible but in order to do that I'd need to do some upgrading as my G.E.D is not sufficient due to bureaucratic reasons. I also don't know what I'd go to school for.

So GAF, what suggestions do you have?

One of my friend's ended up in a similar position. He fell off a scaffolding tower and it screwed his back up. He did a course in bookkeeping. Got a job pretty fast and makes more money now than he ever did.

 

[kingfey]

Tutor.
Easy job, and makes alot of money.

Depends on your knowledge.

You can also become a translator.

 

[G-Bus]

If mobility isn't an issue set up a massage table in a spare room and jerk random guys off.

$100 a pop is definitely worth shaking your fist at.

In all seriousness I wouldn't downplay the coding idea. High demand. Good friend of ours was a painter and quit that 3/4 years ago to start programming with no prior experience. Yea bit of networking helped him out at first with a few jobs but he's doing it full time now and makes good money.

Day trading. Do the stock thing.

 

[badblue]

Come work in Logistics. We can move all sorts of shit together.,

I am good at moving shit from one pile to another.

You could become a draft person
IT would be the best bet for you

Drafting is kinda neat. My dad used to do that with old big desk and ruler set up.
I did do some IT work back in the for HP at a call center. I'd have to be stoned all day to do that again.

He did a course in bookkeeping.

This has some potential. There are a few avenues this could lead me down. Just one problem

$100 a pop is definitely worth shaking your fist at.

Look at this guy making $100 a pop. Though to be fair, I've done worse for less money and a lot more then just my hands were sticky at the end.

In all seriousness I wouldn't downplay the coding idea.

I'd follow this one if I had more direction. I don't have anything that is making me want to learn. I've asked around before and have gotten lots of different answers that always come down to "what do you want to learn" because they are all valid choices.

Day trading. Do the stock thing.

I'll need some capital to get started. So that only leaves on option.

 

[haxan7]

Is there a community college nearby? It’s not too expensive and you can:

• Start earning credits toward an associates that will transfer to a bachelors
• Figure out what kind of desk job skills you’re suited for
• Talk to an advisor about your situation, get advice from them about what coursework will help you get skills that are in demand where you live

For example, I live near DC where there’s a lot of government contracting. The community college near me has a degree in government contract administration. Almost all businesses that contract to the government need people that do that.

 

[badblue]

Is there a community college nearby? It’s not too expensive and you can:

• Start earning credits toward an associates that will transfer to a bachelors
• Figure out what kind of desk job skills you’re suited for
• Talk to an advisor about your situation, get advice from them about what coursework will help you get skills that are in demand where you live

I've gone down this path a few years ago. I was told by a few advisors at some near by schools that I'd need to wade through some bureaucratic red tape as my GED doesn't quite qualify me or do some upgrading. I would have followed stuff then but at the time other stuff was going on and I just decided to stick with it and move into quality control. That was in late 2019.

Thanks to covid, the desk jobs I am qualified for are difficult/impossible to get.

I have an appointment next month to talk with someone from my union about retraining. It part of my disability benefits so I'm going to be able to get some of the costs covered.

 

[Hawking Radiation]

If mobility isn't an issue set up a massage table in a spare room and jerk random guys off.

$100 a pop is definitely worth shaking your fist at.

I'd pay someone to jerk me off.
Easiest $100 for you and i'm not a cheap fucker to pay it in installments either.

 

[haxan7]

I've gone down this path a few years ago. I was told by a few advisors at some near by schools that I'd need to wade through some bureaucratic red tape as my GED doesn't quite qualify me or do some upgrading. I would have followed stuff then but at the time other stuff was going on and I just decided to stick with it and move into quality control.

I wouldn’t let some red tape/a few hoops hold me back if it was what I wanted to do. If you had done that back then maybe you wouldn’t have had the spinal problems. I have seen a lot of people go back to school and start making great money sitting on their butts.

 

[Zeroing]

Ok I might be able help you! You can weld metal correct? Ok some metal sculptures and try from there! I get my contacts and I might be able to set you up an exhibition in LA.

