I May have waited too long. A cautionary tale.

[oldcarnut]

Sorry to hear about this also.  My dad went through it.    Because of that I have had annual  checks  since I was 46.  Now 55 I can't stress enough to the rest of you 50+ to get checks annually.  

[orange383]

Thank you for your wise words and advice.

I have a resto project here in the UK and I will now get on and finish it and enjoy it.

I have also sent you a private message.
Best of luck to you!!

[68moparbob]

Thanks for sharing your story. Keep us posted and I will certainly be praying for you.

[Lord Warlock]

Cancer has forced changes on me that I don't care for, like destruction of a healthy sex life, ruination of overall health and fitness and energy, and the medications have made me sickly and feeling poorly most of the time, and losing my good looks i.e. my hair loss situation.  I appreciate inputs from others and any topic is open for me, orange383 suggested eating broccoli ... if I am forced to eat Broccoli, asparagus or cauliflower, I am going to die, because I refuse to eat foods that make me gag to get down just to survive a disease.  Cancer takes everything it can from you, I'm not willing to sacrifice decent tasting food just to live a little longer.  I'd rather die.  I understand that there is a need to eat vegetables for essential vitamins, and the dietitians with MD Anderson will suggest some of these vegetables that we know are good for us even if they are gross to eat.  (I've avoided those three ever since I moved out on my own), and started cooking for myself or with my family.  The wife eats them, the kids had to eat them while growing up, but I refused.

Before I knew that the hormones or radiation would fail, I chose to fix a long standing dental problem that had gotten way out of hand, and ended up having my 16 remaining teeth removed to have dentures made and installed (bolt on's that are semi-permanently mounted to 9 implants) at a horribly expensive price of 22000.00 per arch, or a total of 44000.00.  While the teeth decision was probably the best solution for someone who intended to live another 30 years, it was probably the wrong decision for someone that may not live another 5 years.  Now I can eat anything I want again after not being able to chew steak or other chewy foods (no molars) for several years, and I plan on taking advantage of these teeth while I can.  At least I no longer have dental pain anymore.  But the cost of the teeth probably eliminated my chance of getting a Hellcat I'd been lusting after.  Who really needs a hellcat anyway, when you already have a Charger R/T SE and a Challenger R/T.

Anyway, I appreciate the suggestion, it will work for others, just not for me.    

[skip68]

This is upsetting news to hear LW.      So sorry.   Don't give up.  Keep a fighting attitude.   Wish there was something we could do. 

[polywideblock]

  don't really know what to say , just keep fighting  

buy one of those "nutri- bullet " things and make smoothies with the "other " things disguised by better tasting fruits etc .

cabbage is supposed to be another good one(anti cancer)    . I eat it raw /uncooked (shredded ), way   better than broccoli  that's for sure


                https://www.google.com.au/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4MDNE_enAU504AU505&q=cabbage+cancer+cure
     

[orange383]

I agree. I couldn't eat much broccoli on its own or even with a meal.
But when I heard of the chap in the uk whose wife gave him broccoli soup every day and his cancer reduced significantly I thought I would find a recipe on line and give it a try because there's no way I could it enough of it raw or cooked.

I was amazed that I liked it.

Here's the recipe http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/broccolisoup_76607

Worth a try and if you don't like it poor it down the sink!

I hope I'm not getting on your nerves.
Shame I live thousands of miles away. I would have liked to help you finish your Charger.

Best of luck.

It's awesome that you kept your charger for all these years by the way.
I sold my first charger because I didn't use it much.
I wish I kept it now!

[TeeWJay426]

Sorry to hear this. Sounds like you have the right attitude, which helps. Keep fighting and don't give up. You will get to cruise in the Charger once again!

[AKcharger]

Sorry to Hear that Warlock and wish you the best, but know I hear EXACTLY what you're saying. We all have an appointment with our maker, unfortunately we don't know when. So I make the most of every second of every day.

[Dreamcar]

I'm really bad at these types of things, but we're praying for you. Thank you so much for sharing your story.  You inspired me to just go out there and work on mine and enjoy the moment when my 2.5 year old came out to help.

[ws23rt]

You may have waited to long  ---to realize some of those things we look forward to when we are young. Car projects and plans for them come from our early years and the good times they bring to memory.
Your health is something one needs to attend to before getting back to old projects and plans.

I speak from my 64 year old self and thank you for posting your situation and feelings about it. It's takes a bit of grit to expose one's self about what everyone needs to learn more about in advance--Aging--

A long time project of mine (for example) has been with me for 35 years. If it was completed thirty five years ago I may have enjoyed it more then I feel about it now. We move from the past as we age and the past cannot be recaptured as we remember it.

