Sucks gettin old

[Ken Hayes]

Well, 2017 has been THE PITS for me so far with the COPD, the almost stroke and this weekend I spent it in the hospital with AFIB. (not a way I wanted to spend my bunny day) My irregular heartbeat was from 90 to 195 and bouncin all over the place. With meds and 3 IV's in my arm they finally got it down to a satisfactory level. Have no idea what caused it but I'll tell you what.......I'm lucky to be on this side of the dirt.

Doing real good now with all the numbers back where they're supposed to be. Felt great to get a FULL nights sleep without having someone comin it to get vitals or getting a poke for the blood lab. Now if I can just get rid of this naggin cough I'll be all set.

[flash]

Hang in there Ken ,hope to see you in Ohio .

[shadowgray396]

Hope you get to feeling better. You be out there Cruisin in that Chevelle in no time.

[Ken Hayes]

Went and saw the heart Doctor on Wednesday. Said my numbers are still lookin good, gave me a EKG test.......looks satisfactory. I told him the meds are really messin up my body and head. Cant sleep, no energy, bad cough........so he said to stop takin 2 meds and just continue with the BP meds and Eliquis. Last night wasn't much better as far as sleep. I looked up the meds he took me off of and it said they could stay in my system for a month.........DAMN, I HOPE NOT!!

[Hank70SS]

Well at least the EKG was okay. The other drugs probably won't hang around that long. Maybe a trace but hopefully the affects will be gone long before that.

[shadowgray396]

The problem with these drugs, they have to give you another one to reverse the side effects of one of the others. I been going to a naturopathic doctor and using young living essential oils to avoid all the drugs. Working for me.

[Ken Hayes]

Today I took the Eliquis and both my BP meds......WHAM knocked me for a loop. My head goes from one thing, to another, to another, to another.....cant concentrate on anything. I called the Docs office and talked to his head nurse.....she couldn't understand why this is happening to me........I says can it be the Eliquis not mixing with the others? Its possible.........I cut the yard today...usually takes me just under 1 hr. It took me almost 4 hrs to do........pooped out in nothin flat. Tonight I took another Eliquis (I take 2 a day) all by its self and I'm ok so far.

[FlintTony]

Ken, after my second heart attack, the Doc had me taking 4 different pills everyday. I hated what the pills did to me. I quit taking the bp ones first, then just flat assed stopped taking all of them. I do eat a low dose aspirin everyday, but nothing else. I feel a lot better without them.

[Ken Hayes]

Tonight I'm not taking anything and we'll see how it goes. I'm ready to stop them all. The BP meds are for congestive heart failure.......I don't have that.........so they're out. 2 of the heart meds they already told me to stop taking em. The blood thinner I think is the one that's zappin all my strength and makin my mind go haywire. Its for blood clots...the MRI showed NO CLOTS anywhere.......stopping that tonight.

I have a feeling that this whole AFib thing was brought on by me being stupid. I got a nebulizer machine on Wed, Apr 12th....on Thur, Apr 13th I think I over used the doses I was supposed to do.....Fri Apr 14th (Good Friday) I woke up hard to breathe so I did another dose on the nebulizer........went down stairs and took my BP.....numbers were off the wall and it showed irregular heart rhythm.........must be a mistake......took it again.....same thing, so I told Judy somethings wrong...........she took me to ER and the rest is history. I read up on the nebulizer.......and it said over use can cause irregular heartbeat..so maybe that was it in a nutshell.

[FlintTony]

You feelin any better today Ken? Hope so.

[Ken Hayes]

Hey Tony, guess what.........I ended up in ER again Sunday morning. Even though I stopped takin the meds on Saturday night they were still in me and makin me hard to breathe so Judy took me back. I hate it when the nurses say "Hi Ken".....like they know me...........THEY DO !!

After 2 IV's, shot of somethin in the IV, steroids and a breathing treatment they let me go home after 8 hours. Doctor gave me a script for Prednisone which is a steroid that messes with one of the BP meds. Judy said try em both and see what happens.........HOLY CRAP.......LA LA LAND !! Told her that it..........no more meds period.

See how everything goes tomorrow and Wednesday.

[flash]

Wow Ken ,they are really putting you through the ringer ,hope you are better soon.

[FlintTony]

You sure that the Doc doesn't have it in for you somehow? Maybe you dated his wife way back when and he is getting even with you! Good luck!

[Ken Hayes]

Called my regular Doc yesterday and said I'm stopping the Lisinopril (a BP med). He said why? Told him the side effects are driving me crazy. I cant stay focused on anything, I'm dizzy, I'm tired all the time, I feel weak and hard time breathing. Oh I don't think its the Lisinopril that's doing it. I told him that is the ONLY med I'm taking now. And if he looks it up, these are the common side effects for men. So he said go ahead and stop for a while and come in sometime next week.

I'm not a Doctor nor have I ever claimed to be, but I think I know my own body after 70+ years. The "Stroke" they said I had was the result of a pinched nerve that I have in my spine. (a Chiropractor confirmed that) The "AFib" I had was brought on by my own stupidity of over using the Nebulizer machine in a 1 day period. (the Respiratory guy in the hospital confirmed this & taught us how to use the machine properly)

Will update in a few days.

