Panhandle

Maybe Emmbritt123 got confused with the "G", the greatness has long gone

Emmbritt123

Oh...ok..lol

dkveuro

Well hi again folks.

I thought you all should be updated as to how it's going so far......
I was very touched by all your kind concerns. Thank you. I have gotten considerably better in the last few months. I have been off work for 2 and a half months allowing myself to sleep for as long as my body wanted and when my body wanted.

My medication is holding my B/P steady at around 145/80, but fatigue still kicks in hard after 2 to 3 hours in my workshop. Still....the desperate concerns of early February have melted some. My 89 y/o mother in Florida has offered me free accommodation in Texas in the trailer house she bought new last year to live close to my half sister. ( She didn't like the quiet isolation .) Utilities will be the only expense apart from food.

I'm now on testosterone shots every month at the insistence of my doctor. Medicare pays for them. My testosterone count was 325. Normal for my age is over 400. No feelings of improvement so far though but the doc said it may be 6 to 8 weeks before some improvement .

I think the deep depression I was experiencing has lifted some as I am now not looking total uselessness in the eye anymore. I have paid off AMEX and working on VISA . I keep at least $500.00 below my credit limit. Have never drunk so much coffee in my life here in the cabin ! Boredom or cabin fever sure kicks in hard and if it wasn't for my dog Dingo, I would be talking to the paintwork.

Have had a customer or three give me some turning and brake work to do and lots of friends have dropped by and dragged me off to lunch from time to time. Everyone has been super sympathetic once they learn about my situation....often to the point of embarrassing , for me, that is.

After so long living alone, 10 years, and always being self supporting and independent, this help from friends is hard to accept. The time has gone by rapidly since late January and my prospect are so much less stressful.

So the long term plans are to finish up here in about 15 months or so and move to Texas for a year.
I don't know if anything will change those plans but I have no reason to worry like I was before.

If any of you get in similar distress I hope it works out well for you. My views on life have changed to accommodate the fragility of our existence and it has been brought home even more by the unfortunate situation of one of my buddies .....I sold him my waste veggie oil fueled Mercedes diesel for his 15 miles commute instead of using his collectible Corvette.

On his second weeks trip to work, an SUV ran a two way stop and he tee boned it at 65 mph. It destroyed the Bravada, throwing it 55 yards into the fields. He suffered no cuts but tore his shoulder ligaments and bruised his forehead . The elderly lady driver of the Bravada was hospitalized with extensive injuries and broken pelvis.

He is unable to work now and he has been declared disabled. He was a engine machinist. He has 3 girls and his wife with a mortgage. He is 53 y/o. Police told him he would have been dead at the scene if he had been in the Corvette. They actually drove the Mercedes onto the wrecker. He's now on $1400.00 a month. So...I consider myself fortunate in my situation. I also am glad I sold him the Mercedes.

regards all

dk

rebeccajo

What a nice man you seem to be. All the best to you.

fulwood

Thank you for the update. It's always nice to know what has happened to folks since their last post. My very best to you...

NiHao

So good to get an update and I'm glad things have been improving. You've had a lot to cope with and have a good attitude to help you get through.

So sorry about your friend I hope things will get better for him and his family too.

Is your plan still to return to the UK after your time in Texas?

Mummy in the foothills

I'm glad you are feeling better and making plans for your future wherever it takes you.

dkveuro

Thank you all. Plans are not set in stone, but are to move to Texas in May or June 2014 unless I win on PCH !

Then, depending on my overall health to move to the UK in 2015/6. Not looking forward to the heat in Livingstone but maybe I can afford to run an a/c.

I am now able to use my left hand but am sleeping many hours...sometime 14 hours. I did ask my doctor...old school fella....he said listen to your body. If you sleep, as opposed to being a bed bum, laying there 'cose it's cosy, do so.

So I am.....besides, my grandfather said he always waited until the street were aired.

My buddy had to wait 5 months for his disability cheque to come through but all the guys at NAPA local ...we had a collection for him. He home schools his girls and has 10 acres to grow food. Last time I saw him he was okay.