So-- lord Worlock--I am with you in your current healing. And again thank you for bringing discussion to us and the young uns.

You of the youthful persuasion will be where we are in very short order. It is not a place to fear. It is a place to plan for.

[Kern Dog]

I'm a bit troubled by some of what the OP wrote. Not sure I fully recall, but the theme I got was that his family isn't as attentive or caring as he had hoped for. In addition,  the car project he postponed has sat idle as his health problems mounted. For your sake, I'd focus on repairing the issues with the family if possible. Cars are fantastic, but they will not comfort you in your final days like a loving family.

[Lord Warlock]

My family, at least my parents have been fantastic supporters during my health issues over the past year.  My wife is also a great supporter.  My kids...well, one daughter was so eager to get away she latched on to the first boyfriend she had and is doing fine post college, the younger daughter has been a handful, tried to make last summer about as difficult as it possibly could be, until I finally drew a line in the sand and told her  meet the basic rules we put down to live here, or move out and she elected to move out...all while expecting me to pay for 3 more years of school as well as housing.  School is paid for, did that years ago, but room and board are killing us financially, so I put a limit on 2 more semesters of paid room and board, then she's on her own.  Hate to do it, but if she's so eager to grow up and "do it on her own" will step out of the way and let her prove that she can do it.  So far this semester she's proven she can't, she can do the school part, but not the $$ part.  It will be a surprise for her to find out we (wife and myself) weren't lying and intend to cut her cash flow off in late spring of next year.  

I prefer the quiet house with the kids gone, 20 years of screaming and crying girls was enough for me.  I hoped that each would mature while in school and realize we weren't nearly as strict as they thought we were, we were a lot more permissive than our parents were, but kids never see it that way.  Now I'm faced with never seeing grandchildren, or even my daughter's weddings....one got engaged over a year  ago but is putting it off because they can't afford to pay for health insurance yet.  They are paying their way and figuring it out, just like me and the wife had to when we got married, they are just doing it without the ceremony.  The older one did mature in school and is much easier to live with today than she was before, but she was never considered to be a problem child...like her sister was.  

I doubt I'll be getting much comfort from either of my kids, one would try to visit during the final days, the other quite frankly i'd prefer she stayed at school.  If it would permanently scar her to stay away, i'd let her visit, I allowed her back to visit this month, although she's changed the date twice now.  Can't plan anything with her.  Now I'll be freshly poisoned with new chemo during her visit and probably not fun to be around, I'm a bit better the 2nd week after the chemo treatment.  I'm in the middle of a week 2 right now.  she was supposed to visit this weekend...now it is tentative for next weekend instead.  Next week I get my 3rd infusion. 

I spent a couple hours today working under my 69 charger, fixing a blocked fuel line that got bent too much and couldn't get fuel to the motor, hope I've resolved that issue, tomorrow I plan on pumping air into the tank to push the fuel forward, and hooking up an electric fuel pump near the mechanical pump to pull the gas the rest of the way through the lines, then I'll hook up the mechanical pump and see if I can start the car again.  I have to secure the fuel line to the underbody of the car first, the larger diameter tubing doesn't fit the original tube holders.  

[Lord Warlock]

The car project hasn't been idle as my health deteriorated I just waited too long to get it running so I could enjoy it before my body gave out.  I've been working on the restoration for the last six years, and in the last 18 months I've made substantial progress on it, enough where I should be able to get it started soon.  But working around my health has put long delays in place where Instead of rolling under the car to do something I'd consider simple...like unhooking a fuel line, now I sometimes can't get down on the floor because I can't get myself back up without tearing a muscle, or simply reaching up above my head to turn a wrench manually to unscrew a bolt wears me out in 10 seconds where I could disassemble the entire engine previously.

I'm currently forced to hire contractors to take care of yard projects that are pretty much required if I DO get the charger running and out of the garage where it has sat stored for so long.  Hiring concrete contractors to build an add on area to the driveway, as well as landscape designers to re-fresh the flower and bush beds and getting someone to rebuild the Gate and Fence alongside the property line where the garage sits.  In an early stage in my life, I would have built the fence myself, and landscaped it myself, but I can't leave it to the wife to handle at this point, too much work.   

[wingcar]

Life can get in the way of living at times....we all have our individual battles that we must fight sooner or later.  Just remember that the right attitude is everything....God be with you and your family

[ODZKing]

LW, just joining in here, so sorry to hear.  Prayers with you my Charger brother. 