[FlintTony]

I've been saying for years that I think the Docs are in cahoots with the pill manufactures. They must get paid for prescribing all the shit they do, that most people do not really need. Hang in there Ken, and let us know how you are doing.

[mestorod70]

Ive been taking lisinopril for a few years.
Im at the point where i take every other day...my idea.
Yes it can make you dizzy...ive always been dizzy...lol.
When i first started my bp was borderline...139 over 70 or something.
I check my bp every few days...most times im in the 122 range.
If i go to the doc it skyrockets up into the 150 range.
Its called white coat syndrome....back from doc...120s again.
PS im 6ft and 160 lbs wet.

[carpoor]

Suddenly I feel fat... I am 173 +/- and less than 6ft tall.

[Ken Hayes]

Hey Tony, guess what?? I ended up in the hospital again late Sunday night with AFIB. ER nurses are like.....your here again??

This time wasn't real bad, heart rate only went up to 160. On Monday afternoon my nurse was in the room when all of a sudden my rate went down to 57 and stayed there..she looked at me and saw me jump a little. Are you ok she asked......I said no, I have a real heavy feeling all around my heart area. She wasted no time and called "Rapid Response" to my room. In an instant I had about 10 people in my room all over me. They hooked up a EKG machine and put "paddle patches" on both sides of me chest. They looked at the results and did a few more things and said he'll be ok now. It scared the crap outa me for sure.

I feel pretty good now that they took 2 meds away and changed 2 others. I don't have any side effects so far..........we'll see how it goes.

[FlintTony]

Have they done a nuclear stress test on you Ken? Good luck!

[Hank70SS]

Wow Ken, hope they get things figured out. That has to be pretty scary.

[Ken Hayes]

After getting out on Thursday afternoon I felt pretty good. We took the car out on Saturday and around 3:45am I woke up Judy........."We gotta go". I was in AFIB again. It wasn't as bad as before but still bad.

IV, breathing treatment and meds. They upped my Amoidarone (heart med) from 200mg to 800mg a day for 3 weeks then down to 400mg. He said I need to get more in my system. Got out this afternoon. All the nurses said "See ya in a few days".....I says BULLSHIT and they all laughed.

Only 2 things left if it comes back. 1. Shock me into rhythm 2. Surgery to go into Heart and cauterize the part that's not workin right. DONT KNOW ABOUT THAT ONE !!

[flash]

Wow Ken ,you are being put thru the ringer ,hang in there .Get better soon ,hope to see you in Ohio if I make it .The Chevelle wont be there though.

[FlintTony]

What's new Ken?

[Ken Hayes]

Well I'll tell ya, since Valentines day I've been in and out of ER 23 times. Mostly for my breathing.......heart is doing fine but my COPD is kicking my ass big time. I did have a Heart Cath done and was told there is no blockage what so ever.....that was like a 1,000 pounds taken off my shoulders.

I'm now seeing a Pulmonary Doctor to try and do something about my COPD. He put me on Symbicort along with my Spiriva. Its helping me a little bit better. He did tell me some news that really got to me. "Ken, your lung capacity is now at 52% and it wont get any better" So now I just take it easy and not out do myself.

[Hank70SS]

Wow, 52%, sure that wears you down quickly. I guess the only good thing is you're old like me and don't have to work as hard as you use to. So we'll both do what we can and try to enjoy life.

[Ken Hayes]

Was going to spend this past weekend in Ohio at the NOCC show. We were going to leave at 7:00am on Friday. Around 1:00am I got up to take a whizz. After I did I looked in the toilet to see nothing but solid blood. Man that scared the crap outa me. I woke up Judy and showed her, she started crying and said get dressed we're going to ER. I happened to have a specimen bottle at home so I filled it up and off we went. Girl at the counter said "Morning Ken, breathing problem again?" I showed her the bottle and her eyes popped out and said I'm getting someone for you.

In ER they originally thought I had a Bladder infection. The Doctor asked me what Meds I was on. I showed him the list and he asked why I was on Xaralto and Baby Aspirin? Told him my regular Doc said to take the aspirin and my Cardiologist said to take Xaralto. Well both have thinned my blood out too much. That Doctor and a Urologist both told me to stop taking both of them. Since I stopped I feel a lot better and have more energy.

[flash]

Glad you are doing better .I had to have a scope run up my Pee hole this morning looking for something that had left on its own ,not a fun day .

[Ken Hayes]

John, I go in next Tuesday for the "Scope Test" to see if anythings in my bladder.

[flash]

Not a fun thing for sure especially with an audience in the room .

[Ken Hayes]

Well I went in today and I told him something that I forgot to say at the Hospital. When I was taking a whizz, it kinda hurt and something besides blood came out. Could it have been a Kidney Stone I asked cuz I never had one before. He said its possible it was a stone or some kind of clot. I go back on Sep 7th for the scope test.

[Hank70SS]

I've had a number of kidney stones. Sometimes the pain starts in the back, kidney area. Moves to the front or starts there and moves down and in towards the groin. If you didn't feel any of that it could have been a stone that formed in the bladder. Not as common but it does happen.

