Update on the old fart what had a heart attack!

[Gene McCall]

OK here goes! Heart attack on 10/25/07, 30% of heart function left, not in congestive heart failure! Currently in cardiac rehab, rough start but second week is going much better! I will meet later this month with David Hannigan (Hannigan Motorsports) in Murray, Ky to discuss building sidecar for my ST. An old friend by the name of Don Seedsman from the Land Down Under will be flying over to go with me as co-pilot on my Alaska/Canada trip next summer. Thanks to all the good folks on this board for your comments and support, it helps if I start feeling sorry for myself!:bike1:

[motomac]

Good on ya Gene, keep us updated on your rehab progress!!!! And your trip preparations. Don't forget to get a copy of "The Milepost".

[Mellow]

Hey, keep up with the good work. If Alaska is your dream then you should pursue it, too many just keep their dreams as just that and never attain them.

[Mark]

Good job staying on the therapy... it will help...

Glad to hear you have a plan for AK too!

Mark

[Trailace]

I'm glad your still shooting for Alaska and I know you will make the ride.

Just keep working hard on your rehab!

[Trekker]

Motorcycles and a positive attitude! Great therapy! Rock On Gene!:D

[ParkerBill]

Best wishes for your rehab and Alaska trip!!! My prayers are with you.

[Tx White Knight]

Keep up the good work Gene, we will be waiting on oyur Alaska trip report ;)

[voyager]

i had a heart attack 4 years ago followed by a quad bypass.its not the end of the world, i feel on top of the world now, keep possitive

[Mark]

It's all about setting your goals and then working towards them.
One heartbeat at a time... in your case...

I'm betting on you having a great trip!

Mark

[Gene McCall]

i had a heart attack 4 years ago followed by a quad bypass.its not the end of the world, i feel on top of the world now, keep possitive

Mark, thanks so much for the encouragement! For me there was nothing left to bypass, the attack took out a triple by-pass and 2 stents I had received over the years. However, I am coming back, I can tell I am getting stronger, day by day. I will concentrating on regaining upper body strength since I have been told a hack requires much more effort to steer! The hack, an Astro Sport, by Hannigan Motorsports in Murray, Ky will be installed the end of Feb. After that I will be riding as much as possible to build a different set of skills for sidecars.:bike1:

[Gene McCall]

Thanks to all of you guys who have offered encouragement. It would be great if all of you would profit (Mark already has) by my experience. I have never been really over weight, have not smoked in 45 years and kept myself in fair shape. Family history got me! If you have any family history of heart trouble you must really work hard to prevent problems. I don't want to read about any of you in the obits!:bike1:

[motomac]

Gene keep the faith, I'm certainly glad you are going to do this and I hope I see you somewhere up there. I am leaving OH around the 1st of June. I will be going to several places in the YT and NWT before I get to AK. I hope to be in Dawson City on the 21st for the summer solstice with the ADV folks. After that I'll take the Top of the World road across the border into AK and down through Chicken. Gotta get a couple of T-shirts at the motorcycle shop in Fairbanks. It's a combined everything except BMW. HD, Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, and Kawi. They only had HD T's in '05 but the girl said they were getting the other brands as well, so maybe this time they'll have the Japs in.

[Ironheadziggy76]

Hang tough Gene, I had four mini-strokes back when I was 39 due to a almost totally blocked Carotid artery and it certainly changed the way I looked at life. It made me realize that I wasn't going to live forever although I was living life like I thought I would. I will be 47 this week and I have just now decided to get a little more serious about trying to get in shape. I have dropped about 40 pounds and would like to loose at least that much more.

I have a friend who is about three years older than I am and he has already had two open heart surgeries and he is still riding most days. His doctor recommended that he close his motorcycle shop and retire due to the lifting and stress of the business, but told him he could ride all he wanted as long as he had his annual check-ups and took his meds.

I think you will do fine, it sounds like you have a good attitude and a good plan for staying in shape. I want to see the ride report when you get back, I am planning to go up in July of 2009.

[Gene McCall]

Gene keep the faith, I'm certainly glad you are going to do this and I hope I see you somewhere up there. I am leaving OH around the 1st of June. I will be going to several places in the YT and NWT before I get to AK. I hope to be in Dawson City on the 21st for the summer solstice with the ADV folks. After that I'll take the Top of the World road across the border into AK and down through Chicken. Gotta get a couple of T-shirts at the motorcycle shop in Fairbanks. It's a combined everything except BMW. HD, Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, and Kawi. They only had HD T's in '05 but the girl said they were getting the other brands as well, so maybe this time they'll have the Japs in.