 

[badblue]

I wouldn’t let some red tape/a few hoops hold me back if it was what I wanted to do. If you had done that back then maybe you wouldn’t have had the spinal problems. I have seen a lot of people go back to school and start making great money sitting on their butts.

But would you do that if you had no idea what the end goal was? Going back to school isn't the issue, it's that I don't have any particular direction. Winter John had a pretty good idea with the bookkeeping so I'm going to look into that a bit more.

There were some other issues at the time that had my attention and that what was my main driving force in decision making at the time. You are not wrong though, if I had gone back to school then it would have delayed the surgery a few decades in the future. My condition is not that uncommon in the elderly. I have the spine of a 65 year old so said my surgeon.

 

[badblue]

Ok I might be able help you! You can weld metal correct? Ok some metal sculptures and try from there! I get my contacts and I might be able to set you up an exhibition in LA.

I'd be down for that as I can be artsy.

 

[haxan7]

But would you do that if you had no idea what the end goal was? Going back to school isn't the issue, it's that I don't have any particular direction. Winter John had a pretty good idea with the bookkeeping so I'm going to look into that a bit more.

There were some other issues at the time that had my attention and that what was my main driving force in decision making at the time. You are not wrong though, if I had gone back to school then it would have delayed the surgery a few decades in the future. My condition is not that uncommon in the elderly. I have the spine of a 65 year old so said my surgeon.

I think you should explore it. Community colleges in the US make it easy/cheap to do that, not sure if it’s the same in Canada. It would probably be something IT or business related. You can take intro level classes in those kinda fields and the credits you take can still count towards any degree if you decide to pursue one.

 

[badblue]

I think you should explore it. Community colleges in the US make it easy/cheap to do that, not sure if it’s the same in Canada. It would probably be something IT or business related. You can take intro level classes in those kinda fields and the credits you take can still count towards any degree if you decide to pursue one.

Thanks to the local government, tuition costs are on the way up but you are right it is worth a look.

 

[Mattyp]

Businesses not insured in US for employee injuries? Boss should be putting this in for claim in the millions or you on your own behalf.

 

[badblue]

Businesses not insured in US for employee injuries? Boss should be putting this in for claim in the millions or you on your own behalf.

Canada and Union.

The issue comes down to cause and what can be proven. While I can say that my job aggravated the damage, I can't say that it was the cause. This could be genetic. Good money has been spent looking into it. Though that hasn't stopped my insurance company fighting against paying me.

 

[Artoris]

Teach welding or find a less demanding welding job

or become a gigolo

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Work from home desk job. One that has to do with your industry or career.

You might not like it if it'll bore you to tears, but at least you're at home and you go at your own pace. A good company will let you buy office chairs and whatever for home use (even though every person has good enough chairs at home, many companies will still allow you to expense nice chairs, back pads, monitor stands and whatever to make you happy).

Only possible drawback is if they are sticklers and force you to come back to the office FT. Many companies who did 100% WFH during covid are getting workers back to the office in hybrid mode (like mine), and at some point will mandate some days back in the office. I don't see 5 days a week back any time soon.

Then again, some office jobs were 5 days a week at the office even during covid.

 

[EviLore]

You can go to community college with just a GED and transfer to four year university programs afterward—good ones, too. You can also take college classes part time pretty much anywhere with just a GED, and then transfer into university as a matriculated student if you do well. It’s no problem. The point of a GED is that it’s a high school diploma equivalence. Community college is the sensible choice here since it’s cheap and designed as the stepping stone to four year programs.

Education is good.

#learntocode is an option as well. Don’t worry about your age, it’s in high demand and lots of people go into it later in life. It’s hard but worth exploring, and there are lots of different paths.

Don’t naysay yourself out of all this stuff. Now’s 100% the time to reinvent given the health problems from your current career.

 

[GeekyDad]

Considering your medication, it seems reasonable that employers of certain jobs would exclude you for consideration. But you could perhaps do some type of dispatch work over the phone for one of these delivery services.