Guess you'll have to wait until they stuff a garden hose up there and look around. :eek:

Good luck Ken.

[Ken Hayes]

Waitin for a call back from the Cardiologist's office. Seems that the Amiodarone he has me on is makin my hair fall out big time, also losing weight (a lot). My hair never came out when combing it before. Now the combs gets full of it.

[RBeckman]

Waitin for a call back from the Cardiologist's office. Seems that the Amiodarone he has me on is makin my hair fall out big time, also losing weight (a lot). My hair never came out when combing it before. Now the combs gets full of it.

Ken you just liked my haircut so much you wanted the same..ha. Hope all is well

[Hank70SS]

Just think of all the money you'll save. Ask Ric, he hasn't had to pay for a haircut in years.

Oh, BTW. I looked in the rearview mirror on the way home from Back to the Bricks. The rear window looked like crap. If I didn't know better I'd say you never went near it. Better hone up on your window cleaning skills.

[Ken Hayes]

Been a week since I stopped the Amiodarone pills and now when I comb my hair maybe get 2 or 3 strands in it. HOT DAMN !!

Hank, that's strange cuz our windows were spotless. Maybe you need to get glasses.

[Hank70SS]

Been a week since I stopped the Amiodarone pills and now when I comb my hair maybe get 2 or 3 strands in it. HOT DAMN !!

Hank, that's strange cuz our windows were spotless. Maybe you need to get glasses.

Good thing on the pills Ken. I'll check into glasses or maybe the rear window is just bad. I'll let you know what I find out 'cause I'm sure you did a good job cleaning it.

[Ken Hayes]

Ok, been 21 days now. Only pill I'm taking now is an occasional aspirin every now and then. I got a little bit more get up n go now. Still got my hair too.

[Hank70SS]

Sucks getting old. Yup, have to go for a colonoscopy tomorrow. Talk about a pain the $%^. Then there's today and the prep. Take these pills, drink this crap and don't eat. Oh, and stay close to a bathroom.

[flash]

Been there ,done that ,what a Shitty day .

[FlintTony]

Did the test go OK Hank?

[Hank70SS]

Ya Tony, Doc said come back in 10 years for another check. Can't wait.

[vinces427bb]

Ya Tony, Doc said come back in 10 years for another check. Can't wait.
well that is good news anyways:banana:

[Hank70SS]

well that is good news anyways:banana:

Ya, just a routine checkup thing. They like to do that every 10 years, if they don't see any issues, when you get old. Like 55, 65 and 75 years old. Then they stop doing it. Guess they figure if you make to 85 that's long enough, we're not checking any more. :butt1:

[Ken Hayes]

UPDATE: Well I've been off all my meds except for Spiriva & Proair (for COPD) for over 2 months now and haven't had a breathing treatment or been in the hospital. I have more get up and go now.

I did go in to See the Urologist on Sep 7th for that scope test. He promised me it wouldn't hurt and only take 30 sec. BULLSHIT I SAY, that hurt like something I wouldn't wish on my enemy. Thinkin about taking him to court as its 2 1/2 months since the test and still hurts to pee. I know its not some kind of infection or something like that. Keep ya'll updated.

[flash]

I had the scope thing done a while back and it didnt hurt at all for me ,hope you get it figured out .

[FlintTony]

Have you seen a different Dr Ken? Might give you an idea of what is going on.

[Hank70SS]

Glad you're feeling better overall Ken. You may be right, some kind of infection because it shouldn't still hurt.

[Hank70SS]

Speaking of getting old. Saw the ortho Doc a week ago. Pain in my right shoulder, tingling, numbness and pain in my right arm during the night. I'm sure it has to do with all the work I've been doing outside over my head. Just wanted a cortisone shot. He said he wanted to get some x-rays of my shoulder and neck? Why the neck, it feels fine? Well x-rays show some arthritis on several vertebrae, he said that may be pinching the nerves and causing the numbness and tingling. Told him I wanted a cortisone shot any way, it did help a lot.

[Ken Hayes]

Back when I went into the hospital with "TIA" (stroke like symptoms without really having a stroke) with the numbness and tingling on the left side. All the tests they did came back great....but I still had a little numbness and tingling. I ended up going to a Chiropractor (hospital doctors and my regular doctor frowned at the idea) and he did some xrays of my neck area. I see an injury here that looks to be about 50 years old. Well 49 years ago I was in a car wreck where I hit the windshield frame with my forhead, upper steering wheel just below my nose, lower steering wheel with my chest and knees into the dash. How the hell did he know that (50 years old) just by looking at that xray? Anyways he said I had 2 vertebrae that were starting to grow together and pinching a nerve. He put me on a stretching table (the rack....lol) and since then all symptoms have gone away

Ray, look into seeing a Chiropractor to see if he can help ya.

[Hank70SS]

Now that you mention it Ken, I was rear ended decades ago. Not as bad you but it did bounce my head around. Couldn't pin point anything specific but I just felt really weird for days. Can't really describe it but things just didn't feel right.

[Ken Hayes]

NEXT UPDATE: Great news, been off the meds now for 6 months and feel pretty good. Haven't had to do a breathing treatment in almost 4 months.......still have to take my COPD meds but that's a givin for the rest of my life.

