Whatcha Workin' On?

[FC]

The pastor said he had Covid twice, and has severe activity intolerance. Tests don’t reveal lungmm no or cardiac issues. His doctor said there’s a belief that there’s a post-Covid effect. Thoughts?

[Dr.Hess]

There is most definitely a post-Covid effect.  It is called "Long COVID" in the medical literature.  I have it.   It has been difficult.

[ken98k]

I had covid in oct/nov 2021.  It caused a severe spike in my blood sugar, which in turn caused 6th nerve palsy in my right eye. The various doctors I've seen all said they palsy would eventually go away but it has not.

Since the covid I have also noticed a huge lack of ambition. I find it difficult to make myself do anything that is not absolutely necessary. 

[Dr.Hess]

That lack of ambition is very common, anecdotally.  There's a thread on HDForums.com where everyone listed their long term side effects, and it is all over.  My diabetes Type II was diagnosed after I got it.  That is also very common.  Bummer on the nerve palsy.

 

I am just now starting to get some minor motivation on my projects again.  Pre-covid, I used to work an hour a day in the shop plus maybe 4-5 on the weekends.  Now I sort of have to force myself to get back to doing things, including routine maintenance.  It's tough.  I had it in late 2019 before anyone even knew it was here and omicron in Jan of 2022.

[FC]

Those are really devastating side effects!

[ken98k]

Coincidently, I became sick this past Friday and finally went to the clinic yesterday (monday) for what I thought was strep throat. Turns out I have covid again.  

 

[Dr.Hess]

That sucks.  However, with your past infections, you should not have much trouble with it.  The 2nd time I had it, it was like a bad cold, medium flu.  The first time, it almost killed me.

[FC]

What did the first episode do to you?

 

[Dr.Hess]

First time I got it was in late 2019.  Of course, that is way before the government said there was anything new out there.  It blasted through our office in Bentonville like wildfire.  Everyone, and their families got it.  I was the oldest in the office.  Note that Bentonville is an international hub.  Besides huge east/west coast traffic, China, India, Europe, all have to come to BV.  If you want to sell to Wally World, you must come to BV.  Wally World does not come to you.  One guy in the office brought his kid to the ER with a 104 fever.  The doc told him "We have run every test available and they all come back negative.  It is something new and it's everywhere."  Also note that the blood banks were tested after tests became available and antibodies were found in blood from late 2019. 

I was very sick.  I'll have to say the sickest I've ever been.  High fever for over a month, night sweats, lost over 20 lbs.  Very sore throat.  Absolutely zero exercise tolerance.  We have a 2 story house.  I would have to carefully plan out my trips down the stairs to minimize stair climbing.  Like, well, I need this, but in an hour, I'll need that too, so I'll just wait.  Stop and rest half way up the stairs.  Some chest pain as well.  ABX did nothing.  Just could not shake it off.  I finally broke down and outsourced my healthcare and made an appointment with the wife of a friend of mine.  No one still had any idea what was going around.  By then, it felt like I had something stuck in my throat, still febrile, total loss of taste, and I mean total.  Not that I couldn't taste anything, but everything I tasted was the same.  Didn't matter.  Milk, sugar, butter, bread, juice, potatoes, they all tasted the same, and it was best described as "bad."  I've never tasted anything like that.  I had the PCP send me to an ENT doc for the feeling like something was stuck in my throat and the loss of smell.  We were still going with "probably had strep" at that point, but I was recovering.  He scoped me and said he couldn't find anything, and whatever it was I had probably damaged the taste, and if it didn't come back in 6 months, it wouldn't.  It did come back, but it took 6 months to do it.  One time, a year afterwards, I was eating some salsa at our favorite Mexican restaurant and for just a few minutes, it tasted like that, then was back to normal.  The same bowl of salsa and chips. 

She ran a A1C, CXR, EKG and PSA. Glucose was through the roof, like A1C of 9.7, PSA was like 18.  EKG was something like a LVH, but nothing real specific.  So, DMII and a trip to the urologist.  Biopsy:  Prostate cancer.

When I had it the 2nd time, we had some electricians over in January of 2022.  They were supposed to come back with heavy equipment in 2 weeks.  Never showed up again.  Big company here.  Turned out that we were their last job before they both went out for COVID.  I think it was omicron.  We both got it, but it was nothing compared to the first one.  However, ever since, I now have Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and that sucks.  I also have a real loss in motivation since the first round.  Like Ken said, just wouldn't do anything that was not 100% needed right then.  That is slowly getting better, but I can still feel it.  That is very common, but you don't see it in the literature.

[ken98k]

I'm past most of the fever, chills, body aches, mostly soar throat and cough now but that's improving. I'm very tired due to cough keeping me awake but as I said, that's improving. They have me on Paxlovid. 2 pink, 1 white tablet, twice a day for 5 days. Also,  I'm carefully watching my blood sugar, which I didn't do last time around.

