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Serious question for the luthiers here ....

#201
To all the folks who finished your build off projects : Man, great work.... there are some truly spectacular builds, from making an inexpensive bass look like a million bucks (Reed) to scratch building a technically excellent bass (Ripthorn), To making a gorgeous bass from driftwood (Beej), and everything in between ! I can’t even begin to express how inspirational some of these builds are !

When I’m able to get back in the shop I’ll be using ideas, tips, and tricks from you guys ....
 
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#202
Since several of you have had tough times with radiology, I should mention that my experience with radiology last year was very positive and painless. I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Fortunately, we caught it early enough that the cancer was all still inside the prostate, and hadn't reached the walls or spread out into bones. That's when prostate cancer gets fatal.

The Urologist initially recommended surgery; complete removal of my prostate. A fairly common procedure these days, but there are risks and nasty side effects. On the advice of a friend, before I agreed to the surgery, I got the opinion of a Radiologist. He said that, in my case, he could remove all the cancer by radiology. No surgery, no long term damage or effect on my prostate. He said that mine was a textbook case, almost routine. So I agreed to go that route.

It was a logistical hassle. Every day for eight weeks I had to drive or ride a bus an hour each way for the treatments. But the treatment itself took about 4 minutes, and was completely painless.

I lay on the table of this $4m machine. It moved my hips around in x-y axis, lining them up accurately with the computer scan model. When all was good and approved by the Docs behind the thick glass wall, they pushed the button. A loud clack of some serious contactors, and the big head did a slow 360 around me, stopped, and reversed back around. I couldn't feel a thing. No burning or any kind of pain. The machine stopped and they unloaded me from it. Went back home, repeat the next day.

The machine was able to go in with very high precision and burn out specific groups of cells, which they had targeted as having cancer. On their computer screens, it was like a drone over the desert, zeroing in on targets. Amazing technology. Ray guns from space, killing all those evil cancer cells one by one. The Doc said that they are actually killing them by simply burning them. They have to do it in so many small sessions to limit the amount of heat and radiation that the body can handle per day.

And it worked! They got rid of all the cancer. Several followup scans have shown it all to be smoking piles of ash. And they've said that if any more starts growing, they can bring me back in and resume zapping.

That's it. My prostate and all my male functions are all there and fully functional as before. Amazing medical technology.

The only real side effect I've seen is that the process left me with a low potassium level, which later caused problems with my heart.

I highly recommend that, if any of you get diagnosed with prostate cancer, talk to a Radiologist before allowing the Urologist to get you to agree to prostate surgery.
 
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#203
I’m so glad they caught it in time and were able to treat you successfully Bruce ! That’s amazing ! And I totally agree ....radiation is definitely an effective treatment, and depending on where it is, can be anywhere from “painless” to “potentially a year or more of recovery”. I think it’s good that you related your experience, just to give a different situational viewpoint. Unfortunately the neck/tongue are the latter type, that is extremely damaging and can take a long time to recover. That said, if it kills the cancer, it’s worth it. TOTALLY. The end goal is to live. I started this with a 36% chance of living for the next five years...... that’s pretty crappy odd. I feel like I have a much better shot now. Hopefully the scans prove this to be true ! I have a lot of faith.

Here’s a pic from a few weeks ago, well after some of the 3rd degree burns on my neck started healing (Silvadene is amazing!). This is what the outside of my neck looked like.... And I’m a guy who camps on the beach and typically spends a ton of time in the sun, I have great uv/burn resistance......I’m sure you can imagine what the inside of my throat looked like, especially since it’s never intended to see any UV or radiation !
Many people have it WAY worse though when it comes to head/neck cancers and radiation. Each person is different. I feel lucky mine... mine was bad, but I’ve seen so much worse.


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Ok.... so I’m eating more and more by mouth, that’s good. Most food is still terrible tasting, there’s a nonstop metallic taste in my mouth, and I have to spit constantly because of the way radiation affects saliva production. I won’t detail it... it’s gross. But after a month or more of dry heaves and vomiting multiple times a day from choking on saliva, I haven’t had that issue in days.... so hopefully that’s in the past.

I moved one of my bass heads/cabinets so that someone could try out a bass I was selling. Even though it’s a super lightweight cabinet (Hartke hydrive 112) and a small markbass head, it completely wore me out. Physically I have a long way to go in recovery. But it for sure gave me a gauge on my physical state..... something to work on !