[moparchris]

Hey man... do the best with what ya got for as long as ya got it.  I have read everything you have written and as a counselor I can say sadly that I have seen other situations similar to yours, especially where the kids are concerned.  What I take away from this is your main point.. GET OFF YOUR ASS AND GET SOMETHING DONE!!!  I can't count the number of times I've told some people in my life the same thing.  So many people think there are going to be virtually unlimited days somewhere in the future to "do all the things I've thought of doing."  Guess what... maybe not.  Do what you can NOW while your still healthy enough to get them done.
I give you kudos my friend for facing what you're facing and for bearing down.
God's Speed.....

[chargerperson]

LW sorry to hear your story.  Thank you for sharing with us though.  Good reminder to take advantage of every day we have.

Good luck

[Lord Warlock]

Progress of any sort is a good thing, this week I forced myself under the car and cut out a section of fuel line that was pinched and rose above the tank more than necessary, trimmed that piece off and reconnected the hose to the tank itself.  I also forced myself under again to attach fasteners to the line itself to hold it in place along the door sills (doesn't hang low anymore).  Now I just have to figure out how to prime the lines with fuel, gravity didn't work, pressurizing the tank with air didn't work either, bought an electric fuel pump, but that would only work if I hook it up near the tank.  I may have to fill the tank more than 1/4 tank or pump fuel from the hose up front to get the lines filled somehow.  I was able to get the brake lines filled but the fuel line is a bit different. 

Like yardwork, things are done in short bursts with frequent rests between.  Have to get seat belts, deciding if oem is best or not, something to think on for a bit before ordering. 

[Dino]

Dump a few gallons in the tank and jack up the rear.  Fuel will come pouring out the front in no time.  If for whatever reason it needs a hand, stick a shop vac on the front of the line for a few seconds and voila.

[birdsandbees]

or a vacuum gun that you'd use to bleed brakes... or old school with a piece of hose and your mouth! 

[472 R/T SE]

Wow, sorry to read this LW.  My prayer list just keeps growing.   

We just found out month ago that my Mom has breast cancer.  They type she has is the most common & most treatable.  Problem was she never had the annual exams she was suppose to be having & the DR. was pumping her full of hormones & my wife said if a Dr. is prescribing hormones that the patient should be getting tests.

My Mom is a workaholic.  This is the only thing that was gonna get her to retire.  As it is now, they're trying to convince her to work 30 hours a week so she can keep her benee's.   I think that's a BAD idea.  I know her & she'll never work just 30 hours a week.  Quarter end or month's end would have her right back where she was.

...to be continued.  Just wanted to jab a post in here so you know you're being thought about up here in this corner.

[Lord Warlock]

my shop vac hose wouldn't fit on to a fuel line sized hose, but I do have a roll of duct tape, that may help. I also have the vacuum gun for bleeding brakes, that was what I was thinking of using to backfill the hose with fuel, then hook up the electric fuel pump and see if it pulls gas from the tank. 

I tried jacking it up in the back, that was what I meant when I said gravity didn't work, I can try again though, it is one of the final steps before starting it up again, making sure its drawing gas from the tank...hasn't done that in a very long time, old tank was very nasty inside which is why I replaced the fuel lines, worry about gunk in the lines so just replaced it all.  Used a bigger diameter tube though, think it is now 3/8, doesn't fit in the old hose clamps that kept it attached under the car, had to fashion newer hold downs (or ups in this case)

Thanks for the warm thoughts, its appreciated.  Just plan on enjoying the charger for a while over the next year or two, more if I have more time.  Strongly thinking about supercharging my challenger also, paid it off recently and may have some car money available near end of year.  Want to buy myself something before spending it on the wife's car.  (she's planning on a replacement daily driver early next year)

[Lord Warlock]

well, pat yourselves on the back.  We have fuel to the fuel pump.  Added 10 gallons to the 3 or 4 that were in there already today, then got out the brake bleeder and pumped it about a dozen times and  I had fuel where I needed it.  So gravity evidently had partially worked just hadn't got it the last 4 feet or so.  One more stumbling block gone.  May turn a key on it this weekend.  

Once it starts and runs hopefully without smoking out a valve cover, I have to go through all the trim and make sure its bolted from underneath, fix trim around rear glass, tighten up the bumpers, then figure out how to get it out of the backyard. 

[472 R/T SE]

LW, may I ask whereabouts you might live?