ClimberD's / HexMods Diary

[spc2125]

Do you only want brembos so that you can say you have them? Or do you want them to increase your stopping ability?

 

Im thinking that the stock lgt brakes are terrible. And instead of paying money when my front brakes go... to just upgrade them at that time. Yes i want them for stopping ability. I could care less if they were gold, black or shit brown. I want to be able push my car but them have the confidence in my brakes to keep me out of danger. And right now, im not to confident.

[SCASEYS]

Steven this is not a brake discussion thread......

Dave, keep us updated on the 08-09 VB progress

 

best mod ever!

[ClimberDHexMods]

I was recently diagnosed with a very high level of ADHD, and am finally seeing a specialist tomorrow to confirm the diagnosis and figure out a plan for treatment. I feel like a massive weight has been lifted, that there is some tangible reason for why I have such an easy time doing things that other people can't do, yet have such a hard time doing the most simple and easy tasks that most people can do half asleep. Even my old fashioned mother went so far as to say it's a blessing, which she never says about anything. I do feel like most of my adult life has been wasted in anxiety and being held back by the most simple and easy things that need to get done before the exciting work can begin. I've read countless books on productivity (actually Audible since I cannot usually get through more than a couple pages without wanting to go do sprints), on up to the best there is on character development as a solution to unproductive workplace behavior, and nothing made a difference. Now I get why. Nothing realistically could have worked. If a simple prescribed dose of an amphetamine does finally allow me to slow down and calm down enough to perform simple work tasks, I will be the happiest person in the world. Wish me luck.

[Blumpkin]

good luck bro, I know from experience that ADHD sucks a fat one. I was lucky and it calmed down as I aged. It is not gone but then again, being able to multi task as I can is a blessing.

[ClimberDHexMods]

From the perspective of thinking clearly, yesterday and today have been the best in memory (out of 10+ years). I have never known calm like this. I have never accomplished monotonous work with such little drama.

I tested negative for ADD/ADHD in middle school. Several years later, high school became increasingly difficult each year, despite my having figured out exactly how to succeed in that environment. Junior year is when the anxiety started over simple things like having to read a history text book or write a normal paper. College was when things started getting rough. By senior year, I was in a perpetual state of anxiety. I had a great family and great girlfriend, upstanding friends, all the professors liked me, and I knew everything I was being taught. But I struggled to do the most basic things, and that's when the bad self thoughts really started to take hold. In adult life, with a few good exceptions, most things have not gone right. Everyone I was close to said I would be the one to make it big. Yet I have been drowning in every little thing. Despite reading many top books and putting so much effort toward every conceivable attitude and character change technique I could come across, it all kept falling apart. I'm genuinely amazed that I've made it this far without my life completely collapsing. If it was not for the support of my closest friends and family, I cannot imagine how rough my life would be right now. The jury is still out, but for the first time in memory, I think I can make it.

 

If you know that something intangible is wrong with you or in your life, do not accept it.

You will never find the missing puzzle piece if you stop looking.

Keep on searching, talk to professionals (this is much easier to do than you might think), take a deep breath and then take just one small step.

[ClimberDHexMods]

So the last two weeks were going really well, maybe an 8 out of 10. Really good things were getting accomplished, finally.

Then, attended the International Rugby Academy's stop in Dallas, where some of the best rugby coaches in the world (all from New Zealand) re-teach the game to fools like me.

I was participating in a tackling session Friday night, when I got a small concussion, no problem. This was a once-in-a-lifetime training event, so I kept going. 30 minutes later, I ran at an attendee whom I had not seen before. He put me down hard; so hard that I had the worst concussion in memory, and I have had a lot of them. Spent the next 3 days (Saturday-Monday) tying to manage my worst PCS (Post Concussion Syndrome) ever, by far. Sensitivity to light and noise, perpetual headache, inability to problem solve, inability to comprehend multi-step tasks, needing more sleep or not being able to sleep... it even hurt to watch TV, hard on the eyes and brain... which would all have been fine temporarily if it was not for the severe depression and anxiety. I cannot emphasize enough how drastic and debilitating this side of a concussion can be.

