Zen” Refuah shleima. I can commiserate. Many years ago had a meniscal tear excised and was good until recently as the narrowed joint space has altered my walking with balance and trip hazards. With that and some neural deficits effecting fine motor control in the hands, I can see the end of my hagbah carreer drawing closer, but baruch rofeh cholim, I have good days and have not given up just yet
AAQ: breaking eitzim is not unheard of, certainly in older sifrei Torah. Most eitzim are mortise and tenon jointed and if the glue fails, or microorganisms eat the wood or the glue, there is little stregnth left. As it was, the sefer had shiny new double galgal eitzim that week because that bet knesset is full of peopleThat jump as such mitzvos. And this is yerushalim where two neighbors are sofrim, and i know of six or so others in the shchuna.