Went back and saw my Orthopedic Surgeon Doctor cuz my right knee (had meniscus surgery in 06) was bothering me for a little while. Great News Ken.....your now bone on bone.......oh boy !! I have a new procedure that I do and your a perfect candidate for it. I make a cut about only 3 or 4 inches long, resculpt the ends of the bones, put metal caps on them along with something that takes the place of the meniscus. Probably be on a walker for a week or so, then a cane for same period of time and with rehab during this time I'll be good to go.

[chevymaher]

Good deal Ken glad your on the mend.

[FlintTony]

Ken, I have the same knee problem. I've been getting the "rooster fat" shots for a while. They aren't working anymore and the saw-bones wants to replace the knee. I don't want it replaced. I want to keep all my stock parts. I would be interested in hearing more about this procedure that your doc is telling you about. Are you going to get it done?

[Hank70SS]

Replacing the ends of the bones with a metal cap is the latest procedure. I hear it's not as major as a full knee replacement and shorter recovery time. Lynda had one replaced a few years ago and says she'll never do it again.

[Ken Hayes]

Hanks right....latest procedure with less recovery time.......I HOPE. Judy's gonna have one hip done shortly then after she's mended I'll have my right knee done.

I'll let ya know how it goes Tony.

[FlintTony]

Ok thanks Ken. Most people that I know who have had knee replacements are not too happy with the results. What is the name for this procedure?

[Hank70SS]

Good luck to Judy. From everything I've heard the hip replacement recovery is very quick, nothing like a full knee replacement.

Lynda didn't like the pain and recovery from her knee replacement but it's a lot better than before. It no longer hurts all the time, just doesn't feel quite normal sometimes.

[Ken Hayes]

Had my 1st gel shot on Thursday and Saturday I went to Detroit Autorama and walked on the cement for a little over 8 hours. Knee felt pretty good but my calf muscles were hard as a rock. Ok now. Next shot on Thursday.

Judy goes in to see same Doctor as me on the 13th for her hip. That Doctor has worked on Judy's Mother, Brother Larry, Brother Robert, Brother In Law JR and Me.

[FlintTony]

Are you getting 5 shots total Ken? That is what they did to me for a couple of years, but now it's only one big shot.

[Ken Hayes]

UPDATE: Well Judy had her left hip done on April 9th. April 15th I went in for a week with Pneumonia. No problems there...…..May 2nd, I had a hard time going to sleep with 2 pains on my chest on the right side. Had to call 911 and go to ER. It ended up being 2 blood clots on my right lung. After 3 days and 5 IV bags of Heparin I was sent back home. On May 10th I had another bad pain on the left side and I thought it was just a pulled muscle......nope another blood clot on left lung. 4 days and 6 IV bags of Heparin and back home.

Been over 5 weeks for Judy and she still has a lot of swelling in left foot and ankle and still on the walker. Physical Therapist says she's doing pretty good...we go back to see the Doctor on the 24th.

Yeah Tony its 5 shots.....1 a week.

[Hank70SS]

WOW! That's scary stuff Ken. All the best to you and Judy, take care.

[Ms Grumpy]

Ken, How is Judy doing with all of this and her hip replacement.

[Ken Hayes]

She's doing pretty good. Saw the surgeon last Thursday and he lifted all her restrictions and told her she could try driving again when she feels ok with it. She's tried using a cane a few times but still unsteady with it. Even got her to go down and up the basement stairs just holding onto the rails.


As far as me, I'm doin ok and takin Eliquis 2 times a day and stayin inside in the AC, cuz its friggin HOT (94) and humid out there.

[Ken Hayes]

LATEST UPDATE:

Well Judy's getting around pretty good, went back to work and does a little driving. Me, well that's another story. I lifted something that was heavy and I shouldn't have done it. I felt something give way in my back and figured I pulled a muscle. 2 days later and the pain was unbearable so I went into ER. They did a Cat Scan and said we're gonna call the Urologist in to take a look. Ken, we're going right into the OR (operating room) and get you fixed up. Seems I got a bunch of stones inside that have to come out.

He took 4 stones out of the bladder and found some masses in there. He scrapped one for a biopsy and cauterized the other 3. Also found some in my left kidney and put a stent in to help me pee. A week and a half later I went back to have the stent taken out. While doing that he also brought out another stone...…….Ken the surgery went great......but, the results came back from the biopsy and you have Cancer of the bladder. Its a surface Cancer that is treatable and curable...…..I go in on the 14th for my follow up and we'll figure out what we're gonna do from there. I'll keep you all informed on whats what.


Don't think we're gonna make Flint this year and that sucks !!

[chevymaher]

I wish you luck and send prayers Ken.

[FlintTony]

Glad to hear that it is treatable and curable. Good luck on the 14th. Flint can wait until next year.

[Hank70SS]

Best of luck Ken. I'm sure you'll beat this one and keep moving on.

[Slick87gn]

Best of Luck.

[flash]

Good luck Ken , youre a tough Ass so you will be here a long time . Just look at what all you have been thru already .