I will almost certainly be fine in a couple weeks, so no need to comment on that.

I've heard a lot about concussions, namely football players losing entire 3-month chunks of their memory, then turning 50 and committing suicide from the depression. I irrationally figured I was different from them, somehow. But until now, I had never realized the importance of not just the brain, but of one's mood. Your mood influences every single thing you do, enhances every interaction you have with another person, etc.

So, it's Tuesday, and I'm finally starting to come down from PCS, and can function again, somewhat.

I set a new personal rule: If I ever get another concussion like this again, I'm retiring from rugby, forever.

In addition, I finally realized how important the brain is (you don't necessarily realize what you have until it's gone).

I ordered a 3M respirator and an assortment of filters for all the things I regularly breathe in my garage shop environment:

-Organic Vapors (Solvents, Oil particulates and fumes)

-Grinding dust

-Blasting media

-Chlorine (brake cleaner)

-Paint stripper (though nothing really filters methylene chloride so this will be done very rarely, outside only).

This should save a lot of brain cells.

 

I hope that those of you who read this will find a justification to be very careful with your brains, and those of your loved ones (kids going off to sports practice, etc.)

 

This puppy is silicone and people tend to find it no bother:

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008MCUULW/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i03?ie=UTF8&psc=1]http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008MCUULW/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i03?ie=UTF8&psc=1[/ame]

 

Metal Fabrication:

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00328IAO0/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i05?ie=UTF8&psc=1]http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00328IAO0/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i05?ie=UTF8&psc=1[/ame]

 

Solvents, Transmission Internals.

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000XBKLLE/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1]http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000XBKLLE/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1[/ame]

 

Really bad things (acid gas, chlorine, and for all your meth cooks, methylamine).

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AEFCP0E/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1]http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AEFCP0E/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1[/ame]

 

And other fun attachments for dust pre-filtration.

 

Cheers, be safe, be smart.

[SCHM1AN]

Concussions are no bueno, and need to be taken seriously. I have had 3 or 4, but I honestly can't remember. The last one happened while playing hockey my senior year of high school- got checked from behind going face-first into the boards. I blacked out for a few seconds, got up, and could not skate back to the bench to save my life. After that I decided not to pursue collegiate-level hockey as my brain was my greatest asset. My memory for a few months following that incident was only good for a few hours, at best. Eventually I've gotten better but my memory is still not as good as it used to be.

[BarManBean]

Be careful with your ears too. Invest in some earplugs or muffs if you are working around machinery / power tools a lot. I wear ear plugs and safety glasses pretty much every time I'm working with tools now.

[Rester5350]

Something to think about when you are choosing filters. Concentration and duration of the hazard, so how long can you breath a certain level of gas or vapor? How long will the filter last once opened even in ambient atmosphere? Also keep in mind some of the filters may only be approve for escape purposes and not meant to worn for extended periods. I personally like MSA half face respirators.

[ClimberDHexMods]

Concussions are no bueno, and need to be taken seriously. I have had 3 or 4, but I honestly can't remember. The last one happened while playing hockey my senior year of high school- got checked from behind going face-first into the boards. I blacked out for a few seconds, got up, and could not skate back to the bench to save my life. After that I decided not to pursue collegiate-level hockey as my brain was my greatest asset. My memory for a few months following that incident was only good for a few hours, at best. Eventually I've gotten better but my memory is still not as good as it used to be.

 

Sorry to hear that. Ditto on all points, except different sports and times in life. My memory is silly bad in many instances, makes for some very awkward social situations.

 

Be careful with your ears too. Invest in some earplugs or muffs if you are working around machinery / power tools a lot. I wear ear plugs and safety glasses pretty much every time I'm working with tools now.

