What you Guys Think?

Tome · August 25, 2006, 10:13:23 PM

Last november I was operated on for colon cancer and have been going through treatments. My question is I have a swingblade mill, do you guys think I should sell it or keep it and hope that I will get well enough to use it again? I am doing really good right now so if I keep up the progress I'm hoping to beat this thing. I could sell it and if I get better then buy another one or keep the one I got and hope for the best. What you guys think?

scsmith42 · August 25, 2006, 10:19:01 PM

Tome, the folks that I know that have recovered the quickest from challenges such as yours are the ones that had the most motivation to get back in the saddle quickly.

If you love running your mill, seems to me that it is a pretty good incentive.

Good luck and Godspeed in putting the cancer behind you.

Scott

brdmkr · August 25, 2006, 10:30:46 PM

Tome,

Mr. Smith gives good advice. Hang on to that mill if you like running it. You'll be slicing boards off of the side of logs again in no time!

Take care.

Mike

Faron · August 25, 2006, 10:39:01 PM

Tome, Perhaps no one knows the answer to that but you. I have to echo the previous posts and think that looking forward to getting back to sawing, or whatever you really love to do has to be helpful. I know this has to be a tough time for you, but I'd sure like to hear you talking about when you get better than if you will get better. Hang in there, you will find you are going to be in a lot of thoughts and prayers here.

Don_Papenburg · August 25, 2006, 10:53:29 PM

I have to concor with the others . If that thing is paid for you keep it . It don't cost anything to sit there waiting for you to make saw dust . If you have to buy another one . It would not be there the day you want to saw. I say keep it and then you can go out and do minor maint. so you are ready to saw.

DanG · August 25, 2006, 11:03:30 PM

Hi Tome! Great to see you back on here! 8) 8)

Unless selling is a financial necessity, I think you oughta keep it. As was said, it could be a great incentive for getting back into the swing of things. ;D Whenever you feel like it, you could go out and wipe some dust off it, and envision the day when you can run it again. I know that your surgery and treatments have taken a lot of starch out of you, but inactivity is bound to be taking a toll, too. You might even put a little log on there and cut a few boards. Shucks, even one board a day would be better than just setting there. ;)

PawNature · August 26, 2006, 12:07:31 AM

That mill needs and operator and since you are the owner operator and have no intention to give into that blasted disease. Keep the mill and sniff some sawdust.

Tome · August 26, 2006, 12:40:52 AM

Thank you guys for your encouragement, I do love sawing and maybe that is the best incentive for me to keep it, it will keep me active. I haven't sawn any this year but I'm about ready to try it and see if I can cut a few boards. Thanks for all your prayers I do cherish them.

Financially I don't need to sell it but my wife thinks maybe I should and then buy another later on but I may just hang on to it.

Thanks again,
Tom

Raphael · August 26, 2006, 01:47:08 AM

I think you should keep the mill for all the afore mentioned reasons, also selling it now to buy a new one later doesn't make much economic sense...
Unless of course you've got an overwelming desire to upgrade to a larger or more feature rich model. ;)

Hang in there.

Mooseherder · August 26, 2006, 08:01:07 AM

When something like this happens to a person, it makes you re-examine what is important and what is not. From that point forward, a person will have little tolerance for nonsense, useless activities and people being ridiculous. I was there 13 years ago.
42 treatments of radiation, surgeries, tests, retests, people poking at you. People hearing the word cancer and writing you off. It ain't that way anymore. Sounds like you got this thing licked. Fire that sucker up Tome.

Norm · August 26, 2006, 08:25:59 AM

Great advice guys!

Fire that baby up Tome, nothing makes a person feel better than the combination of gas fumes and sawdust. Even if it is just a couple of boards being out in the fresh air seeing God's creation in trees is better therapy than any chemo or radiation.

Dana · August 26, 2006, 08:43:27 AM

My wife's cousin has a mill. He fell down a flight of stairs and was in a coma and very close to death for a while. When he got back home, I had asked him if he wanted to sell the mill as it didn't seem he would be able to ever use it. He said no. He has now recovered well enough to use the mill. I wouldn't sell the mill it could be a good piece of physical therapy if you enjoy sawing.

LOGDOG · August 26, 2006, 09:15:32 AM

Tome ...sorry to hear about the cancer. Keep your chin up though. My mother-in-law has been operated on twice for colon cancer. The first time was almost 5 years ago and then shortly thereafter about 4 years ago. She didin't feel too great when undergoing chemo treatments but they didn't last forever. She lives on 3 acres that are full of flower beds and a huge lawn and garden that she maintains. She lives for the outdoors. She's been cancer free ever since the second surgery and goes in to have another colonoscopy at the end of this month. Hopefully she gets the thumbs up. But she looks great and does everything that she loves to do at 74. She'll be 75 in October. I really think that her being active has helped keep her healthy and for sure kept her spirits up.

I'd keep the mill if you don't need to sell it. It's great exercise if only in small doses in the beginning. Even maintenance on it provides a mental escape from dwelling on circumstances that you're currently dealing with. Studies have shown that in large part regular exercise is or can be as effective as prescription drugs for avoiding depression - something very common during an illness.

