Changing goals and speed

[AClark]

@greybeard my surgeon openly admitted just that. He said that while he had it all open he sat and functioned my arm to make sure the nerve wouldn't catch on anything or slip anymore. Just the description he gave me was kind of that knot in your stomach feeling. Kind of creeps me out since I had no idea they "played" with my arm while I was out. I could have done without knowing that! lol
That bruising is nothing, it looks 100% better than it did.

So, today's task, cleaning up and re-arranging to make new stalls in the barn. I also need to put a new turbo on my truck as mine ate it on the freeway before I had surgery and I just haven't had time to do it. It made a big whizz sound, puffed a little white smoke, and I pulled over. I couldn't figure out what had happened, I thought I ran something over or blew a tire at first but no, tires are all fine. When I went to limp it home, it ran really doggy, and after about 5 minutes I thought "gee, I don't hear my turbo spooling" - ya know since I can hear it in the cab. Yeah...it's toast. Hopefully it comes off ok, I have the new one sitting in my office. Those Holstet(sp?) ones are trash, I don't know why they don't put a Garrett or something decent on it from the factory. 95,000 original miles is all that one lasted, but bright side is the low mileage and lack of rust should make the manifold bolts not too bad to get off...*fingers crossed*

I don't know if I'll get to the turbo today or not, it's cold, and as long as it isn't windy I might get there. I have to go out and feed now, waiting on my "ninja suit" (older type Army silks) to get out of warming up in the dryer.

 

[greybeard]

Well, they probably turn in excess of 5000rpms, (300,000 revolutions per hour) so at an average of 50mph over 95,000 miles, it's rotated 'about' 570,000,000 (570 million) times...more or less.

 

[AClark]

Good math, I think I read somewhere that they run around 200,000 RPM - I'm assuming that's when full out; I was surprised by that number, came off a diesel site that sells turbos. Apparently a common failure on the 5.9L though. My 7.3 had the original turbo in it at 198k miles, but I'll take burning out the turbo over throwing a rod any day.
I didn't get all excited and throw in anything bigger, just a different brand of a stock turbo with a warranty for 2 years, no mileage clause. I'm looking at it now and debating whether or not I'm feeling up to that chore today. Not even sure if it's going to start, it's cold and hasn't been started in weeks now, and really need to move it over to the barn for tool access. The turbo is over 20 lbs by itself. I might start taking it apart and see how that goes, and if I can't get it in by myself I'll have help this afternoon. I'm 99% more likely to have help if the hard part of taking all that crap off is already done.

So, dressed to impress today with a full set of cold weather silks under my regular clothes, gloves, and a heavy jacket it wasn't too bad. My ears got cold fast though and I can't find my headband to save my life. Normally I'd leave my hair down to protect my ears but not when I'm thinking about working on the truck. I've found hair tends to not only get in the way but is definitely a risk around anything running.
Some years ago, my mom was working on her truck and leaned over to reach something, caught her hair and it literally just ripped it right out. Lucky I suppose that it tore out and didn't suck her head down to the belt that caught it.

 

[Bruce]

Yeah, I had zofran to go home with, and a sticky thing behind my ear that ultimately ended up tangled in my hair.

My staples are out. I still have some swelling but it's going down and isn't from armpit to wrist now. I got a pic the day they took them out and it is pretty puffy, normally I don't have a "fat roll" at my armpit lol.
Surgeon said that it was trapped slightly above the elbow with scar tissue that had changed where it was supposed to sit after surgery #1, and that he did the best he could with removing it. I have numbness in the elbow and down the arm, but I do not have searing nerve pain at all. I may or may not get the feeling back in my fingers, but I think it looks good for that. I'm using a squeeze ball to strengthen my hand and I can feel the muscles getting tired from doing it in that part of my hand, so that is encouraging!

That said, I'm back to "normal" but taking it a little easy.

DD had the patch as well. Nice the searing pain is gone!! That must make life a lot more bearable. Hopefully you will get feeling back in your fingers as the swelling goes away.

Too bad your son didn't have a video camera handy, that "bronco" riding would be fun to see - since you didn't fall off and hurt your arm.

You are taking it easy? That means only working on stuff 25 hours a day, right?