[Ken Hayes]

Passed 2 stones last Friday...….was like shootin spitballs out of a straw...…..hehehe. Go see the Doc at 10 tomorrow morning.

[FlintTony]

I have heard that passing the stones is pure hell. Good luck.

[Ken Hayes]

Saw the Doc for just a consultation on the 14th. I go back on Sep 10th into the OR again. He's gonna put some medication directly into the bladder for a few hours and then drain it out and do another scrapping for another biopsy. Depending on what the pathologist finds will determine what procedure is next.

Judy's hip is doing great but her foot and ankle are still bothering her.....its been almost 5 months since her surgery...…..this sux.

Actually Tony, I barely felt the stones comin out...……………...thank God.

[FlintTony]

Good luck Ken. Hope Judy gets to healing up better.

[chevymaher]

I keep seeing this thread and thinking yes it does. But so far anything i would be whining about all you would be saying. Poor Baby.

[flash]

I cant complain really other than aches and pains that are self inflicted from trying to ride my 4 wheeler upside down . Hang in the Ken and tell Judy Im thinking of her . Hope to see you guys in Ohio next year .

[Hank70SS]

I keep seeing this thread and thinking yes it does. But so far anything i would be whining about all you would be saying. Poor Baby.

Whine, whine, whine. :p

I cant complain really other than aches and pains that are self inflicted from trying to ride my 4 wheeler upside down . Hang in the Ken and tell Judy Im thinking of her . Hope to see you guys in Ohio next year .

Try to keep at least a couple of the wheels on the ground John. My pains are a combination of old age and thinking I can still do the same stuff I use to. Been power washing the paver walk and patio we had installed last year. Lots of salts effloresced and stuck on the surface. Takes multiple passes with a pressure washer just to put a dent in it.

[flash]

I hear you with the Pressure Washing , been doing that 3 days in a row at work and have tomorrow at it too . My back is shot from all that . I am starting at 6 AM to try to beat the heat but it still kicks my Ass .

[Ken Hayes]

Update...….. Well I went in for the Cancer surgery on Monday (9/10) morning. In at 6:15, surgery at 8:15 and home before 11:00.


Doc said the inside of the bladder looked real good and did a scrapping for biopsy. Put some stuff in me that was a form of Chemo. Kept it in for 2 hours then drained it.....if you can go pee, you can go home...…….bathroom here I come...…..had no problem going. I go back for a follow up on the 20th and maybe get the results of this biopsy. I'm hoping for the best news !!

[Slick87gn]

Best of luck.

[Hank70SS]

Update...….. Well I went in for the Cancer surgery on Monday (9/10) morning. In at 6:15, surgery at 8:15 and home before 11:00.


Doc said the inside of the bladder looked real good and did a scrapping for biopsy. Put some stuff in me that was a form of Chemo. Kept it in for 2 hours then drained it.....if you can go pee, you can go home...…….bathroom here I come...…..had no problem going. I go back for a follow up on the 20th and maybe get the results of this biopsy. I'm hoping for the best news !!

Nice to see you at Frankenmuth Ken. Best of luck, I'm sure you'll be fine.

[flash]

Best of luck Ken .

[Ken Hayes]

Sure would like to know what all this crap is I keep pissin out. I know some of the discoloration is blood which they said would be normal......but I'm doing chunks of stuff.

Sometimes its only one or two pieces, but last night it looked like garbage comin out of a vacuum hose.....(ok so I exaggerated a bit) I'm not that big. Three of the pieces were about half the size of a dime and all were black in color. Didn't hurt at all, just scary....it would be nice if its the Cancer leavin my body......I'll find out on the 20th.

[Ken Hayes]

TODAY IS THE 20TH

Went to the Docs at 9:00 and finally got to see him at 10:30...….damn I hate waitin. Anyways, he comes into the room and shook our hands, sat down and let out a big sigh....(I'm thinkin, this aint gonna be good). Well Ken, I don't know how to tell you this so I'm just gonna be straight forward on it.

We got the results back on your 2nd biopsy......the pathologist said....."I don't see anything"...…….YOUR CANCER IS GONE !!!!

I go back in 6 weeks and he's gonna inject a Cow TB in me that will trigger my immune system to get it out of me along with any cancers that maybe in there. We'll see how good this works...……..it don't sound too appealing, but if that's what it takes....sobeit.

[chevymaher]

Well congrats Ken.

[FlintTony]

Great news Ken!!!

[Hank70SS]

Awesome Ken! :banana: That's great news, glad to hear it.

[RBeckman]

Great News Ken.:D

[Slick87gn]

Congrats. Best of luck

[Ken Hayes]

I went in on Nov 1st. (Thursday) told him I fell off a ladder (missed a step comin down off the roof) onto the concrete driveway on my ass and back 2 days ago. Are you in any pain....yep. Ok, come back in 2 weeks and we'll see how you are then. So that will be on this Thursday...…..I'm still kinda sore around the kidney area, so we'll see how it goes.

[Ken Hayes]

Went in today and had a scope treatment. Ken, the bladder is looking real good. I go back on the 27th to get a Cows TB germ put into my bladder and get sent home. He said to try and keep it in there for 2 hours and then pee it out. Have to do this once a week for 6 weeks. The germ will activate my immune system to get rid of any cancers in my body...……..hope to hell this works.