I’m able to sit up and walk around way more than I was, even a week ago. That’s great. I’m hoping maybe I can be able to do some soldering and stuff .... maybe build a pedal or two....soon. I think I should be able to. I think I’ve already seen everything on Netflix ! :p


Tomorrow is my girlfriend’s birthday.... gonna have flowers delivered. Not sure what to get her even though she says she just wants me to “be ok” for her birthday. We normally go on a big birthday trip each year. Last year I took her to Utah and national parks for her birthday, and she took me to Vegas and Death Valley for mine. We like to go places to camp. When I took her to Utah I rented a Jeep with a tent on top. I HIGHLY recommend it ! Utah is 60% BLM land so you can camp all over the place ! Instead of worrying about hotels and logistics of that, we just found beautiful places to park each night, and in two minutes had our tent set up and were ready to sleep. Truly a great way to spend an outdoorsy trip. Here’s a pic of the Jeep, and some scenery from our campsites....

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Anyway, I’ll probably just give her a rain check on vacation till I feel better. Money’s tight right now anyway.

well, I’m rambling ! I’ll let y’all go. The “lack of sleep” is an unpleasant side effect , and I should try to get some more now. I hope y’all have an awesome and beautiful day !
 
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#207
I just got home from the hospital after 9 days! Man, I can't tell you how good it is to be back with my machines. On the way home, my buddy Scott and I stopped at Carl's Jr and picked up some good 'ol burgers and fries. And I've been sitting here in my own recliner, savoring the fine cuisine, catching up on the news on my computer.

I'm feeling pretty good. The Docs say that my heart is mostly healed up good and strong, and I can begin to increase exercising it. Mostly walking longer distances. The chest wound is all cleaned out and healing. I'll be taking heavy antibiotics by IV for a few more weeks.

The big thing is that they sliced my pectoral muscles and stretched and resewed them over the chest joint to reinforce it. So, for about 6 weeks, I have limited range of movement of my upper arms, and zero strength to lift or pull when reaching out. That kinda sucks, but I'll deal with it. I can get around and take care of myself, and do light work in the shop. But real limitations on arm use that requires any strength.

Several of my trusted friends are coming in to do work in my shop, on my machines, in the next few days. I'm just going to supervise.
 
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#208
Bruce Johnson said:
I just got home from the hospital after 9 days! Man, I can't tell you how good it is to be back with my machines. On the way home, my buddy Scott and I stopped at Carl's Jr and picked up some good 'ol burgers and fries. And I've been sitting here in my own recliner, savoring the fine cuisine, catching up on the news on my computer.

I'm feeling pretty good. The Docs say that my heart is mostly healed up good and strong, and I can begin to increase exercising it. Mostly walking longer distances. The chest wound is all cleaned out and healing. I'll be taking heavy antibiotics by IV for a few more weeks.

The big thing is that they sliced my pectoral muscles and stretched and resewed them over the chest joint to reinforce it. So, for about 6 weeks, I have limited range of movement of my upper arms, and zero strength to lift or pull when reaching out. That kinda sucks, but I'll deal with it. I can get around and take care of myself, and do light work in the shop. But real limitations on arm use that requires any strength.

Several of my trusted friends are coming in to do work in my shop, on my machines, in the next few days. I'm just going to supervise.
Click to expand...

Good news Bruce.
....do your breathing exercises!...
 
#209
@Bruce Johnson

thats AMAZING news!!!

Im glad you’re home and everything Is looking good ! Being home is so important to recovery. I think people underestimate how much it can speed up the process. Being in a hospital you just mentally “feel” like a sick person.... at home, your mind is occupied and you’re around the things you love and enjoy.

Heal well, my friend !!!
 
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#210
Bruce Johnson said:
talk to a Radiologist before allowing the Urologist to get you to agree to prostate surgery.
Click to expand...

...but realize that a Surgeon will be biased towards surgery, and a Radiologist will be biased towards radiation. Just as patients are usually biased towards whatever choice they made, unless it went horribly wrong and they become biased against it.

It ain't easy.

But I don't wish to derail this with the inch-wide mile-deep research I had to do before making my choice, which I think I did get into a bit on the thread I linked to on the first page. And I'm not at all immune to the biases I just mentioned.
 
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#211
T_Bone_TL said:
...but realize that a Surgeon will be biased towards surgery, and a Radiologist will be biased towards radiation. Just as patients are usually biased towards whatever choice they made, unless it went horribly wrong and they become biased against it.

