Sad to say this hard to put into text on the forum. Christmas Day I was working around the house and thought I picked up a UTI of some sort. It got worse through the evening. The next morning its started to clear then turned into I can't urinate. I drove to the hospital and found out I've got a tumor in my bladder partially blocking the right ureter. Never the less I was outfitted with a catheter and sent home with an appointment for a specialist in Meridian, ID. The ran the camera in me and sure enough, there is a fair size growth. The plan is by next Wednesday to have it removed. 

 

I'm going be out of action for a while. Anyone local to me I would like to ask for assistance if possible. My Great BoD's here are going to have to pick up the operation of the site for a while. 

 

I'm alive and well for the most part. Shaken by this, Oh hell Yes! The huge burden of trying to take care of myself and MoparMom dialysis. Then the mental stress of it being possibly cancer. Today I'm going to try and just as much as possibly gain some strength so I can just keep trucking. I've got to keep rolling for MoparMom's sake. 

 

Again I'm tapping @BrianAtSmarty for the day of my operation being I will be in the hospital for at least two days. He's going to put us up at his place and shuttle MoparMom on my days I'm down.

Edited December 28, 20186 yr by Mopar1973Man

Not to stir the pot here, but.... you got 4 days off a week Mike. When I was 64 I was driving 15 and working 40 hrs a week. By Friday I felt like crawling into a coffin not bed. By Monday I was okay, not perfect, but okay to do it again. 

 

You have a great place there allowing you to feel better about life. I wouldn't move.... no way, but I would hang out a shingle for some hours of shop time each week. Even 4 hr days could net you enough to whittle down the medical.

Right now the local economy is very slow till spring time. I'm going to use this time to work primarily on my health FIRST. Then once I'm sure I can handle the stress and workload I'll jump in the saddle of wrench turning. 

 

I've had a wake-up call. Good Lord gave me a huge warning to change what I'm doing and handle things differently. Like this morning I'm eating health with oatmeal and going to get my tail out to the shop and work on the Cummins. I need to handle the fuel leak issue. Then once I get that handled I can pull my mountain bike out of the woodshed and get it fixed up for riding again. I'm going to start riding my bicycle again and get exercise. 

 

I'm going to limit my web work a bit for now again focusing primarily on my health and getting into shape. 

 

As for where we live yeah it long ways from medical attention but... Monthly expenses are a fraction of what people pay in the Ontario - Boise Area. There is no way we could survive down there and with the cost of living. Again here we come back to the current economy and lack of business is a good thing right now I can finish healing and get my body in shape and then jump into the workforce this spring ready for action. 

That sounds like a hell uv a good plan Mike, take care of yourself first. Without your health nothing else matters, I too am a hermit out in the back country and would not have it any other way.

 

Glad your doing better. and welcome to the world of ageing, sometimes it dont come easy but beats the alternative.

42 minutes ago, 01cummins4ever said:

I too am a hermit out in the back country and would not have it any other way.

 

Hell yeah... Simple life and easy living. 

 

42 minutes ago, 01cummins4ever said:

That sounds like a hell uv a good plan Mike, take care of yourself first. Without your health nothing else matters,

 

Oh trust me. I'm talking to many people about diet changes and herbs to help with the blood pressure. Between that and the cannabis at night. I'm super grateful that the cannabis is helping with the healing of my bladder and my right kidney.  

Glad your doing better Michael. Cannabis is the single most important medicine of the 21st century.

I setup a GoFundme for Mike.  If you have a buck to spare I am sure Mike would be greatful.   

https://www.gofundme.com/mopar1973man-hospital-bills

Hard times come and go, hopefully we can easy the struggle for a good guy.

1 hour ago, Me78569 said:

I setup a GoFundme for Mike.  If you have a buck to spare I am sure Mike would be greatful.   

https://www.gofundme.com/mopar1973man-hospital-bills

Hard times come and go, hopefully we can easy the struggle for a good guy.

Serious question...

I tend to be skeptical of "GoFundMe" because they can take 3% to 5% (or more).

Since Mopar1973Man already has a "DONATE" link at the top - wouldn't using that ensure that 100% of donations go to him, and nothing for GFM?

I don't mind donating - but I want everything to go to the good cause!

 

Mike

I thought of that as well, but the site requires you be a member to donate and we see a lot of push back for that via facebook etc.   ALOT of people visit the articles and never sign up.  

 

gofundme takes under %3 and offers a better platform for "sharing" I feel dirty for saying that.   

 

We would also have to seperate out the donation goals in the system to keep server upkeep $ seperate to helping mike wiht medical bills.   that adds another level of compexity on top of the above.   

 

Good thought though.

Edited January 18, 20196 yr by Me78569

Even Paypal has a percentage they take so what's the worst of the two evils. Nick is right it would take more effort to sort out the fund and keep things straight. 

 

@Me78569 thank you sir for taking the step to start that. Trust me I will be glad to make a payment towards my bills. Sad to say about 7 times more than the GFM goal now roughly speaking from what I know.

I just doubled down on my donation and challenged others to do the same.

 

Michael.

 

 

4 minutes ago, int3man said:

I just doubled down on my donation and challenged others to do the same.

 

Michael.

 

 

Thanks!

 

Even a buck is something.  It doesn't take much from a community to do something huge.  

39 minutes ago, Mopar1973Man said:

Even Paypal has a percentage they take so what's the worst of the two evils. Nick is right it would take more effort to sort out the fund and keep things straight. 

 

@Me78569 thank you sir for taking the step to start that. Trust me I will be glad to make a payment towards my bills. Sad to say about 7 times more than the GFM goal now roughly speaking from what I know.

Fair enough.  

I just didn't want to 'feed the beast' - that has gotten fairly political (GFM) in the past, if there was a better option.

 

Mike

I think GoFundMe got a bad rap.  the fee they charge is actually just the cost that the CC company charges to process the payment from people.  they operate via dontations to keep the site alive.  when you donate you can throw a buck their way in the checkout.  

 

 

This is a great idea @Me78569.

 Thanks for coming up with it.  

 

Donated. Thanks for doing this Nick the Lord is watching and approving I am sure. God bless all. 

8 hours ago, Me78569 said:

I think GoFundMe got a bad rap.  the fee they charge is actually just the cost that the CC company charges to process the payment from people.  they operate via dontations to keep the site alive.  when you donate you can throw a buck their way in the checkout.  

 

 

 

 

Me, if we were a visitor, how would we find this account? Would we have to go to this thread? As time passes, it will become buried and might not even be found. Would it be a good idea to have it on the main page, like the signup donation is? Plus, the site donation gives you more benefits/privileges, with the more you donate.

 

Let us know, thanks.  

4 hours ago, NIsaacs said:

 

 

Me, if we were a visitor, how would we find this account? Would we have to go to this thread? As time passes, it will become buried and might not even be found. Would it be a good idea to have it on the main page, like the signup donation is? Plus, the site donation gives you more benefits/privileges, with the more you donate.

 

Let us know, thanks.  

 

Valid point. There can be an announcement banner place at the top. I'm not able to do that right this moment this morning being I packing for travel day again. @Me78569 should be able to create such.

Yep I have been thinking about that.  

 

2 things need to happen.  I need to put a banner up, and then people who do donate should share on any social media to their other truck friends who have benifited from Mikes work.

the banner is up for visitors in the articles section

I've already shared on my personal FB page. Just not on M73M FB page.

If those people tell 2 friends and those people tell 2 friends and those people tell 2 friends.