Gail In NM - He's Back

[GailInNM]

Actually I never really went away. Just have not posted very much for the last half a year. But most of the time I have been around reading most of the posts and occasionally popping in with a comment.

Some of you who have known me for a while know that my vision has been slowly going away and building models has gotten more difficult over the years. In February things got a lot worse as I had a stroke. This left my right side partly paralized and I lost a lot of the feeling in that side. So I got to spend a couple of months in a rehab hospital learning how to walk and feed myself again. After the first month I was able to get on HMEM with my laptop, but typing was slow as my touch typing had disappeared and because of the loss of my fine motor skills even hunt and peck was laborious. To complicate matters the stroke ltook quite a bit of my remaining vision so reading the computer was hard.

Well, after a couple of months I was able got get around with a walker instead of a wheel chair they let me come home. It was nice to get onto a real computer again. Screen magnifiers and other aids that I had been used to were back again. Now, for the last three months I have been getting my life back together. The house has had a lot done to make it easier for me to get around. I live by myself so safety modifications were a high priority. The touch typing is coming back. I am still slow and make lots of errors but it is better every day.

Now I am making a few things in the shop. Most of the so far have been modifying the equipment to make it more usable. Vision is down to the point that I need magnifying aids to read the dials on the tools. I will cover some of the shop aids in separate threads as time goes on.

Of course driving is now completely a thing of the past for me. My son has my sports car and my daughter has my truck. And I have a 3 wheel electric mobility scooter - of sorts. After lots o research about what was legal to do what with the scooter I ended up with will make 18 MPH and has a 45 mile range. Gets me to the grocery store, hardware store and a bunch of fast food joints. Quite peppy and I was doing accidental wheelies quite often at first with the poor motor skills in the throttle controlling hand. (Photo attached)


For the future. I think that there is still at least one more engine in this beat up old body so I as going to start on it soon. I have been drawing one in in my mind for the last several months. And, I still have the Gauge one Woolwich locomotive to finish up. It has run on the track but needs to have parts anodized and painted to be finished.

My thanks to all who sent PM's asking how things were going. I did not put much on the forum so I am sure a lot of my friends here did not know anything was wrong.

Gail in NM

 

[ozzie46]

Glad to hear you are fighting back to some semblance of normalcy.

Your posts were always teaching me some thing.

You are in my prayers.

Ron

 

[Brian Rupnow]

Hey Gail---I'm happy you're back. We need your experience and good company.---Brian

 

[metalmad]

Hay Gail that wheelie was no accident was it LOL
glad your feeling a little better.
Pete

 

[Admin]

Glad things are getting better!

I have a close neighbor who had a stroke last year and still walks his dogs daily utilizing his scooter. Used to be an airplane mechanic but had to retire, still as knowledgeable as ever.

 

[Foozer]

You still got it! You can take the Hot Rod away from the Boy but you cannot take the Boy away from Hot Rodding

Robert

 

[DanP]

Glad to see you here Gail.

 

[dsquire]

Gail

Glad to see that you are getting things back and still fighting for more. I hope that your scooter has wheelie bars on it. I wouldn't want to hear that you flipped it over trying to race that little old lady from Pasadena.

That scooter looks like the ideal means for getting around. Are you able to take it into the grocery stores and big box stores or do you have to park it at the door? I guess something like that is something that I am going to have to look into in the near future as walking does me in quickly.

Glad to hear that you are gearing up to do another motor. It's always better when you are doing something that you like to do. We all look forward to hearing about it as you have the time Gail. Be well, we keep thinking of you.

Cheers

Don

 

[Ken I]

Glad to see you're back.

Like they say - growing old isn't for sissys - you handle it with such aplomb.
Keep practicing those wheelies.

Looking forward to your future builds and posts.

Regards,
Ken

 

[GailInNM]

Thank you for all the kind words everyone.

RE the wheelie photo. Yes Pete, that was an accidental wheelie from when I had only had the scooter for about a week. Motor skills in the throttle hand have improved a lot since then so there are not as many "accidents". Don, there is a wheelie bar on it. You can see it in the photo, but it looks like part of the shadow. lIn the photo it is firmly planted on the concrete doing it's job.

Austin: Speaking of dogs. The shop dog and I are starting to take walks again. Me with my cane and him on a leash. We are up to about a 1/2 mile round trip every other doy or so. Then it's nap time. I use it as part of my rehab practice. Walking is much better than it was, but still requires concentration and is not an automatic reaction. Have to think about each part of a step with my weak leg.

This scooter is too big and fast to do well inside a store. I use a single point cane as I no longer need a walker for routine getting around so I normally just use a shopping cart as walker. I park the scooter near the stash of carts, do my shopping and then return the cart to the stash when I unload it. I go out most every day. My scooter basket is not too large so I can not do too much shopping at one time. Besides a little face-to-face human interaction is a good thing. The shop dog is a good listener but a lousy conversationalist. New record yesterday. Trip to grocery store (5-1/2 miles round trip) including a few minutes shopping for a couple of items was 35 minutes. Down from 40 minutes.

Gail in NM

 

[rhitee93]

Gail, I like your attitude I popped into this forum about the time you ducked out, but I'm glad you are back. I had a stroke a few years ago, but I got off easy.

Shop time will be good physical therapy. Good mental therapy as well. I'm glad you are still getting after it!

 

[cfellows]

Hi Gail, good to see that you're coming back. Always enjoyed your work and your posts... lots of good information.

Chuck

 

[Brass_Machine]

Hi Gail!

Glad to hear you are doing better. My thoughts are with you.

Eric

 

[kustomkb]

Hi Gail,

I am sorry to hear of your health troubles but am glad to hear you are getting better.

Thank you for all of your help, past and future.

Kevin

 

[AlanHaisley]

Gail,
Happy to hear from you. Excellent scooter
Alan

 

[vcutajar]

Gail

Glad to see you back. Take it easy and take care.

Vince

 

[Troutsqueezer]

I really, really like that scooter. I didn't know they made them like that.

Although I don't need it yet, I went ahead and built a ramp up to my doorstep that extends 20 feet out into the driveway. When/if the time comes where I need it to access the house, it'll be there and the son won't have to hurry around and build one for me. Meantime, it sure does come in handy for moving large appliances in and out of the house.

Glad you're doing better. I've watched several family members go through the stroke thing including my old man so I did a lot of research into it some years back (hence the ramp). Good thing is, the brain is very good at re-wiring itself over a year's time. I'm thinking mine might need some re-wiring, some of the paths in there seems to be leading into a mist as the years roll on.

 

[gmac]

Gail;
"Accidental wheelie" my butt...that's what you've been telling the police officer . A little more practice and you can remove the wheelie training wheels! Glad to see you in recovery mode and nice to see you back here. You taught me a lot thru your postings, keep at it, I've got a lot to learn.

Best wishes
Garry

 

[AussieJimG]

Sorry to hear about the stroke Gail, but it is good to see you back.

Last year I started to build one of Arv's Tiny four strokes and then got the yips after making too many heads with faults. Then I followed you build and was inspired again. It has taken a while, but I am now back on the job and learning from you.

In short, I guess this is my opportunity to say "thank you" and to wish you well in your rehab journey.

And, of course, I will join the mob waiting for your next project.

Jim

 

[rudydubya]

Gail, here's wishing you continuing success with your rehab and recovery. Looking forward to your future projects.

Regards,
Rudy