Forte's

Visit our community sponsor

Thanks Thanks:  0
Likes Likes:  0
Results 1 to 13 of 13

Thread: Almost bought the farm a week ago last Wednesday..

  1. #1
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Litchfield,NH
    Posts
    503
    Post Thanks / Like

    Almost bought the farm a week ago last Wednesday..

    I had been sick for the previous week but thought it was a food issue so was dealing with it that way.
    I was wrong but by the time I realised that it was almost too late.
    Luck and a combination of very good dedicated people brought me back from the brink as they say.
    I posted this last night on my FB page and it says a lot as to how I feel:

    There are some things I need to say now that I've had a few days home and feel a bit better. It was an insane week followed by three days of feeling like an out of body experience watching all these incredibly talented people work their hearts out to save my old arse. In many ways the most emotional experience I have ever had. At first at Southern NH Medical Center I felt like I was in a episode of the TV show "House" when the hospital gears up when that special patient walks in. Seeing the devotion and experience of so many, from the triage nurse that when she saw my blood sugar at 522 immediately call a "Code" even though she didn't know what was wrong she instinctively went to high gear and had every dept head in the hospital on me in seconds and I mean seconds. Of the Chief cardiac surgeon there just standing in her starched uniform with her arms folded sending the mental message to everyone to "Bring your A game",To her again while I was being loaded into an ambulance telling the driver "Get him there fast and the hell with the speed limits" and the look on his face as she handed him her card in case the cops stopped him, of him driving what seemed 90MPH in a 6 ton ambulance and doing 35 miles in less than 15 minutes with the siren and lights on, of the cardiac team at Lehey Clinic that the literal second the ambulance stopped 4 guys hauling me out and less than 2 mins later having me in an operating room, of the head of that team leaning over my face and telling me that 'Mr. Hunt, you are very sick but you have the best team in New England here to work on you, of 3.5 hours later looking at the twinkle in his eyes and him saying "It went better than we expected" and then him saying "You scared the sheet out of a lot of people today,of him sitting beside me the next 9 hours in the CICU..Of the dedicated Nurses, of the head of the clinic, a mid 60's surgeon, crying when I told him whether it went good or bad they had my thanks for what they'd done, of the orderly from Uganda with a smile that would light up a room there was so much that at times I was overcome by emotion and tears. To see people like this as I haven't been in a hospital in over 40 years restores your faith in humanity. I know this may sound flowery but it is how I feel and I have made myself one promise. I will staring next week go and see each of these people and hug them and express my thanks


    ============================
    To fill in, at first they wanted to do a quadruple bypass at SNHMC but I overheard 2 Dr's talking saying "He won't survive the surgery" so they shipped me to the Lehey Clinic in Burlington,Mass that is a much higher level hospital and there they put 5 stents in my heart....

    There is also the factor of it just isn't time yet.
    My one dream is to do a coupe and not heading south before that is a reality!
    Last edited by Movieman; 07-29-2013 at 10:07 AM.

  2. #2
    cobra Handler skullandbones's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Superstition Mtn foothills 5 miles west of Gold Canyon AZ
    Posts
    2,686
    Post Thanks / Like
    Blog Entries
    19
    Worked in a hospital setting for most of my career so I know the drill. However, when you are the patient with all the people flying around you, it's a totally different story. I'm the worlds worst patient. Glad you didn't "buy the farm". Wishing you a quick recovery so you can finish your project. Good luck, WEK.
    FFR MkIII 302 (ATK), EFI 75mm TB with custom box plenum chamber, 24# injectors, 4 tube BBK ceramic, cold air sys, alum flywheel, crane roller rockers, T5, Wilwood pedals, custom five link with Watt's link, 4 rotors, coil overs, power steering with Heidt valve, alum FFR rad, driver's crash bar mod, mini dead pedal mod, quick release steering wheel hub #6046

  3. #3
    Super Moderator vnmsss's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    California
    Posts
    649
    Post Thanks / Like
    Blog Entries
    13
    Like so many here, I'm also truly thankful that you didn't "Buy the farm" so to speak last week.....I so appreciate your post, and for any of us that have experienced the kindness, dedication and true professionalism of our nation's finest medical professionals, we may never be able to sufficiently express our gratitude to these fine folks. I will keep you in my thoughts, and hope your recovery continues to progress quickly and fully. Hugs and best wishes......Karen
    #28 FFR Challenge Series
    #28 FFR Type-65 Coupe
    2011 Western Endurance Racing Championship
    2010 West Coast Champion
    Drive it.....Like you stole it!

