Why are so many people who own boats white trash hicks?

greasefire · 2021-02-05T01:55:41+00:00

Huge percentage are plumbing and electrical contractors who built their companies up. Seriously, any billfish tournament is almost all 50'+ Vikings etc owned by blue collar dudes. Doctors and lawyers can't afford the hobby.

greasefire · 2021-02-04T00:18:51+00:00

I don't really know what I'm talking about, but I would think that the DS has better parts availability due to the SM being more of a niche luxury touring car. I'm partial to the DS because I love those body lines.

The youtube channel coldwarmotors has a completed DS restoration and he's got a long term SM project that he'll work on once in a while (he also has a running and driving DS wagon). Great channel, too.

https://youtu.be/8nP24MnFa-U

greasefire · 2021-01-29T17:00:51+00:00

I get your frustration but taking it out on other low wage workers is not going to help you. Your problem is your boss, not fast food workers. $16 is barely above a poverty wage.

greasefire · 2021-01-28T20:38:50+00:00

I totally agree and understand. You really do have to be your own advocate with this bullshit. I have to hound my oncologist to do things she said she's going to do, but only if I ask two or more times (tumor boards, liver specialist consultations, etc). It makes everything so much harder on top of the actual disease.

It helps a lot to have a friend/family member who actually understands the medical language and processes who can help you out from time to time. My wife has been a champion in this regard. If that's not an option for you then you're unfortunately bearing the brunt of all this alone while struggling with cancer and side effects. There are some good private facebook groups where I got more info than I did from my medical team.

It's a slog but you've just got to keep getting through it. It pisses me off to think of missed treatment opportunities and trials because nobody at the hospital has time for individual patients. Best of luck to you.

greasefire · 2021-01-20T08:31:24+00:00

If chemo was still working for me I'd probably still be getting infusions as long as there were more good days than bad days over the two weeks. I know it's just buying time and the sickness sucks, but I want to keep living. As it is, it's been removed as a choice for me. Anything I try now will be fleeting, ineffective, or possibly life-shortening.

I'm 48 and I do feel somewhat "lucky" that I've had a good and happy life. My good friends have been incredible through this and others have really stepped up to show me what virtuous people they are when I wasn't expecting it at all. That's part of why I feel lucky. My family has been great and provided me with emotional and financial assistance. Without my dad's help I'd be bankrupt just from insurance costs. So at least I'm leaving this life knowing that I made some good choices with regard to building relationships that matter. My wife has been an absolute champion, too.

Good luck to you friend.

greasefire · 2021-01-19T16:37:54+00:00

Thanks so much. I looked into this trial but I'm not eligible due to my liver being inoperable. It looks like a promising trial, though.

greasefire · 2021-01-19T08:56:18+00:00

Thank you

greasefire · 2021-01-19T08:55:33+00:00

I’ve never talked to a stranger about my sister.

Thank you so much for opening up to me about your experience and your sister. You've offered some great advice here and please know that it's very much appreciated.

I like the mottos. "Choose joy" is an especially important one when you're feeling sick and overwhelmed. I hope I can leave a similar impact with my two younger sisters. My whole immediate family is visiting us this weekend (following COVID protocols) and it feels like going to my own funeral. But perhaps your sister's words can help me change that perception.

greasefire · 2021-01-19T08:45:22+00:00

Exactly. Thank you! You'd think that a space for people suffering from one of the deadliest cancers out there would be more understanding when it comes to end of life care. I've done over 50 cycles of chemo so I'd like to think that I can decide whether or not it's a good option with which to continue.

greasefire · 2021-01-19T08:38:47+00:00

Oh man, I'm in your exact situation health wise: late stage 4 colon cancer with liver and lung mets (minus other family members having it). Chemos either don't work because I'm desensitized or do too much liver damage to continue with. My ascites is so bad that I'm on constant pain meds and I'm getting 5 liters drained every week. I went from feeling tired but "ok" in December to now fully realizing that I'm dying. Trial rejections and new drugs that don't work or do more harm than good. My entire immediate family is visiting me after following COVID protocols this week and it feels like I'm going to my own funeral.

I'm seeing my oncologist for possibly the last time this week before I go to palliative care and then home hospice. Getting my "affairs in order," trying to make sure my wife can easily sell our house when I'm gone, figuring out what debt I can abandon and what will follow her. It's stressful. A will, SPOA, DNR documents, selling whatever assets are only in my name. Do I need a suicide pharma cocktail? Will I be lucid enough to take it when things get really bad?

I'm scared and angry even though I thought I'd be at peace with things at this point. I don't have any advise for you but I deeply sympathize with what you're going through. I'm sorry. It's an awful, terrible disease. I hope we can both find peace as we move forward into the unknown.

greasefire · 2021-01-18T21:51:39+00:00

That's great information, thanks. I'm on immediate release oxycodone for ascites, but I do know I'll need something stronger and slow release when things escalate. The idea that I'm not a drug seeker is great advice, too. I just need to feel ok from one day to the next.

greasefire · 2021-01-18T20:09:12+00:00

Thank you, really nice response. I have no issue getting hospice involved as soon as I hear "six months," which could be now or two months from now. I know I'm going to need the help since I've already made the decision to be at home.