Mac, if you will check the Adv list for D2D you will find #88, me & #89 Don! We hope to get there anywhere from the 18th or a little later. There will be, probably over a hundred bikes there but I will probably be the only ST with a sidecar! Thanks for the good words and I look forward to meeting you & your new bike!:bike1: :hatw1:

[Gene McCall]

Hang tough Gene, I had four mini-strokes back when I was 39 due to a almost totally blocked Carotid artery and it certainly changed the way I looked at life. It made me realize that I wasn't going to live forever although I was living life like I thought I would..............

.......I think you will do fine, it sounds like you have a good attitude and a good plan for staying in shape. I want to see the ride report when you get back, I am planning to go up in July of 2009.

Ironhead it took me about 10 years to realize that I was not doing enough and I suffered for it! Thanks for the kind comments. Check with me in 09, I may be ready to go back!!:bike1:

[Ripshod]

The main thing is that you're not letting it keep you off the road. So you're growing one more wheel - big deal! Just as much wind in the face.

Good luck, hope to see you around in our travels.

[motomac]

Gene, I didn't sign up for the list, because I'm not sure when I'll be there. I would hate to put my name on the lsit and not show.

[Gene McCall]

I understand but the organizers keep saying they simply use the list as an estimate of how many riders may attend. The numbers they attach mean nothing, just gives us something to talk about! I am not absolutely certain we will make it but it gives us a target date. Both Don & I are in agreement that on this trip if we should run across something that really interests one or the other of us we will spend the time to explore it, we are not going to be slaves to any kind of schedule! So I guess you could say we are not certain we will be there!

Gene:bike1:

[motomac]

I understand but the organizers keep saying they simply use the list as an estimate of how many riders may attend. The numbers they attach mean nothing, just gives us something to talk about! I am not absolutely certain we will make it but it gives us a target date. Both Don & I are in agreement that on this trip if we should run across something that really interests one or the other of us we will spend the time to explore it, we are not going to be slaves to any kind of schedule! So I guess you could say we are not certain we will be there!

Gene:bike1:

And there you have the reason I'm reluctant to sign up. I don't want any kind of schedule on this trip.

[Gene McCall]

And there you have the reason I'm reluctant to sign up. I don't want any kind of schedule on this trip.


Well, heck Don & I just might get together with you and wander all over the northland! If we get the STMMH (ST Mini-Motor Home) stuck: I am sure you could pull us out or get help! How bout that, 3 old Farts, North To Alaska!!:fire1: :bike1:

[motomac]

Gene, you will meet some of the friendliest folks on this good earth up there. If you have any trouble, within 1/2 to 3/4 hours, help will be falling all over itself to give you a hand. If we meet up there, I'll let you in on a little story about my first trip on a bike up there.

[Gene McCall]

OK, heres the scoop from the old fart hisself! I had an echocardogram of my heart today and then met with my heart doc and another heart doc about the future.

I will have to admit I am somewhat disappointed, I guess I hoped for too much. I did improve, about 5% where I had wanted 10%.

Then my heart doc threw me a curve, he said that my tests indicated the heart muscle has stabilized but the wiring leaves something to be desired! Back in 1993 I experienced a v-tac session (the electrical system of the heart fires so fast the heart can not pump, just flutters) and survived. He said another one could do me in.

However, the calvary is coming over the hill in the form of a pacemaker/defibrillator! If my heart gets hinky on me this little jewel will sense it and zap me with about 700 volts for .04 milaseconds and reboot the heart. I just hope microsoft didn't design this thing! Now the neat thing is that they will give me a box to go with the unit that I can plug a phone line into. It will check out the unit and the heart and send a report to the doc's computer from anywhere in the world! I will have instructions to local medicos as to how to operate it and how to help me should I need it.

The battery will last 5 to 7 years, I guess it depends if it has to zap me as to how long it will actually last. When it goes south they just replace the complete unit and away I go! The other heart doc I met with is the one who is going to implant the unit. They will make an incision under my left arm to place the unit. It will have a wire direct to the heart that will sense what is going on and deliver the jolt when needed. One of these days I will have more parts that are not human than original human parts I started with!

This is going to be like having my own personal safety net around my heart, now if I could just get one of those air-bags jackets I would have it made!

I will be delaying picking up the ST for a week, maybe 2. I want to be sure I can physically take advantage of the sidecar training they will give me. I will probably bring the ST home on a trailer, I hope this will be the only time it is ever on a trailer, motorcycles are made to be ridden, not hauled around like Hardleys!

Gene

PS: I consider all of you my friends and I do not plan to ever go hunting with any of you!!
:bike1: :con1:

[Tx White Knight]

PS: I consider all of you my friends and I do not plan to ever go hunting with any of you!!

Sounds like they have got a good plan for you. :)

BTW, there is only one person left alive that I will hunt with, been that way since I got shot when I was 14.

[motomac]

I don't hunt with anything but a camera anymore Gene, but your attitude is inspiring. Keep the faith and I'll see you and Don up North.