[Hank70SS]

I hope it works too Ken, best of luck.

[chevymaher]

Well age hit me in the face hard yesterday. My best friend literally dropped dead. He was the best friend anyone could ever have. No doubts that man had your back through thick or thin. I will miss him like the air I breath.

I got to keep my promise and get his grand daughter out on the boat this summer. He wants her to experience the chevelle and the boat. He took her on the motorcycle.

Don't know what I gonna do without him. Looks so lonely out the front door now.

[FlintTony]

Sorry to hear about your friend. I send my condolences.

[Hank70SS]

Sorry to hear that.

My sister passed away last Thursday, she would have turned 70 in January. Still have a hard time believing it. She was congested, having a hard time breathing. Xray said she pneumonia in 1 lung. They gave here some kind of medication, antibiotic I assume. Went in the bathroom, struggling to breath and just fell over. No autopsy but have to assume cardiac failure. She was healthy and did try to take care of herself, a lot better than I do. Then boom, gone just like that, still doesn't seem real.

[FlintTony]

Wow Hank, sorry to hear that about your sister. Kathy and I send our condolences.

[Slick87gn]

Chevymaher and Hank70ss - Sorry for your lost.

[chevymaher]

Thank you all. Friday is the visitation.

[Ken Hayes]

Both you guys are in my prayers.....very sorry for your losses.

Well I completed 6 weeks worth of havin the Cow TB germ testing. The first 4 weeks went good with the nurse putting in the catheter and the medication. The 5th week, I'm going HOLY SHIT that hurts as she's putting in the tube...…...oops, this is the wrong size (too big of a diameter) but instead of pullin it out and goin with the right size she just kept going. The 6th week I joked with her and said, "you not going to stick that fuckin fire hose in me this week are you"? We both laughed our asses off and she said no, I have the right size this week....and if I hurt you I'll kiss it and make it better....not really, but I just had to say that. So I go back in 2 weeks and have another scope test to see if everything has cleared up in my bladder.

[Hank70SS]

Good luck Ken, hoping it all goes well for you.

[flash]

Chevymaher and Hank ,sorry for ya'lls loss , dont know how I missed those posts .And Ken ,hope all goes well from here on out , plan to see you at the Northern Ohio Show .

[chevymaher]

Thank you I am adjusting.

[Ken Hayes]

Couldn't go get a scope test last week cuz everything around here was nothing but a sheet of ice. So today I went in and had the test done......lookin good Ken, everything healed up just fine inside the bladder. Go back in 3 months for more BCG treatments.

[flash]

Glad to hear , great news .

[Hank70SS]

Apparently I missed this, been busy. That's good news Ken, glad to hear it.

[Ken Hayes]

Go in tomorrow for a urine drop...….then next Tuesday and following 2 Tuesdays for BCG treatments...…...then nothing for 6 months or so.

[Hank70SS]

How you doing overall Ken?

[chevymaher]

I started the old guy routine. Getting screened for everything. Got high blood pressure med for that. Been riding the bike 20 miles a pop to combat that. Waiting for the other battery of test to come in.

[Hank70SS]

Speaking of getting old, I'm really feeling it. Mentioned that our daughter Susan bought a condo so doing a lot of work there. Started ripping the surface off our deck here. Got all the nasty old railing off. It was made of 4x4's and 2x4's. The deck surface is 2x4 redwood. Got one sectioned cleaned off. The deck is 3 sections each 10x16 so that's a lot of lumber. Oh, and 3/4's of the galvanized screw nails pulled through the deck boards so had to go back and pull all them out. Anyway I can't do that kind of work anymore without paying price. Lot's of aches and pains, just ain't far.

[Ken Hayes]

I'm doin pretty good Hank...…...no more meds = no more zombie feelings. My right knee is definitely bone on bone.....that's gonna have to be replaced....but putting it off as long as I can. Went to Autorama and walked around upstairs about 3 times then went downstairs and did 2 times...….when I got home that night, both my knees looked like I had Elephantitus.

[Ken Hayes]

Went in last Tuesday for my BCG treatment. A bunch of things were not the same as the treatments I got before.

1. Usually she inserts a numbing stuff and waits about 5 min before catheter...…..this time it was no waiting time...…….and it hurt like hell.

2. When I used to come home before, I could pee in a 1/2 hr and I would have a lot of air come out...…...this time took 3 1/2 hrs to pee and no air at all.

3. I used to have just a little blood come out...……..this time there was a lot of it.

4. When I would take a dump, stool would be brown like usual...……...this time it was blackish green...…...never in my life has that happened. Lasted for 3 days.

I went back in today for another treatment and asked if the catheter could have missed the bladder last week because everything was different...….she said I'm almost 100% sure it was in. Anyways today was like before...…..when she inserted the catheter I never even felt it (she waited 7 min) I did feel it go into the bladder and I did feel the pressure of the BCG going in bladder. Came home and peed in 1/2 hr...…...very little blood and there was air...…….I really think she screwed up last week.

