wrecked
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Longview Washington
Life changes fast. I hadn't really thought about it until this weekend when it hit me rather hard.
February 19th I was still a teenager. The next day I was no longer, as I had turned 20. Yep I was an adult now. I felt like things were going pretty good. I had graduated highschool a few years ago, been slowly working on a degree at the local community college, earned my shop operator certification, professional mechanic certification, suspension technician certification, UBI and DT Swiss wheelbuilder certification, I had become the assistant manager at my shop, I'd traveled to a total of 11 countries, and visited all 50 states, in addition to finding the girl of my dreams whom I recently signed a lease with allowing me to move out of my parents watch for the first time ever.
Last week I got a raise at the shop and started talking to one of the companies we deal with about a sponsorship for '07. Things were really looking up.
Friday night/Saturday morning I was taken to hospital to have my inflamed and infected appendix removed. Granted we didn't know what it was that was causing my stomach pain at the time, we were just going to get things checked out. As I was laying in Pre-Op, they had to check to make sure that I was all set and ready to go. The nurse got a startled look on her face and nervously called for a doctor to come and see what she had found. I was starting to feel the effects of the morphine and other ingredients in my IV so I could do much about picking my head up to see what was going on and quickly passed out.
After my operation I woke up and a nurse came over and talked to me. They told me that prior to sending me into operation they found Melanoma, essentially the worst skin cancer you can get. I was shocked to hear it. I wasn't entirely sure that Melanoma was cancer or what Melanoma was at all, I just knew that it was bad. Arriving home and doing a quick searched confirmed that it is infact cancer. They aren't certain that they got all of it and think that there's a good chance that it will reappear within the next few years.
I was released from the hospital today which was nice, as I was getting a bit irritated sitting in a bed for a couple days straight. I was told that I can do no lifting for 2 weeks and no excercise other than walking for atleast a month. No lifting means that I can't work on bikes at the shop. Being that I'm one of the 2 mechanics that can do repairs and crank out a couple bikes, I'm kind of stuck. We are a small shop with only 5 employees, 2 of which are part time and the third spends most the day placing orders and doing paper work. That leaves me and another employee to do all repairs, and most sales(we are the top 2 sales persons and no one else gets close to the numbers we pull in, which is mostly due to being friendly, informative and absolutely no pressure). Now the shop is in a little strain as well, the weather is getting nice and people need thier bikes. A 2 day turn around is tough to keep with only 1 guy doing repairs. Theres not much for me to do that doesn't involve lifting something, even assemblies require lifting to fit into stands. Wrenching will put too much strain on my recent surgical acquisitions as well. Maybe I'll go into the shop and fiddle around for a bit and see if I can't find something to do until I can go back full swing.
That puts me in a rut. My first month's rent is due on the 10th, and I've become confused on whether I have to pay the $200 deposit fee for my cat or not. Of course my girlfriend can pay for the deposit I hate to ask her to, but not being able to work for a few weeks is going to put a little strain on my bank account. Thankfully I have some good family members who can help me out if it really gets close.
None of that will change that I can't ride my bike for atleast a month. Race season is starting and although Ski Bowl still has snow, I've been practicing on my local run and getting things pretty well wired with some new techniques and wrapping up my tire decisions. However, I'm supposed to test ride a new bike within the next week or two to find if it's going to work for me for this season. No chance at that. I may miss the entire season this year as my current ride isn't race ready.
I guess the main reason for me posting this is that I needed to vent a little bit, maybe some of you will slow it down a little and enjoy the small stuff. It seems odd to me that I would ever be saying that, and even more so to a group that is for the most part older than I am and I'm sure have had their fair share of scares in their life. I guess I'm the one who is really getting a lession etched into my head.
I appreciate the space for letting me do a little venting.
Thanks
-Kevin
February 19th I was still a teenager. The next day I was no longer, as I had turned 20. Yep I was an adult now. I felt like things were going pretty good. I had graduated highschool a few years ago, been slowly working on a degree at the local community college, earned my shop operator certification, professional mechanic certification, suspension technician certification, UBI and DT Swiss wheelbuilder certification, I had become the assistant manager at my shop, I'd traveled to a total of 11 countries, and visited all 50 states, in addition to finding the girl of my dreams whom I recently signed a lease with allowing me to move out of my parents watch for the first time ever.
Last week I got a raise at the shop and started talking to one of the companies we deal with about a sponsorship for '07. Things were really looking up.
Friday night/Saturday morning I was taken to hospital to have my inflamed and infected appendix removed. Granted we didn't know what it was that was causing my stomach pain at the time, we were just going to get things checked out. As I was laying in Pre-Op, they had to check to make sure that I was all set and ready to go. The nurse got a startled look on her face and nervously called for a doctor to come and see what she had found. I was starting to feel the effects of the morphine and other ingredients in my IV so I could do much about picking my head up to see what was going on and quickly passed out.
After my operation I woke up and a nurse came over and talked to me. They told me that prior to sending me into operation they found Melanoma, essentially the worst skin cancer you can get. I was shocked to hear it. I wasn't entirely sure that Melanoma was cancer or what Melanoma was at all, I just knew that it was bad. Arriving home and doing a quick searched confirmed that it is infact cancer. They aren't certain that they got all of it and think that there's a good chance that it will reappear within the next few years.
I was released from the hospital today which was nice, as I was getting a bit irritated sitting in a bed for a couple days straight. I was told that I can do no lifting for 2 weeks and no excercise other than walking for atleast a month. No lifting means that I can't work on bikes at the shop. Being that I'm one of the 2 mechanics that can do repairs and crank out a couple bikes, I'm kind of stuck. We are a small shop with only 5 employees, 2 of which are part time and the third spends most the day placing orders and doing paper work. That leaves me and another employee to do all repairs, and most sales(we are the top 2 sales persons and no one else gets close to the numbers we pull in, which is mostly due to being friendly, informative and absolutely no pressure). Now the shop is in a little strain as well, the weather is getting nice and people need thier bikes. A 2 day turn around is tough to keep with only 1 guy doing repairs. Theres not much for me to do that doesn't involve lifting something, even assemblies require lifting to fit into stands. Wrenching will put too much strain on my recent surgical acquisitions as well. Maybe I'll go into the shop and fiddle around for a bit and see if I can't find something to do until I can go back full swing.
That puts me in a rut. My first month's rent is due on the 10th, and I've become confused on whether I have to pay the $200 deposit fee for my cat or not. Of course my girlfriend can pay for the deposit I hate to ask her to, but not being able to work for a few weeks is going to put a little strain on my bank account. Thankfully I have some good family members who can help me out if it really gets close.
None of that will change that I can't ride my bike for atleast a month. Race season is starting and although Ski Bowl still has snow, I've been practicing on my local run and getting things pretty well wired with some new techniques and wrapping up my tire decisions. However, I'm supposed to test ride a new bike within the next week or two to find if it's going to work for me for this season. No chance at that. I may miss the entire season this year as my current ride isn't race ready.
I guess the main reason for me posting this is that I needed to vent a little bit, maybe some of you will slow it down a little and enjoy the small stuff. It seems odd to me that I would ever be saying that, and even more so to a group that is for the most part older than I am and I'm sure have had their fair share of scares in their life. I guess I'm the one who is really getting a lession etched into my head.
I appreciate the space for letting me do a little venting.
Thanks
-Kevin