Also, I'd encourage a little natural remedy recommended by my wifes Oncologist ( yes my wife had a brush with what was said to be 'pre-cancerous cell growth in the mouth'). Her doctor said that she treated a patient for oral cancer (grouped in with all of the digestive tract cancers). The had done everything they could and couldn't seem to get ahead of the cancer. The doctor went out on a limb and recommended that the patient buy a juicer and juice carrots. Drinking the juice daily. Within one month the cancer in the patients mouth disappeared. The cancer stayed gone for I believe 2 years. Just to test what would happen if they stopped the carrot juice the patient stopped drinking it for a short period and the cancer returned. She went back to drinking the carrot juice and the cancer went away. She continues to drink the carrot juice and continues to be cancer free at this time and it has been years since the doctors said that they had done everything medically for her that they could. Carrot juice is great for energy too as well as the digestive system and function.

All the best with that. We want to see some pictures of you behind your mill as soon as you're able.

Let us know if we can help.

LOGDOG

Mooseherder · August 26, 2006, 09:48:12 AM

When I was diagnosed. My oncologist was affiliated with Duke University. He recommended I go and Visit his mentor at Duke. There was a new procedure they had done on female. I was going to be the first male (laperscopic laparotomy, Basically a test to see what stage your in by taking biopsies of all internal organs. The traditional laparotomy is a cut from chest to belly.
Anyhow, to hitchhike on what logdog posted. While in the waiting room of the Hospital, I met a gentlemen from North Carolina who was in his mid thirties, who was there for a follow up visit . He had recovered from liver cancer and was a living miracle who had basically told him there was no hope. His homemade concauction was CARROT JUICE! He had bought a Juicer and the Local Grocery Store Chain donated him a a bundle/sleeves of bagged carrots everyday to juice. He said he literally drank so much carrot juice that he turned orange. I believe there is something to the beta-carotene thing.

tcsmpsi · August 26, 2006, 09:49:54 AM

If you don't need the money (really badly), I can't quite see any reason to sell it, unless as Raphael said, you are looking to upgrade. Stress and diet are humans' most aggressive enemies. Sawdust helps to counter those. ;)

In '72, I lost a piece of my heart and a piece of one of my lungs. Due to their nature, I wasn't ever 'supposed' to live over it. Spent 3 months in the hospital, died 3 times (once, long enough to have a shroud kit put on top of me), walked out with no one expecting me to make 'to the corner'.

Went and found me a nite job in a commercial sawmill. First couple nites of breathing sawdust were rough on my damaged lung, but all downhill after that. Ain't been to a doctor since.

Tom · August 26, 2006, 10:02:14 AM

tcsmpsi.
Did you live? ;D

I don't know if it works for sawmills or not, but, I was told to never sell a boat until after I had bought the new one. If you sell your last boat, you don't tend to replace it. :P

I've found that it works for Motorcycles, tractors and big trucks, but not on women. :-\

DanG · August 26, 2006, 10:28:34 AM

I think ya got something there, Tom. Sure worked that way for me. :

:D :D

I ain't got a juicer, and there ain't no carrots around, so I went and got me a big ol' cup of V8 veggie juice. ;D

tcsmpsi · August 26, 2006, 10:58:16 AM

Aye, Tom. That I did. And, it just keeps getting better every day. In direct spite of it all. ;D

jack · August 26, 2006, 01:00:20 PM

Well Tome,
Keep the mill, even when ya are not feeling topshelf, go and lube it, tinker, and keep it going. And figgering that as sawyers and woodsmen/women... we should always remember to THank God for the health we do have,(after all it could be worse) the woods we work in and with, and our friends and families.... heck with takin God out of our public places and such, in times like these it seems we should be talkin to Him more and MORE.

Tome, I will be praying for you and your body to fight that cancer, that speedy
recovery and return to your sawmilling. Keep your head up. never forget that, (without sounding preachy,) that we have a Savior that cares for us. ya even when were doing what we shouldn't. Ask His help. and trust that He knows what is best. Even when we dont. nuff sed.

Jack

Corley5 · August 26, 2006, 02:39:15 PM

Hang on to the mill! Whatcha got mixed in the V-8 DanG ???

brdmkr · August 26, 2006, 07:03:07 PM

Quote from: Tom on August 26, 2006, 10:02:14 AM
tcsmpsi.
Did you live? ;D

Humor helps too! I nearly choked! I think it is unanimous. Keep that mill. OR UPGRADE ;)

low_48 · August 27, 2006, 10:56:00 PM

Tome,
I would agree with all the others, keep the mill for a while. My dear neighbor provided tomatoes and roses for the entire neighborhood. His gardening skills were well known. He waited way too long to get to the doctor, and had to have a large section of colon removed to get rid of the cancer. When he got home from the hospital, he was at the garden within a week. He had a lawn chair next to the garden because he could only go for 5 or 10 minutes when he first week back at it. By harvest time, we all enjoyed his dedication. So take a chair out to the mill and keep it clean till you get your strength back. Best of luck.

jpgreen · August 28, 2006, 12:37:45 AM

Keep the mill and stay logged on to this forum, as it's a rare thing to have sucha great group of folks who are truly sincere about what they say and do.. 8)

I think that carrot juice is a good idea. I used to drink it all the time, and have got to start again. God's speed to a full recovery Tome...!

red · August 28, 2006, 07:15:42 AM

everything said here was right on the money

take care of the health issues first

let us know where you are ...... maybe someone is nearby

and they can help get the dust off the mill and get it covered in SAWDUST :D

RED

Paschale · August 29, 2006, 01:12:50 AM

Keep that mill, Tome, and don't listen to your wife. ;)

I have a great friend and colleague who had colon cancer. He never once allowed any thoughts in other than beating the thing down. He had every intention of getting back to everything he had done before, tennis, golfing and playing the tuba! ;D

He's doing great now, and doing all of the things he used to do. That'll be you pretty soon, and you'll appreciate being behind that mill more than ever!

Keep on hanging on! 8)