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I was going to be the first to respond to this thread, but didn't want to sound like a complainer. At 58, I'm a mess. Diabetes, Heart Disease, Bypass Surgery, Very bad back, Chronic Pain, Arthritis, etc, etc, etc. Heck, it hurts to go TO bed, let alone get out of bed. I think my last great adventure may have been my solar project, which I got heat stroke from on one of the building days.
I was healthy as a race horse on Oct. 19, 1998. On the morning of Oct. 20Th 1998. I pulled my Concrete Mixer Truck in line for my first load of the day. Keep in mind I weighed 225 and it was all muscle. I opened the door of my truck and politely fell to the ground backwards. My life changed that day. No need to go into my injuries, but will say, I haven't worked at a paying job since and am on Social Security Disability.
I then had all the other things start happening Bypass surgery, etc. I now weight 325 lbs. and there ain't much muscle mass left although I have done what I can to maintain some of it. I went into a deep depression almost to the point of being suicidal. It has taken all this time for me to realize, I can't do much by myself anymore. My wife will tell you, I am the most stubborn, hard headed man she has ever met because I still try.
I still do a lot of what I used to do, but I pay for it dearly. An example, the heat stroke I got put me in bed for 4 days. I have pretty much quit working on our vehicles as bending over the engine or wheel/tire is just something my back won't take and it just kills me to have to pay someone to do something as simple a change spark plugs.
As for your question, "how do you mentally adjust when you just physically can’t do it anymore?" I guess that's just something you'll have to figure out on your own as there doesn't seem to be one right answer. Myself, I just keep trying and have just gotten used to failure on some tasks. I guess I'm also one of the lucky one to have a great wife that supports me even when she knows I'm doomed to fail. As we get older, she doesn't say, "I told you so", as much out loud anymore.
She told me when I got hurt and couldn't earn a wage at a paying job that if I would take care of her, the dogs, the cat, the cooking and the housework everything would be just fine. Boy did I get the raw end of the deal. I HATE HOUSEWORK!! She also said she wouldn't gripe if I went fishing, so long as my housework was done. I don't fish near as much as I did when I was working. Oh well we celebrated 30 yrs this last January.
I hope you figure out, "How do you deal with feeling incapable of taking care of your own equipment?". In my case, you just deal with it any way you can.
Wow, what a long post I made and really didn't say anything useful.
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