OUCH!

[Welder Dave]

Took the seat out of the skid steer to clean the battery connections behind it. Backed out when done and totally forgot the loader boom was up and being held by pins that slide out from the cab. Turned half way around and BANG right into the boom almost knocking myself out. Went down on my knees and discovered my head was bleeding. Luckily had some tissues and the bleeding didn't last long but that &^%$#! hurt. Earlier in the day I had to get a covid swab and it hurt too but not as bad. Might be much safer being in the hospital for a stem cell transplant. Just not sure how long I'll be out of commission. Guy helping me read it could be 3 to 12 month's. I sure hope it's not too long.

 

[nicky 68a]

It will be what it will be I suppose.
Perhaps it’s as well as the decision is made by people that know better than us.
Good luck with the journey sir.
The Covid eventually caught up with me.It was no big deal for me or my family,but it’s the first time in my life I’ve ever stood down from action and decided to let nature take its course and rest up.
I’ve enjoyed it to a point.I’ve been tuning into YouTube and watching a chap from Idaho in America keeping his old D9 and scrapers going called J Paydirt.There are loads of fitters,welders operators etc that give you running commentary on their working lives all over the world.
It’s been intresting to be honest,but I’ve started doing abit back at the quarries this week,and it felt strangely good to be servicing a D9 againI suspect you’ll be more than ready to lie under your grader welding something back on it when you recover.
Make the most of your bed time and try and embrace it.
Before you know it,you’ll be smashing your thumb with a hammer doing your job again

 

[1693TA]

I had it back in April. The Covid itself wasn't too bad just three days of a somewhat mile headache. The double pneumonia that accompanied in both lungs kept me resting and out of work for almost two weeks. Hospital didn't even want to admit me.

I didn't take any pills, or prescriptions at all, but did drink a lot of water and stayed in bed sleeping a lot. Same thing with my wife but she had no pneumonia to contend with.

No lingering effects at all with either of us.

 

[Welder Dave]

I was originally supposed to go in for the stem cell transplant on Sep. 29 but it was cancelled because of the 4th wave of covid. I had a central line left in from when they took my stem cells that could have been used to put them back in but it was taken out thinking it would be a couple month's or more before I would get rebooked. I was quite surprised when they called saying it was rebooked for Oct. 25. I would have preferred if could have been done in the winter but it is probably best to get it done sooner. I had another round of chemo in the meantime. The better health and lower the cancer level the better chance the transplant has of getting my level to zero. It was at 1 the last checkup so something is going right. I wish I didn't get such a nagging back ache though. Getting up from kneeling down and having to slide under the Cat to get the belly pan off wreaks havoc with my back. Sometimes you have to do things you don't really want to. When Murphy shows up with odd repairs doesn't help. As long as I don't have side effects like the C-Dif bug I'll be OK.

 

[cuttin edge]

I was originally supposed to go in for the stem cell transplant on Sep. 29 but it was cancelled because of the 4th wave of covid. I had a central line left in from when they took my stem cells that could have been used to put them back in but it was taken out thinking it would be a couple month's or more before I would get rebooked. I was quite surprised when they called saying it was rebooked for Oct. 25. I would have preferred if could have been done in the winter but it is probably best to get it done sooner. I had another round of chemo in the meantime. The better health and lower the cancer level the better chance the transplant has of getting my level to zero. It was at 1 the last checkup so something is going right. I wish I didn't get such a nagging back ache though. Getting up from kneeling down and having to slide under the Cat to get the belly pan off wreaks havoc with my back. Sometimes you have to do things you don't really want to. When Murphy shows up with odd repairs doesn't help. As long as I don't have side effects like the C-Dif bug I'll be OK.

It's hard enough as an adult to go through all that stuff, what gets me is when some little kid has to battle with illness like that. I know some complain about our health care, but I wouldn't want to be paying for all that treatment.

 

[Welder Dave]

It is terrible to see little kids have to go through this. If given the opportunity I would talk to them and tell them to hang in there, it will get better. I feel like such a dud trying to fix my equipment. I don't have nearly the energy I wish I had or used to have but want to do it none the less. I feel lazy if I have to ask for help on stuff that should be pretty straight forward.
I had to have a nurse(Homecare) come to the house every week to flush and change the dressing on the central line. The cancer institute supplied everything free of charge and the Homecare also cost me nothing. Canada's healthcare could use some improvement but it's still one of the best in the world. You don't have to mortgage your house to get long term treatments. I would imagine all my chemo and cancer treatments would be thousands and thousands of dollars. I have to pay about 20% of the cost of prescriptions because of my partners benefits. When I was working I didn't have to pay anything. The Vertebroplasty procedures, hospital and cancer institute stays, stem cell collection and transplant are all covered free of charge. Can't really ask for more. At the cancer institute you get your own very large private room and they bring a snack cart 2 or 3 times a day if want something between meals. They will even make your meal special as long as it's on their menu and you give them a day's notice. You don't just have to take the meal or meals of the day. I'm really glad I'll be at the cancer institute as it is much nicer than the hospital and all the staff really take care of you. I can't say the same about the hospital but did have a few really good nurses.