 

[AClark]

Basically!
Got the truck half torn apart. I looked at the turbo guts and thought "oh man, that doesn't look messed up" put my hand in it and no play at all...tried to spin it and NOPE, it's seized up big time. Double checked that with a brick on the gas pedal and got out to look and it didn't budge.
But I'm back inside now, I need a 15mm wrench that I either have and can't find, or just don't have (found a 14 and 16 so assuming I own one and can't find it) so waiting on DH because he's borrowing one from a buddy. That's for manifold bolts, the rest is cracking loose easy, but I can't get a socket and ratchet in on the manifold. Ya know, plus the baby woke up and wanted breakfast and changed, so I'll get on it again when she takes a nap.

 

[CntryBoy777]

Glad it has all went so well for ya so far....and hope it continues to improve. I agree with Bruce that some roping and bustin' video would be rather entertaining....tho, the vision in my head was anyway.....hope the truck goes well too....

 

[Baymule]

When my husband had shoulder replacement surgery, while he was out, the surgeon tried to move his arm, but it was too locked up. The surgeon was disappointed that he didn't restore more range of motion. But DH went to therapy 3 times a week for months and the therapist worked him HARD. He went from not being able to raise his arm to even shoulder height, to being to raise his arm all the way over his head, he can reach behind his back and even turn off the light on his nightstand because he can reach it now. The surgeon was amazed at the difference. So yeah, the surgeons do try to see what kind of movement you have after they "fix" things for you. You're knocked out and don't know it.....

 

[AClark]

I had full range of motion before, it was more to make sure the nerve wasn't still getting caught up...just kind of made me think of Biology class and dead frogs making their legs jump with electricity. I still don't have to do physical therapy, which is basically torture anyway with nerve damage, and I'm not sure how well it's coming along. I am getting tingling in the fingers that were numb, so that's a good sign, but the surgical site is still so tender that even a minor bump to it is like being socked in the stomach. Hopefully that eases up with time - arm works fine, I'm having issues with using my hand to grip and open things, but I think it's coming along.

Needless to say, we've been busy. I'm still waiting on goats to kid...not very patiently either, I keep waiting to go out one morning and have babies and all I have are fat goats still, though one is bagged up and puffy on her back end so hopefully soon. I'm selling 2 goats, trying to get a couple of boer or kiko or spanish does instead, better market.
I have baby bunnies, a litter of 7 right now, and all 3 does bred for January babies. I decided on a plan, since it gets so hot here in the summer they don't end up conceiving due to the buck being sterile, we are back to back breeding for the winter and giving the summer off. I know there are a lot of different ways of doing it, some say not to breed back to back because it's hard on the doe, but by May it'll be hot and back to sterile for the buck so may as well and let the girls have their break until October.

The truck...yeah. So it's been down in the single digits and it took longer than expected for sure. Manifold bolts...HAHAHAHAHA. Sprayed them for 3 days with PB blaster and wouldn't budge. My neighbor gave me a can of Sili Kroil and said it will do it. Two days of spraying them and they finally broke free. But, someone put the down pipe clamps on backwards from the factory or they do that on purpose, and they were spun where you couldn't get on them, so the whole down pipe had to come off with it...that's fun to put back together, NOT. We did put it all back together correctly so if it ever has to come back off it won't be a nightmare, but man, I could kick a Dodge engineer in the head right about now. Truck started up after sitting for 3 weeks in the low teens first crank, which I was hoping it would have bee ncold enough not to start right away to prime it, but just had to do the bump and shut off prime. Runs great, tons of power and quiet turbo.

I finally invested in the best, most comfortable clothing ever. I'm so stylish, in my mens Carhartt lined overalls. Seriously these things are cute on me and I love being warm. My oldest boy won't stop razzing me about them though, I got 30 length and they are super long on me, pulled the suspenders up as tight as they go and still dragging the floor - some oompa loompa comments have been made, but my butt is nice and warm out feeding!

 

[CntryBoy777]

Glad things are healing up for ya and the feeling is better in the fingers. The sensitivity at the incision sight could be from subcutaneous stitches that haven't yet abosrbed or dissolved...I've had some like that and it seemed to take a while for it to subside, but eventually did, hope yours does too. The scar tissue can be annoying....my kidney bothered me until I quit growing. Glad the truck is back in running order and hopefully will give ya yrs of service now.....

 

[Bruce]

Glad the truck is fixed, any such work in those temps is brutal even without seized nuts and bolts.

I have the Carhartt insulated coveralls. Yep, good product though I wish they would have "wear patches" on the knees. Mine aren't wearing out but kneeling on frozen ground or snow can yield wet knees. Another layer of thick fabric would help with that.