It ain't easy.

But I don't wish to derail this with the inch-wide mile-deep research I had to do before making my choice, which I think I did get into a bit on the thread I linked to on the first page. And I'm not at all immune to the biases I just mentioned.
Click to expand...

Yes, Doctors in specialized fields will each have their own opinions of the risks involved. In my case, the Urologist was in the process of arranging for me to have the surgery, when I told him that my friend had recommended that I talk to a Radiologist. He stopped and held up his hands and said that was okay, to go ahead and get the Radiologists' opinion. He said that, in his opinion, surgery was the most sure thing in making sure that the cancer is completely eliminated. But, of course, surgery would have its own risks and side effects. He said that the Radiologist would have to look at my case and evaluate how confident he was that his process could get all the cancer out. But, if the Radiology was tried and failed, then trying to do the surgery afterward would be much more complicated and dangerous. I thought that was a fair presentation of the choices and risks to me.

When I met the Radiologist, I was very impressed with him. A genuine expert in the field of Radiology, many years in Radiology R & D at UCLA, now slowing his life down with a small specialty practice in Ventura. He did the scans and went through it, and said that he had nearly 100% confidence that he could completely eliminate my cancer. So, I chose that direction. The treatment went smoothly and it appears that he was right and successful. It's been over a year, and I'm still clear.

When you get into this heavier medical stuff, there are often different ways to fix your problem. It's your right and obligation to ask about risks and alternatives procedures. I've found that Doctors are very open and willing to talk about it, if you ask. Evaluate what they say, and make your decision. It's your body and life.
 
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#212
Bruce so happy for you that all is going well keep at it sounds like you have a great attitude, there have been amazing leaps in medical procedures and R&D I was under the care of a Dr called Philip Gutin who devolved a process for brain surgery where the cancer was identified and surgery would take place, once all the cancerous cells appeared to be gone the operating table was swung round into an MRI and an MRI was used to make sure that all the cancer was gone, the cells are basically sucked up by a small wet vac, the cells have a consistency of toothpaste I am told.
I also consulted with a Dr who specializes in threading platinum threads from the groin to the brain the platinum threads are released By an electrical current once in the part of the brain where there is a problem, this is to hold open vines and artery’s that collapse, very interesting stuff, it was decided it was too risky to do either of these on me as it would take 10-12 hrs to get to the spot with surgery and the platinum threads Dr was not 100% it would be successful, I have taken meds for the last 10 years and so far so good, my sister was diagnosed a few days after me with brain cancer and lasted 2 more years, she chose she to be part of a trial and was keep alive for R&D not a nice.
As you said above there’s some amazing technology in the medical field along with some stuff that looks like it came from Home Depot, a knee replacement takes 45 mins on average !!
 
#213
So true on getting multiple opinions for medical stuff. My heart attack was the result of one almost blocked artery, and they cleared it. They didn't clear the other two that are also narrowed and will need attention though, as the best practice is to deal with the emergency and then book you in for follow up procedures after you've healed a bit.

In my case, I am now at the threshold where a double bypass could be performed, but it's not necessary yet. They can manage to keep things open with more stents and angioplasties but surgery is associated with greater longevity and more returned function. That said, I have a particularly advanced form of atherosclerosis wherein I grow arterial plaques quickly, so a double bypass might only give me 10 years before I need another, rather than the expected 15-20. Because I'm "so young" (according to them - my senior cardiologist isn't even 40 yet), they are concerned that if they exhaust options now, I'll be facing really bad challenges at 65 (I'm 50 this fall), and don't want to put me in that spot.

So the result? I now have three consults booked: another cardiologist, and two cardiac surgeons to get multiple opinions. My cardiologist also said "at some point, it's up to you", which is a bit terrifying to hear, as my expertise is NOT in cardiology! :p But to quote them "there isn't a clear path forward right now", so I'm happy to get opinions. :)
 
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#220
I'm doing well. I'm approximately 100% recovered from the heart surgery. My energy and endurance is almost all back. I'm working long days in the shop. I can walk a couple of miles at normal speed. Now I need to start some more serious exercise. My muscles are way out of shape from months of lying around. I need to get back to doing squats and lifting weights.

It's been 13 weeks since my surgery. I can't complain. The Docs are saying that my heart and blood system should be good for 25 years. It was worth it.
 
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