 

[John Canfield]

My RN wife had one job with an oncologist where one of her responsibilities was administering chemo. Tough job but it really got to her when the patients were children.

 

[treemuncher]

Being bald/shaved headed, I don't have any "feelers" telling me when I'm about to crash my cranium into stuff. When working cramped conditions or if it's cool enough for my hot head to withstand a hat, I keep a cap with a bump cap insert in it to minimize the trauma on the melon when working on or near equipment.


I do find that the older I get, the more careful and slower moving that I am on equipment. I've had enough slips, slams and bumps to be more careful but I still bleed quite often from minor incidents. Thankfully, nothing major as of late.

Dave, have you looked into colloidal silver as a supplement to any of your treatments? I've read good things about it. It really helped my Lyme disease and some of my major cuts that I've sustained over the years.

 

[cuttin edge]

Being bald/shaved headed, I don't have any "feelers" telling me when I'm about to crash my cranium into stuff. When working cramped conditions or if it's cool enough for my hot head to withstand a hat, I keep a cap with a bump cap insert in it to minimize the trauma on the melon when working on or near equipment.
View attachment 247528

I do find that the older I get, the more careful and slower moving that I am on equipment. I've had enough slips, slams and bumps to be more careful but I still bleed quite often from minor incidents. Thankfully, nothing major as of late.

Dave, have you looked into colloidal silver as a supplement to any of your treatments? I've read good things about it. It really helped my Lyme disease and some of my major cuts that I've sustained over the years.

They have driven us crazy about hard hats for so long. I finally found one that is not to hot, and I don't mind wearing. I put it on when I leave the house, and take it off when I get home. Left a job for a dental appt on Thursday, and when I sat in her chair, she said you can take off your mask, and your hard hat.

 

[suladas]

I absolutely hate hard hats, being 6'6" it's bad enough banging my head into things, never mind a hard hat sticking up even further, and they will never stay on. I don't know how anyone can wear them all day, even when i'm on a site that requires them, I rarely if ever wear it. I tend to be more careful now, but always wind up banging my head on stuff here and there.

 

[Ben House]

I used to wear hard hats all day long, seemed like years at a time. At a certain point it feels like a part of you, I guess you just get used to it. Now I work for myself, and I mostly build houses so nobody to tell me to wear one! I don't even own a hard hat anymore.

I remember one time I rode a scissor lift into an I-beam, I had just taken my hard hat off to wipe the sweat from my forehead. It rang like a bell, and I tasted metal. But I went back to work.

 

[1693TA]

Used to scale 80' towers with no safety gear at all and thought nothing about it as it was part of the job. Always figured my head was harder than any hat so wore a ball cap to use my skull to open the trap door on floors of the work platforms when doing cable runs or antenna maintenance routines on the same. That is until a com padre fell to his death from the 45' level changing a clearance lamp from a tower on an airfield. Why he didn't swing the arm this lamp head mounted to into the tower is not known, but the fallout from that changed the whole safety culture almost overnight. We already had the fall protection rail up the middle of the ladder, and the waist belt arrestor devices but they were so damned uncomfortable to wear, nobody did. With this incident came contractor supplied tower climbing training, confined space training, etc., and several million dollars of newest safety gear and training programs implemented agency wide. The whole safety culture changed near overnight with the immediate ban on tower climbing over a certain height. IIRC it was 40ft and then the two man rule went into effect immediately.

I'm no "Safety Sam" and that's for damned sure; but I am human. I've seen a guy fall out of a manlift and get hurt after that first step from their own stupidity and try to blame others. In the cited case, one is not supposed to climb the safety cage for additional reach. Had the mandated harness been worn, and attached, his ass wouldn't have impacted the ground and he'd in all likelihood only suffered some bruising to both body and pride. Contractor verbiage for their personnel compliance with established safety rules was incorporated into contracts as it is/was a learning curve for everyone. Being the union steward for many years I've been tied up in claimed injury cases several times and although of no legal authority, had to cover the union side of things and sometimes be combative with my own brethren when established parameters were not complied with.

