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Just an update here. I found a good TH200 automatic trans in North Carolina and will let the owner, Mike, know that I will definitely buy it next week. I'm back at home now for the first time in almost six weeks. My house is notorious for being under remodel for four years now and only being 700sf. Let's just say finishing the house isn't a high priority. Be it ever so humble, though, there is NO place like home. My dad, at age 70, had to install a handicap ramp for me in the awful Central Texas heat this morning. It's in now and that's all that matters. My dad's a tough old buzzard and an ispiration. Several of my bones have healed: the two ribs, my left foot and my broken keck vertebrea. The other left leg breaks will take a few more months as the femur and tibia breaks are severe. I crutch to get around mostly although I may buy a used wheelchair tomorrow as my right knee is in a lot of pain. The 1.8L is done at the shop and awaiting pickup. Once I get the labor arranged with friends and neighbors, I will start on putting my truck, Diablo, back on the road. After this accident I am scared shitless being in a car and will probably be so for a long while driving until I get my nerve back. I want to say thanks to all of you who helped with technical advice and moral support. Believe me it helped. Sometime next year when the left leg is strong again I'll be putting an Isuzu 5-speed manual in the truck for better performance and mileage. It's also nearly impossible to operate a manual while having a low blood sugar so it will also help prevent another accident. Thanking you all, Khy

Glad to hear you are on the mend.


I thought they would have some blood sugar monitor that they could stitch into you that would keep an eye on it and set off alarm bells.

They can put a pacemaker in so you would think monitoring something would not be that hard.


Bob.

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Current project, 1979 KB Isuzu Ute.

Daily driver, '86 Rodeo Spacecab.
Chasing parts for Isuzu Impulse.

Bob,

They do have such a device and my father has one. Unfortunately they are not very accurate yet and the cost is prohibitive. The device is about $1000 and a part of it has to be installed under the belly fat at who knows what cost for surgery. To top that off it costs about $200/week to operate. My dad had good insurance to pay for his but as of yet my insurance, the VA, won't prescribe them. My only strategy right now to really prevent another accident is that I'm going to put my truck keys in a box that's locked with a combination lock when I get home. One of the first skills to go when the blood sugar drops is the ability to use numbers. My father and a number if my diabetic friends agree that opening a combination lock with even a mildly low blood sugar is nearly impossible. Until then I'll have to get the truck running.

Khy

Sounds like a fair plan.


It must be a sneaky thing this blood sugar.

Dont mean to be rude but what are the licence laws over where you are??
Over here if you have bad diabeties or epilepsy or different types of mental illness they take your licence off you. Pretty much your doctor dobs you in. Even after things like major surgery they suspend your licence.

They are even wanting to bring in regular health checks for people with truck and bus licenses.
Im not sure how i would go with that, im probably a cantidate for a few things nasty. At 34yo i am sure most 70 year olds could run rings around me. Im not much over weight but i am very very unfit. Got to do something about it. Lots of cigarettes and bad diet and being a complete lazy arse. I used to blame it on being a truck driver, but im not anymore so i have got no excuse.

I bought myself a dirt bike, have not had one for nearly 10 years. Well ive actually bought 3 of the same model over recent months. Bike No1 is in the process of getting a full rebuild. Bare frame respray check renew and refit everything. Im doubting if i will be able to ride it more than 10 feet without falling over from exhaustion.


Bob

_________________
Current project, 1979 KB Isuzu Ute.

Daily driver, '86 Rodeo Spacecab.
Chasing parts for Isuzu Impulse.

Bob,

Unless or until I injure someone in an accident there is nothing they can do to my license. So far I have been lucky enough to limit the damage to myself and my own property. Sufice to say that in the future I will combine trips and do all I can to drive as little as possible. Part of that is the price of gas and part is to keep me from hurting myself and anyone else. I'm already looking for a job, I'm a myotherapist, within a mile of my house so I can walk or ride a bike to work or take the bus. Until I can walk again, though, all I can do is look.