[FC]

What a hideous disease! I'm still furious with the Chinese government, and to lesser extent, the Fauci involvement. My uncle, a true cowboy, died thanks to them. Three people in the church I used to go to died too. I have no idea if I ever contracted it, but hope not.

[ken98k]

I'm pretty much over it, I plan on returning to work on Monday. I stopped taking the Paxlovid last night. Made me feel like I was pooping porcupines'

[Dr.Hess]

I very glad you are about over it, Ken.  3rd time's the charm! 

FC, you had it.  Everyone had it.  It just didn't bother some people.  I have never seen a disease so contagious.

[inthe10ring]

On 2/9/2023 at 8:15 AM, FC said:

I never would've thought that would affect point of impact.

I need to get to my SKS with the removable magazine. You have to pull the bolt back some, then click the magazine in place, which is a real nuisance. One guy said to grind off the ridges that that get in the way. Not the easiest thing to do. I can see the logic of it.

I wish I could hire out getting my 5' long flintlock stock reproduced, but there's probably no one who does something that long?

I saw this at the local gunshow & got his number if you are interested. He said he'd take anything for it as he's sick of dragging it around.  It's walnut & all of 5ft

I tried to PM you this but it would only let me add an image via URL & lm just not able to

[FC]

Yeah, I’d like it! Send  me the number please.

[Horsefly]

Ken, glad your better. If there’s such a thing as bright side, you got it outta the way before your so short summer! We lost my brother-in-law, daughter-in-law’s Dad and Grandpa, and my wife’s 1’st cousin that they raised. Me and wife been lucky so far. Only thing I done was hand sanitizer at first. My son lives next door and him snd wife had it 3 times, kids none. I was exposed bunch of times. When I get it I expect it to kill me. Waiting on news where your moving south ideas go. I’d say Texas but way too damn hottttt. 

[Dr.Hess]

If ANYONE in a household has or had COVID, I can guarantee you that EVERYONE in that household has either had it or currently has it, but is not showing any signs.  A very few are immune to it, probably from a slight variation in the ACE receptor. So, your grandkids either all had it, or had it when their parents did.  It is completely harmless to children.

[Horsefly]

Yep! Kids always have snotty noses from school. I had couple episodes of what I thought were sinus infections but only lasted couple days instead of 2 weeks like normal. I told my wife I bet and hoped it was Covid. All in our family that died or had hard time never spent time outside. Delivery pizza and sports on TV was everyday norm. I totally agree, we all had it. 

[Dr.Hess]

So, maybe 5-6 years ago, I bought a $100 Spanish 1916 from JG sales when we came back from a PRC trip and stopped in at Scottsdale.  It was rough.  Real rough.  Busted stock, etc.  I picked one out of 3, I think, and picked the best.  There was some visible rifling, all the parts were there, you could see the crest.  Well, it shot just like all the other Spanish 7mm's, first one or two OK, then opened up worse than a shotgun.  Much worse, with keyholes.  Tried a couple other ebay barrels, no better.  All crap.  Finally put a ebay Mexican barrel on it and with a long bullet, which I made by drilling out a Lee 7mm mold so there were no driving bands or gas check ring, it seemed to put most of them in the same spot at 20 feet.  At least not a 20 inch group like the other barrels.  After covid hit, causing me multiple health issues, the project sort of got set aside.

I'm not real happy about it not shooting with modern ammo.  These things were made to shoot those long, heavy round nose bullets, like 180gr or whatever, not 139gr spitzers.  You can't find the long round nose bullets anymore.  I thought about finishing off the 7x57 Mexican barrel, which I have installed and headspaced properly, put the sights on it, etc., but still not happy.

I came across a Spanish 1916 308 WIN barrel.  A guy on another forum was like "if you want it, you can have it for shipping."  I said, OK.  He bought a rifle that was advertised as 7x57, but came with the 308 barrel.  The Spanish did that in like the 50's or 60's, converting their 1916's to 308.  There's all kinds of internet BS on how "dangerous" it is, but it is "net wisdom," that is, bullshit.  I don't own any rifle in 308WIN.  This $100 rifle is way beyond any type of collector, and I have decided to swap out the Mexican barrel with this 308.  The 308 barrel looks great, good rifling, crown.  I bought some Lee 308 dies.  I have some 30-06 brass that AZ (RIP, Dave) gave me years ago, and I can make 308 out of those.  I have 30 caliber bullets around, including my powder coated cast, so I should have everything I need to get it to work.

Funny thing, I gave a 7x57 barrel to a guy that had one as bad as my first one.  Of the 3 or so I had laying around, I gave him the best for shipping costs.  Then someone gives me a 308 barrel for shipping costs.  Pay it forward, I guess.