 

I have these 3M Peltor Optime 95 - Use them all the time, can even run my diamond-tipped metal chop saw indoors with these, no drama. I had to start using them due to the noise my Porter Cable impact driver makes when removing valve body bolts. One bolt, fine. 20, headache.

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/3M-Peltor-Optime-Reduction-Earmuff/dp/B0017YGE8A/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1377646060&sr=8-5&keywords=ear+muffs+3m]http://www.amazon.com/3M-Peltor-Optime-Reduction-Earmuff/dp/B0017YGE8A/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1377646060&sr=8-5&keywords=ear+muffs+3m[/ame]

 

Something to think about when you are choosing filters. Concentration and duration of the hazard, so how long can you breath a certain level of gas or vapor? How long will the filter last once opened even in ambient atmosphere? Also keep in mind some of the filters may only be approve for escape purposes and not meant to worn for extended periods. I personally like MSA half face respirators.

 

I put a lot of thought into all of those points. Going to follow 3M recommendations, and also little things like keep each filter sealed when not in use. They have a 5-year shelf life, and the time to change the particulate filters is just when breathing becomes harder. There is an 'hours of use' limit on the vapor / gas filters, I printed it for my 3M filter lookup folder, which will have all other pertinent information, and will live in the garage. All the filters have published standards about the severity of the vapors/gasses, which serve as a mildly tangible guide to how well they work.

Specifically, the two dedicated vapor / gas filters I linked above, are rock stars. They are designed for production environments, and they do not miss anything worth mentioning at the levels I will be exposed to.

 

The only base not completely covered in my garage now is Aircraft Stripper, because the CDC requires an external air source and head to toe coverage including full face respirator for methylene chloride, since it kills people. The filter 3M 6006 may still have the ability to unofficially filter methylene chloride to some extent. But I use it so rarely and carefully that it does not matter either way. All my respirator w/ 6006 filter will do then is reduce the total level of toxicity, allowing me less of a headache than everyone else who uses it. People really shouldn't be able to buy that chemical at AutoZone anyways. It's so damn toxic that being within 3 feet of it for 30 seconds outside in a breeze still makes me feel sick.

[NSFW]

There's been some info in the popular press lately about how a concussion, even a mild one, puts you at greatly elevated risk of a serious concussion for the next day or two. Basically, until your brain has fully healed from a concussion, it's fragile, and it doesn't take much to really screw you up.

 

There was a high profile case of a kid who suffered two concussions in one game, and will never be the same. High school coaches are now being advised to take players out of the game after anything that resembles a concussion.

 

I had one (just one) in college that took me a month to fully recover from.

[doccrowley]

You need to call Dr. Paul Collett in Plano immediately. http://www.dallasspinalcare.com/

 

He is the only one who I would let touch my neck in the entire state of Texas. He and I will be teaching Doctors and students from all over the country next month about recovery from concussion and traumatic brain injury.

 

In '94 a bike helmet saved my life as I walked away with a traumatic brain injury and compression fracture of C3 (upper neck). I was lights on, nobody home for 2 weeks. Walked away from my own Landscaping company, didn't even bother to call my partner and tell him I had been injured, dropped out of college, walked away from a girlfriend, walked away from a techincal rep position for a great ski, snowboard and mountain bike company and lost all interests in my favorite hobbies. I could not sleep while laying down (brain would race a million miles an hour and never slept more than 20 minute cat naps for 4 1/2 years) and my memory was gone. Could not remember simple phone numbers to save my life.

 

Since receiving the work that Dr. Collett provides, I've had at least 2 other concussions (skiing) and each time recover very quickly with his type of work.

 

Let me know if I can be of further help. Call him and schedule a complimentary consult. It may change your life. For the rest of you around the Country, go to : QSM3.com to locate a Dr. near you.

