There are just some days I wish I didn't turn wrenches

[OR VietVet]

Had the same hernia, fixed by surgery about 6 years ago; it's very common, so I'm told. I had different symptoms, though, just an occasional internal "cool" feeling on my right side groin. Your surgeon may want to check the other side "while I'm in there" to see if there is one starting there, too. I had both sides done (bilateral), same operation.

Will do. Thanks. Recovery time? Limited after?

 

[RoadTrip]

Will do. Thanks. Recovery time? Limited after?

Had three separate such surgeries. The first one didn’t insert the mesh reinforcement so it didn’t hold.

I learned to lift at better angles with less total weight now, but one or two of those could have been from straining while working with drills or wrenches.

You want to have them do a nerve block, which will wear off slowly over a couple of days. Otherwise the first two days only hurt when you move.

Recommended recovery is 10lbs of lift or force for the first 30 days, and then back to a more wise normal.

 

[OR VietVet]

Had the same hernia, fixed by surgery about 6 years ago; it's very common, so I'm told. I had different symptoms, though, just an occasional internal "cool" feeling on my right side groin. Your surgeon may want to check the other side "while I'm in there" to see if there is one starting there, too. I had both sides done (bilateral), same operation.

Wonder why I have a "heating up hot feeling" and you experienced a "cool" feeling? I have lived with this problem for about 2 years now and wonder if waiting like that is what caused the "spreading around my hip to my butt cheek" pain to happen because I put it off. Did you address right away when you noticed the cool feeling?

As I read the MRI letter now, it says "Fat-containing inguinal hernias, right greater than left", indicating to me that there may be a concern for both sides and may do both during surgery.

 

[OR VietVet]

Had three separate such surgeries. The first one didn’t insert the mesh reinforcement so it didn’t hold.

I learned to lift at better angles with less total weight now, but one or two of those could have been from straining while working with drills or wrenches.

You want to have them do a nerve block, which will wear off slowly over a couple of days. Otherwise the first two days only hurt when you move.

Recommended recovery is 10lbs of lift or force for the first 30 days, and then back to a more wise normal.

Guess I will have to have my girl help me hold/point it when peeing for about 30 days. I can see the eye roll now when I tell her that.

 

[89Suburban]

Well, it finally happened. I am back to work on a part time basis. In a shop with a lift. My friend's shop that he is 1/2 owner of. Show up kind of at 9 am and leave whenever and take breaks as needed. I keep my tools at home and just use his tools.

Yesterday started on a 1990 W250 4x4 Ram flat bed. 6" lift all around and install adaptors front and rear for the rear dually set up. Found a right rear drum metal to metal, so doing wheel cylinders, hardware kit with adjusters, 12x3 shoes. Have to swap stock wheel studs for kit studs to allow for adaptor plates to bolt on and do the same for front. New Rancho shocks all around too. According to instructions, that I have not read for myself yet, the steering linkage is changed up front and the gear box is relocated on the frame to the 2 wheel drive position instead of the current 4x4 position. I asked about the steering shaft and got the "deer in the headlights" look from the two shop owners. Oh well. Who cares. I am being paid for me being there, no matter what.

Got an appointment at VA tomorrow morning for Pain Meds talk and breakdown of a recent MRI and what it means. I have some very intermittent pain in my right groin and right hip, if I stay on my feet too long on a hard surface. Once I sit for 5 minutes, I am good to go for who knows how long. Old age is not for sissies.

Any pics of this beast? ‘90 is still the squarebody style right? Not the “trucker fenders” front.

 

[OR VietVet]

Any pics of this beast? ‘90 is still the squarebody style right? Not the “trucker fenders” front.

Because of my VA doctor's appointment yesterday and subsequent no shop work yesterday, I was not there when the front steering was finished and the 10 lug wheels were installed. The rear tires/wheels are supposed to be one tire that is as wide as 2 tires. We did a 6" lift on this truck, too. When I tore in to the rear brakes, found right rear metal to metal. Has new seals, new shoes that are 12"x3", wheel cylinders, complete hardware with adjusters, new longer reach wheel studs at all 4 corners, that allows the adaptor plates to be installed for the 10 lug wheels. The steering gear was repositioned from the factory frame plate mount for 4x4 and plate removed and gear was reinstalled directly to the frame in the 2wd position to allow for the crossover steering kit for the lift. Steering shaft removed, cut/shortened and rewelded. I did not shoot these pics. This truck will be in the festivities at the "Function in Junction" in Junction City, Oregon, same town where the shop is at. Google the festivities for a complete breakdown of what goes on.

 

[Fless]

Will do. Thanks. Recovery time? Limited after?

I don't recall what they told me after the followup visit (14 days after), but here's what they gave me after surgery:

The anesthesia exacerbates my BPH symptoms so I had to go to the ER the evening after surgery to have a catheter placed, which stayed in for nearly a week (based on my urologist's recommendation). If you need one and don't self-catheter, get the bag that straps to the leg so you can get around. I've had to do this after two different surgeries, years apart. Other surgeries I've had didn't negatively affect me like that, so I'm not sure why the difference.

I don't recall that much pain after and they did use the mesh on both sides. But I didn't really have pain before, just the "cool" feeling, apparently my intestine was pushing through the muscle into a cooler part of the body. My *** has had the surgery and told me to expect it to "feel" off and on for about a year or so after the surgery. Once in a great while I do feel like there's something there, although it's not the original feeling. YMMV, of course.

 

[OR VietVet]

After a bit of a lag here, in my shop/garage, I was back at it yesterday and today. Yesterday I worked on a 96 Suzuki Sidekick and fixed a bad wiper washer motor.

I also did an oil change on a 2010 Honda Pilot.