Q./ I have an American Passport ( Sept 2016.) but an out of date UK Passport ( Aug 2010.)
Did I need to renew my UK Passport ?


regards

dk

mikelincs

££££££££

Mummy in the foothills

Id renew the old UK passport before heading back to UK, start saving a bit at a time to cover it, you have plenty of time to do it by the sounds of things.

holly_1948

It's (a goodly amount of) money you don't need to spend and risk (of them screwing up or losing your old passport) you don't need to take.

Just show the immigration people both passports (valid US and out of date UK) when you enter the UK and expect a few minutes delay while it is sorted out. Also show your birth certificate at the same time (if it is easily to hand) to speed things up a bit.

spouse of scouse

Hi dk, so glad you've been so sensible and rested when needed, it's obviously done you the world of good! I do sympathise with how hard it is to accept help from friends when you've been so independent. But reading through your posts, you're obviously the kind of person that would be there in a heartbeat for your mates if they needed you, and you're actually doing people who care about you a kindness by letting them do what they can for you. Nothing worse than caring about someone and feeling as though you can't help them. I think you should give yourself copious numbers of pats on the back for getting through a really hard time and coming out the other end so well. I think you're great!

Now, one more thing. What made you call your dog Dingo? I'm only being nosey because I'm Australian

dkveuro

Sorry folks...been out of the loop for a while.

As for your question 'Scouse'. He looks like a dingo. Same coloring and build. Just came to me when I saw him.

Here's the latest news ...a little late I know and sorry if you where all waiting on developments.

Been taking care of business. My 52 y/o sister died two weeks ago. She and mom lived together in Ace Texas . Now mom is being looked after by my brother Donn and he is arranging to get her to live in his place in Alaska.

Mom is frail and suffering from short term memory loss and has diabetes needing insulin dependent on her blood sugasr levels. She constantly goes from 110 to 444, even keeping an eye on her so she doesn't raid the ice cream tub.

We found cookies and candy hidden in her bedroom ! The day nurse who actually comes by every two days told us if blood sugar goes over 450 to get her to hospital. After a week, my brother (54 ) has finally gotten affairs taken care of..... Including finding mom was not on the deeds even having paid for the plots. He was able to chase around doing all this while I watched mom and checked her blood sugar levels.

Up to now I have found I can work 3 to 5 hours in the workshop every other day. I am recovering from the flu just now so have been in the house 3 days solid.

It seems my fall back of living in Texas may now be gone as we agreed mom should sell off everything there and live with my brother. He has committed himself to mom for the 'duration' as he put it. So this changes my current plans but no matter.

I still am fixing to go to the UK. My daughter insists I stay with her until I settle back in to UK life.

Presently I find I have been letting my body dictate when i sleep and how long I work...which isn't much. My medical bills have been frightening but not out of line with hospitalization and treatment elsewhere.

I have sent the bills back to the hospital and doctors with a copy of my SS payment statement and short letter telling them I am unable to pay. So far...some 8 months later..... there has been no demands for payment from any medical institutions almoners/accounts office.

I have paid my local 'old school' doctor though, as he has been a great help in giving me real medical advice and counseling. His bills have been around $25 a month so far.

I am beginning to realize that my plans for UK with some cash are fading as time passes because I cannot work as good and it is taking much more time to do even trivial things. It has taken me 4 months to build a VW 2.0 air cooled motor that would normally have taken 3 weeks, start to finish and it has just spit in my face by dropping #3 intake valve seat whilst on it's 5th hour of bench testing.

So. how's your day been ?


regards

dk

Angel Flower

Great idea! Simple and good and tell about the stroke as well. Then you disappear, they can do nothing. Sorry as well!

Angel Flower

The cheapest airline now is www.norwegian.com. check out where they fly from a get a cheap flight to Europe, either Oslo, Copenhagen,. Stockholm or London. Down to 250 one way, even less depending on where you fly from. Good luck!