  4. #4
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Litchfield,NH
    Posts
    503
    Post Thanks / Like
    Quote Originally Posted by vnmsss View Post
    Like so many here, I'm also truly thankful that you didn't "Buy the farm" so to speak last week.....I so appreciate your post, and for any of us that have experienced the kindness, dedication and true professionalism of our nation's finest medical professionals, we may never be able to sufficiently express our gratitude to these fine folks. I will keep you in my thoughts, and hope your recovery continues to progress quickly and fully. Hugs and best wishes......Karen
    Thank you Karen.. I'm not one easily brought to tears but every time I think of the maybe 150 people between the two hospitals that had me dumped into their lives and the condition I was in when I got there I do get wet eyes.It wasn't the skill that effected me so much as the concern for this stranger in front of them. I often use the line of "Life is all about the people you meet on the journey" and so true here..
    Lots of adjustments especially in food. No salt,sugar,tonic,pasta,bread,carbs and so much more that if you look at the total you'd go mad BUT I get up and take it one day at a time..

  5. #5
    Senior Member Silvertop's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Forest Lake MN
    Posts
    880
    Post Thanks / Like
    You have my very sincere wishes for a speedy and thorough recovery, Movieman! Build that coupe!

  6. #6
    Senior Member Kalstar's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Cape Cod
    Posts
    1,300
    Post Thanks / Like
    Glad you didn't. I went into Cardac Arrest at age 37, I was legally dead for 1 min and 53 sec. Some things really change ones thought processes. Now stop the excuses and either build yourself an 818/coupe/GTM or get envolve more than just behind the keyboard. Another member and myself will be starting our 818s in October (2 being built side by side). I may get mine a little earlier to do some body mods and vinyl wrap it. Not going to speak for the other member as he has generously offered his shop to do the builds but you are welcome to come turn a wrench on mine while still at my house. Maybe if you get your hands on one you will be convinced to pull the trigger. I am the king of "inexpensive" projects. I plan to finish my 818 for less then 13K, for that kind of money it can be done collecting beer cans (no excuses).

  7. #7
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Litchfield,NH
    Posts
    503
    Post Thanks / Like
    Quote Originally Posted by Kalstar View Post
    Glad you didn't. I went into Cardac Arrest at age 37, I was legally dead for 1 min and 53 sec. Some things really change ones thought processes. Now stop the excuses and either build yourself an 818/coupe/GTM or get envolve more than just behind the keyboard. Another member and myself will be starting our 818s in October (2 being built side by side). I may get mine a little earlier to do some body mods and vinyl wrap it. Not going to speak for the other member as he has generously offered his shop to do the builds but you are welcome to come turn a wrench on mine while still at my house. Maybe if you get your hands on one you will be convinced to pull the trigger. I am the king of "inexpensive" projects. I plan to finish my 818 for less then 13K, for that kind of money it can be done collecting beer cans (no excuses).
    I appreciate the offer and although I haven't built a car since 1978 the skills are still there.
    I wanted a roaster all my life since age 14 when I first saw one but the coupe grabbed my heart in my older years..It will happen or it will not but regardless thw dream will be there..

  8. #8

    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Colorado Springs
    Posts
    1,381
    Post Thanks / Like
    Welcome back, Mr. Hunt. We would have missed you.
    .boB "Iron Man"
    NASA Rocky Mountain, TTU #42, HPDE Instructor
    BDR 1642: Coyote, 6 Speed Auto, Edelbrock Supercharger
    Member: www.MileHiCobraClub.com
    www.RacingTheExocet.com

  9. #9
    MKIII #5835 Someday I Suppose's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Stanhope, NJ
    Posts
    783
    Post Thanks / Like
    Sounds like a scary experience to say the least, so glad to hear the results. Next time your in the mood for a farm I suggest something down in Carolina or Texas.