Don't stay out of shape whatever you do. It's easy enough to ignore until the first heart attack or until you become a diabetic. Last year a big fellow on my street, age 36, keeled over from a coronary while he was mowing his yard. Left a wife and two todlers. no one saw it coming. As for eating, if it's not in the form it comes to you from nature, don't eat it. Cook meat but eat everything else raw. I'm not one of these raw food vegan or vegetarian idiots but I do believe that 100K years of hunting and gathering set my system up to do best on that diet. I have gardens and do my fair share of hunting and fishing. At the hospital the doctors and nurses said my blood work was likely the best they have ever seen. Long ago I ate crap too. A feral diet is best and gives you tons of energy and sharp thinking. There's a good book called "The Caveman Diet." You might find it on Amazon. Best of luck with the motorbikes. Had a Honda XR75 as a kid. Loved that thing.

Khy

Im working on it.

Finding it a bit tough to kick the cigs this time round. But i have done it before.


Bob.

_________________
Current project, 1979 KB Isuzu Ute.

Daily driver, '86 Rodeo Spacecab.
Chasing parts for Isuzu Impulse.

Khy:
Glad you seem to be doing ok now. Keep on keeping on

_________________
75 Luv, 350 V8, TH350, Camaro rearend. New 1975 Luv Step side. Stock for now.
Grandmaster of the "Shade Tree" way.. I can't see the yard for all the cars. Come on down and we will sit on the porch and watch the grass grow.

A quick update if anyone is paying attention still. It's been three months since the accident and I'm walking again. Not much, I still crutch most everywhere but the pain in the legs is substantially less. I walk in four feet of water in the local park pool a few times a week and that has helped a lot. Next week I move to the three foot lane. I'm up way more than I'm down and my 75 Luv with the old motor and four speed is running great. I need to bleed the brakes and clutch and find out why the running lights aren't working and I'll be on the road again. I'm going to look for a 76-80 4x4 on Craigslist to put the rebuilt 1.8L into. (Dying to hit Padre Island and go way down to where the good surf is.) That done I may sell the '75 or do a v6 or v8 swap since I'll have the 4x4 to drive. It's all looking much better. Thanks for all the technical help and encouragement.

Khy in Austin, TX

Pert near on the road again.

Glad to hear things are going better. It may take a while, but hang in there. I have heard that pools can aid in the recovering from stuff. They have a class for us older folks that are done in the pools

richard

_________________
75 Luv, 350 V8, TH350, Camaro rearend. New 1975 Luv Step side. Stock for now.
Grandmaster of the "Shade Tree" way.. I can't see the yard for all the cars. Come on down and we will sit on the porch and watch the grass grow.

Yeeeeha! I'm on the road again. I have almost all the bugs worked out on my 75 with the old 1.8 and manual 4 speed. It is damn good to be able to drive. Lucky me since the Austin busdrivers are about to go on strike. The running lights won't come on on the truck, though, so I'm stuck driving daylight hours. Anybody have any ideas what would kill both the headlights and tailights I'd love to hear about it. Blinkers and brakelights work fine, got horn but no wipers. Hmmmm? Tomorrow I start crawling through the electrical to find out where the short is.

I take it youve checked the fuse box??? You just never know.

Check the light switch and see if its got power to and from it. What type of high/low switching setup did the 75 have??? Same as the later with a stalk switch or an old floor mounted one. Either style i would Check it, i have them stick in neutral before, especially the floor ones.
General check for a broken or worn wires.
If thats all good i would be undoing a few earth contact points and giving it a clean underneath and doing it all back up again.


Bob.

_________________
Current project, 1979 KB Isuzu Ute.

Daily driver, '86 Rodeo Spacecab.
Chasing parts for Isuzu Impulse.

Here is a nice post on cleaning the fuse block. Check the links on it too.

http://forums.luvtruck.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=17429&hilit=fuse+box

_________________
75 Luv, 350 V8, TH350, Camaro rearend. New 1975 Luv Step side. Stock for now.
Grandmaster of the "Shade Tree" way.. I can't see the yard for all the cars. Come on down and we will sit on the porch and watch the grass grow.