[gimpydingo]

There's been some info in the popular press lately about how a concussion, even a mild one, puts you at greatly elevated risk of a serious concussion for the next day or two. Basically, until your brain has fully healed from a concussion, it's fragile, and it doesn't take much to really screw you up.

 

There was a high profile case of a kid who suffered two concussions in one game, and will never be the same. High school coaches are now being advised to take players out of the game after anything that resembles a concussion.

 

I had one (just one) in college that took me a month to fully recover from.

 

It's even stated after "healing" you are in high risk for more or permanent damage over the next year if you get another concussion. 2 concussions in 1 game is crazy, not to mention players who receive multiple per year.

[ClimberDHexMods]

You guys are scaring me

 

You need to call Dr. Paul Collett in Plano immediately. http://www.dallasspinalcare.com/

 

He is the only one who I would let touch my neck in the entire state of Texas. He and I will be teaching Doctors and students from all over the country next month about recovery from concussion and traumatic brain injury.

 

In '94 a bike helmet saved my life as I walked away with a traumatic brain injury and compression fracture of C3 (upper neck). I was lights on, nobody home for 2 weeks. Walked away from my own Landscaping company, didn't even bother to call my partner and tell him I had been injured, dropped out of college, walked away from a girlfriend, walked away from a techincal rep position for a great ski, snowboard and mountain bike company and lost all interests in my favorite hobbies. I could not sleep while laying down (brain would race a million miles an hour and never slept more than 20 minute cat naps for 4 1/2 years) and my memory was gone. Could not remember simple phone numbers to save my life.

 

Since receiving the work that Dr. Collett provides, I've had at least 2 other concussions (skiing) and each time recover very quickly with his type of work.

 

Let me know if I can be of further help. Call him and schedule a complimentary consult. It may change your life. For the rest of you around the Country, go to : QSM3.com to locate a Dr. near you.

 

Thank you, this means a lot. I will reach out to him and see what he says. Time to finally buy health insurance

[doccrowley]

Call for a consult and don't worry about the insurance. He may not even deal with insurance, I do not in my clinic. Insurance does not understand the procedures we use and reimburses very little of what I do.

 

In my case, I charge a small cash fee and most people use their Health Savings account or flexible spending dollars or their hard earned money they've been saving for a rainy day fund.

[doccrowley]

Just yesterday I helped a 40 year old lady that suffered a ruptured artery in her head after a fall from a ladder 15 years ago. 5 years later, same artery ruptures again for no apparent reason and she also suffered a stroke (another rupture) on the opposite side of her brain at the same time. (Took 3 months in therapy to regain her speech after brain surgery).

 

She had a hard time rotating her head to look towards her Left shoulder when I tested whether her neck had been injured in her ladder fall.

 

20 minutes later she had full range of motion in her neck and zero muscle tension in her neck and shoulders and a huge smile on her face.

 

If you feel like your neck doesn't rotate equally, side to side, then you are a very good candidate for QSM3 and great results with Dr. Collett.

 

Don't hesitate to call and inquire, or fly in to Salt Lake City and I'll take care of you.

 

Take care.

[ClimberDHexMods]

Hit the 7 day post concussion mark today, still have a long list of undesirable symptoms. Might quit rugby. Just wrote an email to the club president explaining the situation. Not sure what the heck I would do to stay in shape, but at least I wouldn't be getting injured often and getting concussions. I never want to forget how bad and dangerous these things are.

 

Major props to doccrowley for taking time out of his day to give me some great information and assurance. I really needed that, thank you.

[JWA2008LGT]

CD - Take care of yourself, get healthy!

 

~ James

[ClimberDHexMods]

I was wasting countless hours cleaning everything without a parts washer, and I finally did something about it. Every ready-made option I found was no good for my needs & wants. This thing is far more awesome than it appears. Functionally, it is 5/5 stars. Love it. Here is the DIY Build: http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/diy-parts-washer-215875.html?p=4618116#post4618116