Best wishes for recovery.

 

[The Cockatrice]

Just be careful with desk jobs. Sitting in a shitty chair for many hours will severely damage your spine over time as well considering what you're going through.

 

[chromhound]

You could sell cars at a dealership

 

[jufonuk]

Ok I might be able help you! You can weld metal correct? Ok some metal sculptures and try from there! I get my contacts and I might be able to set you up an exhibition in LA.

Johnny Depp GAF account confirmed. Rooting for you man.

 

[Star-Lord]

Just be careful with desk jobs. Sitting in a shitty chair for many hours will severely damage your spine over time as well considering what you're going through.

He could always go self-employed/work from home, and buy himself a proper comfortable office chair, along with his own office set-up.

It's what I did when working from home during lockdown. Now I have a nice home office/desktop set up.

 

[Zeroing]

I'd be down for that as I can be artsy.

Using your imagination/creativity is a must!

 

[AJUMP23]

I would recommend getting a degree in Software programing or Cyber Security. Cyber Security is in huge demand.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

The few paths I have open to me as a result of my career unfortunately still don't approve of cannabis for medical (zero tolerance drug policies) so I'm not sure if that is worth pursuing. A desk job is probably what I need but I haven't had one of those in 20 years. I'm ok with #learntocode I just don't see how doing that would make me employable against younger people that are far more experienced.

Is there any reason why you can't quit smoking weed? Healthy and will save you some money.

As for learning to code probably there exists some programs that pay companies for hiring someone from career shift or older person - if that is the case a company would love to hire you for an entry position, since they do not have to pay as much as hiring someone out of school. Looks around and check the law where you live.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

I would recommend getting a degree in Software programing or Cyber Security. Cyber Security is in huge demand.

Yes, but getting the degree would take it at least 2-3 years before he can be hired anywhere, and only if internship is paid. Software you can do after 3-6 months of bootcamp.

 

[AJUMP23]

Yes, but getting the degree would take it at least 2-3 years before he can be hired anywhere, and only if internship is paid. Software you can do after 3-6 months of bootcamp.

Certainly, then he can work and go to school. Most companies will reimburse your education. And you can remote work and remote school.

 

[Peter303]

I'd follow this one if I had more direction. I don't have anything that is making me want to learn. I've asked around before and have gotten lots of different answers that always come down to "what do you want to learn" because they are all valid choices.

CNC programmer/operator perhaps. You're already in the fabrication business so it wouldn't be a complete fresh start.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

I just read article that builders are making crazy money - perhaps you can transition to something else like electric work, plumbing, etc.?

 

[badblue]

become a gigolo

I'm competing against this. I don't stand a chance.

I don't think the trade off in my future health is worth going back to welding. I don't even want to wear my gaming head set because it's heavier then I'm comfortable with and I'm a bit paranoid about hurting myself. It's allergy season and sneezing has incapacitated me for a couple days.

Work from home desk job. One that has to do with your industry or career.

One of the job I worked was a 2 month contract and sat in the lunch room the entire time. I can do that from home, I just need someone that is willing to pay me for it.

You can go to community college with just a GED and transfer to four year university programs afterward—good ones, too.

I'm not completely discounting that. I just don't think that in my 40s going to school for a few years while being directionless is a good use of time or money. It would be one thing if I had a plan, but I don't as of yet. There have been a few good idea's so far that I'm going to explore and if I need schooling then I'll get schooling.

Is there any reason why you can't quit smoking weed? Healthy and will save you some money.

I have some nerve damage and neuropathy as a result. Opiates or Cannabis are the what works and I think cannabis is safer then opiates.

perhaps you can transition to something else like electric work, plumbing, etc.?

Possible but unlikely. I think the only type of work I could do would be in a shop (if that) and those are difficult jobs to get due to demand and oversaturation of qualified tradesmen.

CNC programmer/operator perhaps.

That is a possibility. I don't know why I didn't think of that before. My union does have calls for CNC operators....