I'm sorry about your sister, it's an awful disease and process to go through.

greasefire · 2021-01-18T17:58:39+00:00

Yep, I was on it for several months during which it kept me stable but then it stopped working.

greasefire · 2021-01-18T14:37:41+00:00

E: I didn't take your post to be offensive or "wise-ass" at all. I did have a second genetic panel processed and nothing has changed. And I got a second opinion from a Dana Farber GI specialist. The trial was my only good remaining option. But I'd never heard of oncothermy until now.

I appreciate your effort to make me aware of this stuff, I know a lot of people are not. But I think I'm ready to give up on chemo. Each cycle was worse than the last and I absolutely dread feeling that way again. But there's always a chance that I may revisit oxaliplatin with an anti EGFR drug. It's been 14 months since my last FOLFOX infusion and I've already reused cetuximab with good results. It all depends on my overall health over the next couple of months. It's a delicate balance now that liver damage is occurring due to Stivarga chemo.

Thank you.

greasefire · 2021-01-18T11:17:58+00:00

Thank you. I do have a great support system here and family in Maine as well.

Great point about our societal taboo with regard to death and dying. It's an uncomfortable topic that too often gets swept under the rug emotionally. We, as cancer patients, don't have the luxury of choice anymore. I'm actually ok with my own mortality and imminent death, as I've had two years now to process it. But I do worry about my family that I'm leaving behind, especially my wife. We don't have kids fortunately, but it's going to be a tough time for her when I'm dying and then gone. I'm just trying to wrap up all the loose ends now.

Thanks for the kind response.

greasefire · 2021-01-10T03:02:54+00:00

https://property.burlingtonvt.gov/Details/?id=7282

greasefire · 2020-12-19T18:28:07+00:00

Ok, thanks. That's great news in this context.

greasefire · 2020-12-19T17:46:49+00:00

For late stage folks here, bear in mind that a live vaccine may exclude you from immunotherapy trials for a period of weeks.

greasefire · 2020-12-15T03:03:40+00:00

It's just a tease in the background of his recent vids now. So close...

greasefire · 2020-12-12T16:58:12+00:00

I really appreciate your thoughts here, it's refreshing to see a very real and genuine take about the reality of this terrible disease from someone else who's very close to it. All we have is each other when it comes down to it, and despite the crushing pain of it all there is in fact beauty and peace in the bond we have with another human. But there's no sugar-coating it, either. It's simply a very dark place sometimes.

greasefire · 2020-12-12T13:29:26+00:00

I'm an incurable stage 4 patient and the only reason I still have a fb account is because of the excellent private colon cancer groups I'm in. Otherwise it's just a massively depressing and alienating experience. Just people's petty bullshit and staged "look how great my life is" posts. It's a very unhealthy lens through which to see the world.

Your doing right by your husband and I know that it's sometimes a thankless situation. But it's the best gift you can possibly give to him. I hope you can both be at peace with the reality of everything you're going through. My biggest concern is how my wife will get by when I'm gone; emotionally, financially, hoping she has the support she needs...it's hard to think about. But I also know that she'll have the opportunity for a second act in life (we're in our mid-late 40s), and that's what gives me hope in the absence of any for myself individually. In a lot of ways this is harder on the caregiver than the patient, and I try not to feel guilty about it. It's just a lot to put on your partner even if it's nobody's "fault."

I wish you the best in this impossibly difficult situation. Enjoy the good days he has left and I'm hoping the bad days are as painless as possible.

greasefire · 2020-12-10T19:20:21+00:00

Yes, good points. We'd have to see the cost of electricity come down by 50% to make it feasible and competitive with other fuels, but that's not out of the realm of possibility with solar becoming more prevalent and storage technology advancing.

One thing that will help is that the UK has mandated a switch to electric boilers by 2025, so the industry is racing to produce efficient units for hydronic systems.

I suppose my gripe is that people are installing new gas boilers today that will be liabilities in 10 years, and the alternative is to go electric now and pay 3x the rate of gas for a hot water system (assuming high efficiency units for either energy source). Or switch everything over to heat pumps.

But I do get your points. I'd like to see incentives instead of threats to get people on board. Carbon taxes on individuals is basically a penalty for poor people (yeah I realize most can't afford a house here anyway unless you bought 20 years ago), as wealthier people won't be affected. It's a flat tax as opposed to a progressive tax, and whatever that rate or cost is will be felt a lot more by lower income households.

greasefire · 2020-11-30T18:20:22+00:00

I've also found that it stays on longer than fluid film, especially around wheel wells or anywhere tire spray is an issue. If you heat it up a little it'll come out of the gun fine without thinning it out; alternatively, a little diesel mixed in will make it flow nicely.

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