Geocaching and Chronic Illnesses?

[+Captain Goober]

Does anyone else here Geocache in order to keep themselves physically active where possible? About 6 months ago i was diagnosed with osteo arthritis and Fibromyalgia. So Geocaching helps me forget about the pain for a little while. It has taken me to many awesome areas right in my own neighborhood i never knew about. I frequently walk with a cane to help with balance and dizzy spells. I have to be careful when doing certain terrain levels.

 

I can't be the only cacher who has a chronic illness, i have met a few "spoonies" who occasionally geocache. This illness has taken a lot of things away from me, but Geocaching will not be one of those.

[+WarNinjas]

That is awesome that it gives that to you! Hang in there and hope there are many caches in your future!

[+Walts Hunting]

I had a near fatal (45% don't survive) Pulmenary Embolism in Jan 2010 that left me barely able to walk up stairs because of the clogged lungs. I changed my geo habits, bought a bike and now do probably 95% of my caching on it or on foot. Not only has it helped with my health but I get to caches in nicer more rural areas.

[+niraD]

I'm overweight, but that isn't the kind of chronic condition you're asking about. But I do know other geocachers with various disabilities (including one with fibromyalgia and another who is recovering from a stroke). And I know several with bad knees/ankles/hips, or who have had temporary disabilities or mobility limitations while recovering from fractures and various other injuries.

[+BlackRose67]

I have osteoarthritis in my upper and lower spine, feet, plus I have psoriatic arthritis affecting many joints and body systems.

 

Prior to geocaching, I could barely get out of my own way due to the pain and inflammation.

 

Thanks to the hikes, bike rides, snowshoeing, and lately geo-kayaking, I feel much better and have better mobility than before I started geocaching.

 

I likely would not have done any of those activities if I wasn't geocaching.

[+boothie103]

Osteoarthritis, essential tremors (which makes rolling up logs for bison tubes and the such like real fun) and full time carer for the trouble and strife. Geocaching has allowed me to totally have a break and get out and do things. The Wife, trouble and strife, even allows me to catch a couple of caches on our travels for her treatment, round trip of 500kms, which breaks the trip.

I get the chance once a week to do a 200km round trip caching. Yet to meet anther cacher doing the same, but looking forward to the day.

Biggest drawback is the cold weather, looking forward to summer, no more winter pain!

[+Captain Goober]

Very glad to see that i am not alone. This is another reason Geocaching is so awesome.

[+Sivota]

I have a neuromuscular decease called Mitochondrial Myopathy.

It's progressive and since a view years it not save for me to roam around in nature alone anymore, although I'm stubborn enough to try once in a while.

I have met a lot of helpful people and some very dear friends through geocaching, who are always willing to accompany me.

I even get help maintaining my geocaches, two of them are walks in the woods of more than six miles.

 

Two years ago my best friend adjusted his car to take my handicapped scooter with us to go geocaching in weekends and on vacations.

This scooter allows me to go a lot of miles further than I'm able to walk.

I live in the Netherlands, a rather flat country and with some creativity, detours and good preparations (and help when I get stuck) I'm able to visit a lot of caches.

I often still walk to caches if the distance is less than a mile.

Geocaching beats the boring exercises of physiotherapy for me, even in winter when everything is much harder indeed.

 

To be honest geocaching also is rather confronting for me in the field, because there frequently are new obstacles to overcome.

Things I had no problems with before.

 

The very big plus for me is that I do get out and about, enjoying all kinds of beautiful spots.

Geocaching gives me lots of positive energy and that is very valuable...

Edited August 8, 2015 by Sivota

[+anarcha77]

Keeping active is definitely a reason for me.

I have some arthritis in my hands, tendinitis in my wrists, and multiple back injuries that sometimes leave me in significant pain. Only my back gives me a hard time with caching though, and it's usually not severe enough to stop me from going, though I'm not always up for lengthy canoe paddles or climbing a tree; I seldom cache in the winter because my joints are worse then and I don't deal with cold well, but I go as much as I can in the warmer months. Geocaching is a great for me because I'm very sedentary otherwise (I'm sitting at a desk pretty much all the time, for both school and work). Its good to have something I can go out and do that isn't expensive and is available to me pretty much anywhere I go (I actually have more cache finds far from home, since I especially like going when I'm on vacation or visiting a new place and I seek out conservation areas and big parks when I can).

[RuideAlmeida]

When I was 40, I was diagnosed with DDD (Disc Degenerative Disease), with periods of inflammatory pain in the neck and lower back, so I walk around 7 km every morning... running would make it worse. My neurosurgeon gave me some useful hints to deal with it... postponing any surgery to the maximum. Good posture, adjusting the chair and the monitor of the computer, right way to lift heavy objects from the floor... folding the knees, not the spine, etc. Geocaching is perfect to keep going... as long I don't try anything extreme, like free falling.

[+Justin Of Terrytown]

I do have a speech impediment and I am overweight.

 

To help me lose weight, I am trying to find new hobbies that I enjoy that make me move. Since I started trying to lose weight about three years ago, Geocaching (about 9 months) and bicycling (about three years) are the two new hobbies that I have tried that I have enjoyed.