Nothing Special's '71 Bronco

[Nothing Special]

And being on my back a lot was more challenging than it might have been.  (I was avoiding putting medical stuff on the internet, but Lesley has put all of this on Facebook, so feel free to skip this if you don't care to hear about my medical issues, but...)

Back in March I was (mis)diagnosed with a viral infection and told to let it run its course.  Several days of getting worse later I had a fever of 104.4 and ended up in the hospital for three days with a (bacterial) kidney infection, likely related to the kidney stone they found in a scan.  The stone was attached to the kidney wall, so it didn't move and therefore wasn't at all painful, but they wanted to get it out.  (I don't know exactly how big the stone was, but in the scan they showed me it was about the same size as a vertebra ).  So they sent me home to get the infection cleared up with antibiotics and then to schedule surgery to remove the stone.

That surgery was a couple weeks ago.  They ran into a lot more inflamation than they expected, for a while were going to remove the kidney, but decided they could put in a drain to (hopefully) let things clear up.  So I have a tube coming out of my back now.  Not fun on a creeper!.  Friday I go in to have another scan and see how my kidney is doing.  Best case is it's doing great and they take the tube out and I'm done.  Likely scenario is they need to put a stent in that will have to come out at some point in the fairly near future.  And I'm not going to worry about any scenarios worse than that unless I have to.

[FuzzFace2]

Sorry to hear that and hope all goes well on the next visit but at least you know there is an end.

I need injections in 1 eye every 4 weeks right now but last 2 times it has been getting worst and may be changed to every 3 weeks.
What ever it is I need the injections for the rest of my life if I want to keep my eye and it has kind of grown on me over the last 61 years LOL

Because of my eye I have a hard time passing my medical for my truck lic. / CDL so every year I have to go for fancy tests and send the DMV the results and hope I can get a waver to keep my CDL and my job.

It no fun getting old
Good luck
Dave ---

[Nothing Special]

Yeah, what I'm going through isn't fun, but there are so many people dealing with so much worse.  A friend of mine had three strokes a couple years ago (56 years old at the time).  To others he seems fine now, but he's got issues he'll be dealing with for the rest of his life.  Another friend (lower 60s) had a heart attack, was in a coma for over a month and now has significantly less energy and stamina as he goes through life.  Lesley has a friend who's husband (mid 50s) was diagnosed with cancer just over a year ago.  He's now stage 4 and has months to live.

As I said earlier in this thread, "I can't complain, but sometimes I still do."

[FuzzFace2]

Nothing Special wrote

As I said earlier in this thread, "I can't complain, but sometimes I still do."

It's how we cope with our issues
Dave ----

[Nothing Special]

A little more progress tonight.  I ground down the welds on the door sill.  The result is FAR from perfect, but that seems pretty perfect to me.  The metal warped a bit around the plug welds so trying to get it smooth would be impossible without resorting to body filler, and that's not what this project is about.  I still need to do a bunch of clean-up with a wire wheel, on the door sills, the rocker and underneath before it's ready for paint.  But it's pushing 100 degrees here now, so grinding these welds out was enough for tonight.

[grumpin]

That looks good!

[Gary Lewis]

Ouch!  That sounds like a lot of pain and worry!

And while you are right that others have had worse, when it is you or your beloved it is still a big deal.  So I'll keep you in my prayers that the upcoming scan shows that the kidney is improving very well and the tube can come out.

As for the work you are doing, it looks great!  

[Nothing Special]

Thanks to both of you!

On the rock rail, it's coming along at least as well as, and a whole lot faster than, the passenger side I did last year.  So I'm really happy with it.

On my health issues, actually once I was past the infection back in March there's been very little pain, and I haven't really been worried.  The worst pain I've had in the past 2 weeks is due to the tape holding gauze on my back.  The skin is getting a bit raw from taking that off and putting clean on every day.  So mostly it's more like discomfort and annoyance than fear and worry.  But I'll still be glad to get past this!  And I'll definitely take any prayers that are offered!

[grumpin]

That’s good to hear! Prayers!