Jobsite safety is a culture, make no mistake about it. Although OSHA can be a real pain in the ass, there is a reason for their existence and establishment. Although you seldom hear of the good work they do, they are there to help you; if you ask. Just call and request an evaluation and they come for free but don't have grotesque safety violations present, as they will be looking for them. Several times on our jobsites we would have the local OSHA reps out to look over things. Several good recommendations for your own safety program can easily come from one of these evaluations. Some good friendships too which can pay handsomely if something goes awry.

I guess the moral of the story is we all want to go home to our family and friends. Neglect common and established safety practices and one significantly reduces chances of that happening.

Thanks,

 

[Welder Dave]

Lots of welding shops had very poor ventilation in the past and even getting a respirator or P100 mask you pretty much had to bring your own. It's good that OHSA has brought in some safety protocalls. Even safety glasses are good but there's still people that don't wear them when they should. Hardhats are like welding helmets, find one you like that's comfortable for you not comfortable for someone else who's trying to push their type on you. Accidents will always happen but the ones caused by your own neglect aren't accidents. My head banging was an unfortunate accident and thankfully the only lasting result is a couple scabs on my head.

 

[Welder Dave]

Well I got moved into my new digs at the cancer institute. Pretty nice! Private room with windows overlooking the university soccer field and a big washroom complete with full size tub and shower. Kind of like a fancy bachelor pad. The staff here is great and encourage me to complain if something isn't right. LoL They said I will get sick during the treatments before they put the stem cells back in which I'm not looking forward to but said it will be worth it in the end. Days 5 to 10 are usually the worst. I think I'm doing pretty good which will help a lot. I can even pick my meals which is great.

 

[1693TA]

I certainly wish you well with the treatment. Know a couple folks whom have been through it and glad they went.

If they offered brain cell replacement injections I'd prolly join you over there. Wife insists I need them.....

 

[DB2]

Best of luck Dave.

 

[Welder Dave]

Started on some IV and am supposed to take lots of ice chips to keep my mouth cold so I don't get mouth sores. Also taking lots of anti nausea meds. My back was aching pretty good but is better since I took my pain meds. They put in a catheter because that's how my body will drain the bad cancer related cells. It's different than when they took the stem cells out by continuously circulating my blood. My blood gets flushed and comes out in the urine. I have to keep track of how much liquid/ice chips I'm taking and they compare it with how I'm discharging. Kind of sucks having the permanent catheter but I guess it saves me getting to go to the washroom constantly. It's also very easy to measure my output. It's a bit if a pain if I have to get up though. I'm on continuous IV and then also have to carry the urine bag. I'm doing good so far but just started on the treatments to clean my bones out before they put my stem cells back in on Wed.

 

[cuttin edge]

Old truck driver had issues with his prostate. There were times when he had a catheter in at work. We were working inside the max prison, no plastic outhouse, cameras everywhere, and going out to the bathroom involved going through 4 locked gates. He was standing by his truck, and I went to talk to him. He had a funny look on his face. Are you peeing?. Yep almost done. Uncomfortable, he said, but convenient.

 

[Tarhe Driver]

Welder Dave, I assure you there are thousands reading your posts or talking about you and your posts, which are darn-near uplifting. Please post again when you can.

 

[Welder Dave]

It's very encouraging to have all the support I have on HEF. In/out catheter is much better than having a foley bag strapped to your leg and a thousand times better than having the large bag you have to carry around if you need to go anywhere. That's what I have now because I'm getting continuous IV fluids. They said it's better than having to go to the washroom every 45 minutes with the IV stand and having to empty the leg Foley bag. In/out catheter gets to be pretty routine after a couple month's. It's so nice not having anything 90% of the time. If I don't get to where I can fully empty my bladder, they can do an operation to fix my prostate. I go back to the urologist in about 5 month's if I don't improve.
Nurse said I will get sick so not looking forward to that. They said I should let them know as soon as I have the slightest symptoms. It should be worth it in the long run. I start the transplant tomorrow. I will try to keep everyone posted on how it goes. Can't thank you guys enough for your support!!I!

Damn, I'm feeling a little nausea right now, probably because I started on chemo drugs today. They gave me something for it so hope it helps. I was taking anti-nausea meds already and now I have more. I'm also kind of chilled and sweaty at the same time. Hoping the meds work and I can get a good sleep.