[Hank70SS]

Well I hope the treatments are working for you Ken. We went to Autorama, it is a lot of walking. You know Ric's friend Mike with the Henry J's, he had a car there, downstairs. Didn't see him but his girlfriend was there at his car. Did you see the red, blacked out K5 Blazer upstairs? Belonged to the guy 2 doors down from me. He restores them for a living, his business is Motor City K5. Broncos are nice but I've always liked the K5 Blazer. Maybe I could swap the Chevelle for one.

[Ken Hayes]

**UPDATE**

Well alot has been going on with me since last been on.......and not all good. The Cancer is gone....thats a good thing. But in March I went into the Hospital cuz I thought I had symptoms of Covid 19. They did the swab and said nope you dont have it....cool. But they admitted me and started treating my A-Fib which is not what I went for. They were trying to get my numbers down with different meds.......kept telling them this wont work. One morning the nurse came in with 22 pills.......I went WTF is all this for? Long story short, I didnt take them and got discharged.

2 days later I started running a temp of 103° and went back in. I got tested and it came out positive for Covid 19 but on the "mild" side...never heard of that before.(GUESS I CAUGHT THE VIRUS AT THE HOSPITAL) Anyways I got admitted and they did absolutely nothing for the virus and concentrated on my A-Fib again. One of the Cardiologists said maybe we could do a Cardioversion (where they zap the heart) to get you back in sinus rhythm on a out-patient. They scheduled a date for it and it kept getting cancelled by the Hospital....about 4 different dates.

Finally on June 10th I got zapped. That was a Wednesday, for the next 4 days I felt like a new person then on Sunday it came back. They told me from the get go that that could happen. I had a follow-up with my Cardiologist on Tuesday and he referred me to a Heart Specialist to see what his recommendations are. I could "zap" you again...but no guarantee, we could use meds.....but by the look on your face....dont think so, maybe a pacemaker.....but your in too good of shape for that, so I'm thinking of doing a Cardio-Ablation where I go through the groin to your heart and burn (laser) one side of the heart and then burn in 3 spots on the other side. So I guess thats whats gonna happen soon. I have a appointment with him on Friday to see how the results are from some tests I had done.

I'll keep all informed on whats goin on.

SORRY FOR THE LONG POST.

[Hank70SS]

Well, sounds like you've had a rough go it. Glad you survived the virus. Hope the cardio blasting works for you too. Hope you're feeling better soon.

[Ken Hayes]

Well its all set......all my tests came back.....bloodwork is good.....lungs not so good...seems like 1/3 capacity is for crap. Ablation will take place Aug 11th....I hope everything works out for me to get back to a kind of normal life.

[Hank70SS]

Best of luck Ken!

[shadowgray396]

Ken sorry to hear about all this. Been gone awhile. A lot has been happening with you.

[Ken Hayes]

Well, I went through the Ablation pretty good but the no A-Fib only lasted 1 day. So back to the drawing board.

I went back in Aug 27th and on Aug 28th they did a 2nd Cardioversion on me. So far, today is Sep 16th (my birthday) and I'm doin pretty damn good. The A-Fib kinda comes and goes but mostly I'm out of A-Fib. Doc said I have to give my body some time to heal its self. So I'm kinda doin nothin for the time being....not even cutting my grass....have my neighbor do it.

I'll keep you all posted on how I'm doing.

[chevymaher]

Well Happy Birthday! ya big lug.

[Hank70SS]

Glad to hear you're on the upswing Ken. Happy birthday.

[Hank70SS]

So my latest adventure was shoulder surgery a week ago. Rotator cuff was 80% gone so he stitched that back together. Arthritis in the joint, cleaned that up. Bone spurs, shaved them off. Guess the bone spurs act like a little saw, cutting through the rotator cuff every time you move your arm, so they had to go. That's part of the reason I haven't been around much. Running around getting tests done, Dr's appointments, MRIs. That and I've been miserable the last few months. Shoulder pain, not being able to sleep and so on.

Well the surgery is done, now just have to wait for things to heal up. I've had multiple kidney stones over the years. Fractured my pelvis in 3 places a few years back. Both of those are near the top of the scale for pain so I didn't figure this would be that bad. Guess what, it's bad. I can't believe how painful it is. Guess that's from shaving and scraping the bones.

Well I start therapy next week. That shouldn't amount to much, arm and shoulder movement are pretty limited for awhile. Hopefully the pain starts to subside soon and I can get back to a normal life.

Hope you all are doing well. I'll try to check in a little more often going forward, take care.

[Ken Hayes]

****Latest Update****

Well since my 2nd Cardioversion I've been doing real good. Went to see my regular Cardiologist on 12/10/20 for a followup check. He looked at me and said, you look like you've lost a little weight.......yep, I've lost 56 lbs. I went from 216 down to 160. I havent weighed this in probably 30 years. (back to 168 now)

Well looking at your EKG it looks great. How long have you been off the A-Fib? About 4 months now....how do you feel....It's a great feeling to have my heart back into a steady pace now........good deal, I'll see ya back here in 6 months.

[chevymaher]

Good deal I need to loose alot of weight. Glad your doing better ol man. Not derogatory it is what my friends call each other.

[Hank70SS]

That's great Ken, glad your doing so well.