[Nothing Special]

I was in the hospital and back home now (out-patient procedure).  The tube is gone  but they did have to place the stent, and the plan isn't to take it out for about 6-8 weeks .  I had been told before more like 2 weeks.  Right now I feel worse than I did yesterday (again better described as discomfort than pain).  Hopefully that's due to the procedure and the anesthesia, both of which I should recover from quickly.  But I was told to expect some discomfort from the presence of the stent.  Which could make it a long 6-8 weeks.

But I've only been home for 3 hours, and I an improving.  Not needing to rip tape off my back a couple times a day is a big improvement.  And I'm one big step closer to the end of all of this.  So that's all good.

[FuzzFace2]

Good to hear you are on the mend even if you are feeling not the best after this last round.
You know what they say ..... it could be worst

Hope you feel better soon
Dave ----

[Gary Lewis]

Bob - Glad you got the tube out, but it is a bummer about the stent.  Hopefully it won't be too much discomfort nor limit your actions very much.  I'll keep praying that you get through this quickly.

[Nothing Special]

Thank you both!

This afternoon and evening were rough.  We drove up to my folks cabin.  I wasn't supposed to drive after sedation so Lesley drove my truck for the first time (she thought it seemed awfully big in the road construction lane shifts!  She's not going to drive the motorhome... ever).  Anyway, now "pain" is the right word, at least at times.  I'm just sitting now and feeling better.  So hopefully a couple more days will get me bach to where I was yesterday... but without the tube!

[Gary Lewis]

Take it easy at the cabin and let her wait on you.  

As for driving the truck, Lesley sounds like Janey.  She's never driven Blue, but grew up driving trucks so could.  But would never drive anything bigger.

[Nothing Special]

Well, the rocker is done!  Even with the medical delays it still went a little quicker (3 1/2 weeks) than the first one (1 month).  Poking at it a little each night this week I got it cleaned up, a couple coats of spray paint and everything reattached.  And four available evenings to spare before taking it to Grant Marais next week!

Here's the finished product.  I ended up with different break lines between the black and blue paint on this side vs the passenger side.  But so what, no one will ever see both sides at the same time anyway!  (Did I mention that this wasn't a professional installation? )

[Gary Lewis]

It looks great!  And STOUT!  As for not being professional, weren't you striving for something better?  Like "I made this!"  If so, you win.  

[Nothing Special]

Exactly!  It looks good.  No one's going to turn up their nose at it or anything.  In fact most people do say the other side looks good, and this shouldn't be any different.  It's not "polished", but I made it.  And I like it!

[Gsmblue]

Looks great to me. Fine work!

[grumpin]

Looks great!

[Nothing Special]

Not really a project update, but we did get an "opportunity" to use the Bronco harder than normal.  With my pickup in the exhaust shop for a new catalytic converter (story in the "what have you done..." thread) we needed alternate transportation to the cabin for the weekend.  We can't get the two of us, our dogs and stuff for a weekend in my wife's Jeep Renegade, and it can't tow my trailer, so the Bronco got the nod.  With nice weather we even put the top down for the 80 mile drive.

It's nice having a "toy car" that I've got the confidence in to take a trip like this with about 2 hours notice and no time for any vehicle prep.  All I did was check some of the fluids, put the top down and hook up the trailer.

We drove a little slow, but only because it made the drive more pleasant, not because the Bronco can't keep up with 70 mph freeway traffic.  And as we got closer we got off on the county roads rather than staying on the highway for the same reason.  

I was able to rearrange enough stuff in the garage at the cabin to fit it in there, so I didn't need to put the top up.  So we had a nice drive into town for dinner on Saturday.  It was a bit cool today, but still sunny, so we left the top down to drive home, but did roll up the front windows.

And speaking of windows, I forgot the side curtains (the "rear windows") at the cabin.  We're in enough of a drought that it probably won't be a problem.


Oh, and to finish up (I hope) my health saga of the summer, last Monday they removed the kidney stent that was put in on June 11 (above).  Having that in was a pain, literally and figuratively, the entire six+ weeks.  But it's out now and hopefully all that's left is to get back in shape after being pretty sedentary the last 2 1/2 months or so.  I go back in for a follow-up in about 3 months.  Hopefully there won't be anything more needed after that.