Then today, the husband of the Sidekick owner, had me do a complete inspection on his 1986 Nissan 720 pickup. I found a bunch: bad radiator cap, leaking valve cover gasket, wiper arms and blades, rear shoes thin and r/r wheel cylinder leaking and r/r axle seal leaking, front wheel bearings loose and idler arm too much play, negative battery cable end cracked and clutch slave cylinder is leaking. Ordered all but wiper arms from RA. Gonna be a good job.

Then the Honda Pilot owner brought over his new to him, 2006 Acura TL for an inspection. Had some weird electrical readings at dash and intermittent had to jump start in the morning. Had the wrong battery in it and I installed a new 24F AGM battery and now problems are solved. Needed wiper blades. Ordered in a used third brake light because only half of old one worked. A new one was close to $200. More at the dealer. Found an oil leak at the bottom of timing cover. Cam/crank seals leaking. He just bought vehicle and the old owner had timing belt, tensioner and idlers and water pump done in 2016 and 45k ago but no cam/crank seals. Needed an alignment. He got all the old paperwork from the only owner of the car.

Gotta decide if I want to do the timing belt/seals work.

 

[OR VietVet]

Bought one of these today, in grey, and put it together. What a PITA. Now I have a locking tool cart that I can roll out to the driveway.

 

[OR VietVet]

Put the new cart to work today. 1986 Nissan 720 Hardbody pickup. Complete rear brakes and drums, with wheel cylinders and hardware. Replaced the clutch slave cylinder.

Tomorrow, Idler arm, pack front wheel bearings, valve cover gasket, radiator cap, negative battery cable end, wiper blades and tension the arms.

 

[TollKeeper]

1986? Suprised it has not rusted away to dust by now... My 1982 rusted away back in 1996

 

[OR VietVet]

!986 Nissan trucks do not rust away in Oregon. No salt on roads.

Today: Replaced the idler arm, packed front bearings and replaced seals, replaced valve cover gasket and cleaned carb, replaced wipers and retention arms and replaced the radiator cap. Road tested and verified no leaks and verified handling and brakes and clutch operation. Made sure he road tested it to get used to brakes.

I had 10 hours in it at $80 and hour. I gave him his military discount of $70 an hour.

 

[TollKeeper]

I am no where near your age at 47, I wish I had the ability to work like you do.

My "old" body is just falling apart.

Keep up the good work/fight.

I miss turning wrenches. It was calming for me, and gave me an escape from the wife/kids/life.

Cant do that anymore.

 

[BattleTank]

There are some days, I wished I didn't know a lot about Mack/Volvo trucks.

 

[OR VietVet]

I am no where near your age at 47, I wish I had the ability to work like you do.

My "old" body is just falling apart.

Keep up the good work/fight.

I miss turning wrenches. It was calming for me, and gave me an escape from the wife/kids/life.

Cant do that anymore.

There are some things I can't do as well as I used to be able to but my ability to turn wrenches, just seems to have no physical limitations, yet.

I see it as a way to stay active and also pocket some reward after it is all done.

My girl frets over me doing it. When I am under vehicles, especially with the vehicle up high on 4 jacks stands, she stays close. It is a PITA to crawl out and get tools, especially if there are multiple trips. I keep threatening her that I am gonna get her a shop coat that says, "Shop Assistant" and her name. I also told her I am gonna have classes about memorizing tool names and locations in the 2 tool boxes/cart.

After the last job, 1986 Nissan pickup, of 10+ hours over 2 days, I am a little stiff but if I had another vehicle to work on, the kinks/stiffness go away within 15 minutes.

I have all these thousands of $ worth of tools and cannot just let them sit. I think if I stopped and sold them, I would not be long for this world. Dirt nap time.

 

[OR VietVet]

Today, I worked on my American Legion friend's 2010 Toyota FJ Cruiser. First oil change since the major work we did in December with timing chain and guides and tensioners and water pump and timing cover oil leak repair....was a major job. I did the oil and filter change and put in 2 new headlamp bulbs and tracked him down some Army/Olive green touch up paint.

 

[OR VietVet]

Had the same hernia, fixed by surgery about 6 years ago; it's very common, so I'm told. I had different symptoms, though, just an occasional internal "cool" feeling on my right side groin. Your surgeon may want to check the other side "while I'm in there" to see if there is one starting there, too. I had both sides done (bilateral), same operation.

Just got off phone with my primary care physician at the VA. According to the MRI from April 28th, I have left and right hernias, with the right being worse than the left. I also have inflammation in the right hamstring and butt tendons and likely arthritis in my right hip. I have a referral appointment on July 11th for MRI Arthrogram imaging check for my right hip, with a local well known orthopedics medical facility. Then the VA will be sending out a referral for the upcoming hernia operation. For the foreseeable future, I will be slightly limited on my work in my driveway. OH GOODY!

 

[OR VietVet]

 

[OR VietVet]

Just got off phone with my primary care physician at the VA. According to the MRI from April 28th, I have left and right hernias, with the right being worse than the left. I also have inflammation in the right hamstring and butt tendons and likely arthritis in my right hip. I have a referral appointment on July 11th for MRI Arthrogram imaging check for my right hip, with a local well known orthopedics medical facility. Then the VA will be sending out a referral for the upcoming hernia operation. For the foreseeable future, I will be slightly limited on my work in my driveway. OH GOODY!

I would say PITA but is actually PITGroin.

 

[OR VietVet]

Went to my Orthopedics appointment and they did some more x-rays of the right hip. Found some "narrowing" of cartilage and have decided to do a steroid shot and then monitor progress to see what they will do next. The shot is on 8/9 and the follow up is 8/14.

On 8/20 I meet at the VA and talk with a surgeon and consult for a "possible" surgery for hernia or possible non surgical treatment.