[Ken Hayes]

Went and saw the Doc that gave me my 2nd Cardioversion in Aug last week. They did a EKG and said "I'M LOVIN THE RESULTS". Have you had any of the symptoms as before? Nope, no heart flutter or anything for over 7 months now, I feel great and have only put on 10 lbs........168 is too skinny for me....LOL.

Ok Ken..........I'll see you again in September.

[chevymaher]

congrats glad your doing better.

[Hank70SS]

Good to hear from you Ken. So we'll see you at Autofest, maybe Back to the Bricks? Assuming what's here face doesn't close the whole state down.

[Ken Hayes]

***NEW UPDATE***

Well its been 1 year and 8 months A-Fib free....now I wish the rest of my body would straighten up.

I went in 1 1/2 months ago for a CT Scan then had a Colonoscopy. Colonoscopy went good but he told me I have Diverticulitus and Kidney Stones.

I saw my Urologist and he said I have between 50 and 60 stones with the largest one being just under 1" in diameter. Yesterday morning he put in a stent so I could pass some of the smaller ones....oh woopie !! I got home around noon and immediately started peeing blood, then pukin my guts out, then shittin bricks.....man what a night, up more than every hour on the hour to pee. My insides feel like they wanna blow out of my body it hurts so bad. He's supposed to call me first thing in the morning. I'm supposed to go in next Monday for him to laser out the larger stones. As of right now I've lost 9 lbs since yesterday.

[shadowgray396]

Wow. Sorry to hear that. Hopefully the can get you on the right track. I have heard that kidney stones is worst then having a baby. Be in our prayers things get better.

[chevymaher]

Wow that is rough. Prayers it is over soon.

[Ken Hayes]

Well I lost a total of 13 lbs. I thought I was "Machine Gun Kelley" there for a while. The pukin stopped after 2 days but the blood continued till Sunday afternoon.

I went back in on May 10th for the laser surgery and to have the stent removed.....I told the guy that puts me under, that whatever you did last time...DONT DO IT AGAIN !! He tried a different thing and lower dosage and it wasnt too bad. Doc said one of my cavities in my kidney has a deformed opening and he couldnt get the laser in to zap the stone. Said it was a pretty good size one too. So we just gotta keep an eye out for it for now. If it gets worse, he'll make a small incision in my back and insert a tube to suck the stone out........I should just tell him to go for it now.

[chevymaher]

Well I hope your doing better. I am not as far down the road as you are. But age is affecting me to. It sucks facing mortality for sure.

You said am i trying to break everything because of the motor i put in. I got 45 miles on it now. I actually never give it much gas. 1/4 pedal it is faster than my buddies 350 4 bbl 71 chevelle. That is fast enough for me. I just cruise doing the speed limit. My buddy says when you age the self preservation thing gets stronger.

[Ken Hayes]

Well went and saw Orthopedic Surgeon yesterday. Said my knees are killing me. Took some xrays and said "you have no cartlege left in both knees". He is same Doctor that did my wifes hip and she swears by him. Said there a few options we could do....give me injections for quite a while, insert something in there or do a replacement.

Told Judy that I cant hardly walk anymore without them killing me so I'm going for the replacement.......fine by me.

Gonna have the left one replaced July 13th, then do the right one in November. She asked about me working on the Chevelle....will he be able to kneel down on the new knees.....ABSOLUTELY HE CAN. Kool !!

Oh BTW, got rid of almost all the stones.....still have one kinda large one left in one of the pockets of my left kidney that he couldnt get to. If it dont grow any no problem. If it does, he will do surgery by making small incission in my back and stick a tube in there to suck it out...very small cut.

[Ken Hayes]

Well, went in and had Judys Doctor take care of my left knee with a full replacement on July 13th. The Doc is great, now you can hardly see any scar. He's very satisfied with the rehab PT that I'm doing and so is my therapist.

Only thing he didn't tell me before the surgery is: "that if your pretty bow legged (like I am) that the pain and recovery time will be extended by almost 3 times longer" as the leg has to fill in the void. I lost 22 lbs and now my left leg is the straighest its been in over 50 years.










































































































'

[Ken Hayes]

Some pics.

[chevymaher]

Pullin for you bud. As my best friend who past used to say. Getting old isn't for sissies. But it beats the alternative.

[Ken Hayes]

***UPDATE***

Well as of last Monday I finally got to put my left foot over my right knee to put my sock on without having to bend way over. It may not sound like no big deal but it was to me. I went to Frankenmuth Autofest in September and walked around for about 5 miles on grass, stones, hills and alot of uneven ground. This was done with no walker, crutches or cane. I kinda over did it cuz my knee was twice as big as it should be. Swelling went down in a couple of days.

[chevymaher]

Congrats. I know how exciting that is for you using no walker or cane. I have a buddy in the same condition. He was thrilled to walk 1/16th of a mile down his driveway and back.

[Ken Hayes]

Well 2 weeks from today I'm going in to have my right knee replaced. I was supposed to have it done Nov 24 2023 but I was sick so rescheduled for Jan 24 2024. But had another set back so now its March 6th.

[chevymaher]

Hope all goes well Ken. Sending prayers.