    All the best

    Scott
    MKIII #3835 IRS, Anderson Performance 408 Levy T-5 Trans, Team III Wheels
    Paint completed November 2010, passed NJ State Safety Inspection June 21st, Tagged and First Drive 7/1/2011

  10. #10
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Litchfield,NH
    Posts
    503
    Post Thanks / Like
    Update: I saw the cardiologist Wednesday, good guy and we hit it off. He showed me a video of my arteries before the stents were put in and the blockages were easy to see.
    Looked like William "the Fridge" Perry had taken up residence and was down in a blocking stance.
    Bottom line was he said all the numbers looked good and he'd see me in 3 months.
    They are concerned as I did damage the heart muscle but they say it can repair itself "somewhat" but that takes a few months.
    They have me on meds that keep my heart rate under 65 to ease any potential strain.
    Each day I see a noticable inprovement and honestly I feel better in many ways than I have in 3-4 years.
    My guess is that the "dragging" I felt and had put down to just passing 60 was the lack of blood to my heart.
    Diet has changed..No added sugar and Splenda isn't bad in my one morning coffee.
    Salt is gone and replaced with potassium salt and again, not bad..
    Some of the other things I do miss like everything that is carbs that the diabetes has issues with but he also told me " I don't want you to deny yourself everything, just small meals and maybe once a month have that
    small plate of spaghetti once a month but be sensible" as my pancreaas isn't working very well.
    In ways it is an interesting intelectual experience learning about what effects what and relearning how to live.
    There is that side that I do now feel better and instead of feeling that "Your just getting to old to do the things you used to do" that
    now I do have that energy, just need to rebuild the stamina as now I am like a car in good tune but with a tiny gas tank.
    I still think on all those people and yes, the tears still come when I think on what they did.
    I wrote a letter today to the director of Lehey Clinic that turned into 5 handwritten pages trying not to forget all those people I dealt with.
    Tomorrow I will do the same to the head of Southern NH Medical Center.
    Just so many good people.
    Last but really first was the nurse Heather at my Primary care Physican who when I called that morning told me to come up but 5 mins later called me back and said "I'm worried, go right to the hospital"
    I saw her this week, walked up and gave her a hug trying not to crack her ribs.. Just good people..
    Last edited by Movieman; 08-03-2013 at 12:44 AM.

  11. #11

    Average Moderator
    Garry Bopp's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Covington, Georgia
    Posts
    1,202
    Post Thanks / Like
    Movieman,

    I love the quote "but with a tiny gas tank." I'm hoping that you will soon be operating with a "40 gallon fuel cell"!

    Garry
    I sure miss my coupe!

    F5R1004503SP 2004 Challenge Car, 331 Stroker

    Coupe # 031, 422" Windsor stroker by Southern Automotive (Dash autographed by Peter Brock)***SOLD***
    Unique 427 Roadster, 482" Aluminum FE by Southern Automotive***SOLD***

  12. #12
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Litchfield,NH
    Posts
    503
    Post Thanks / Like
    Quote Originally Posted by Garry Bopp View Post
    Movieman,

    I love the quote "but with a tiny gas tank." I'm hoping that you will soon be operating with a "40 gallon fuel cell"!

    Garry
    Thank you Gary. It came to me one day and seemed to fit how I feel.
    Now today was a good day as I got an email that made my day.
    I have another passion besides cars and that is very high end dual socket workstations.
    I do some writing,reviewing and testing for one company in particular and today they wrote me and asked if I'd like to test
    and see what I could get out of a new pair of the top Intel 10 core Ivy Bridge cpu's that come out this October..
    20 cores/40 threads/22nm arch. Should be interesting and if all goes right I'll get them near 4GHz

  13. #13
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Myrtle Beach, SC
    Posts
    2,108
    Post Thanks / Like
    Movieman-

    I can relate to the whole farm thing; I had a few offers on a couple of different properties about a year ago. Fortunately, all the offers were rejected, and I wasn't able to buy the farm either!! Got very lucky, with the fine folks at the VA hospital bringing me back and taking very good care of me!

    I am thrilled to hear that you too were unable to close the deal, and are here to talk with us about it! It sure does re-calibrate things doesn't it? I wish you a speedy recovery, and return to an even higher activity level than before!

    Keep us updated, and I hope all goes extremely well! Good luck as well with both of your passions. Best of everything!

    Regards,

    Steve

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

Replica Parts

Visit our community sponsor