Tumor

[Frog4aday]

I love when you get the experienced, done it a million times, medical professional (usually a nurse) and the shots or IV just seem simple and nearly painless. Sounds like it was 'your day' at the infusion. That's always a good. Hopefully the bloodwork and CT scan show you are getting better. Anemia isn't great but treatable, so if that's your big issue at this point, I think you are progressing alright.

It sounds like your plan is to load .410 "shells" using metallic cartridge cases of one sort or another. That's interesting. Is there a reason you are avoiding a standard .410 shell casing (plastic-type)? Not picking @ you or criticizing; I'm just curious.

I just checked the cost to get a .410 reloader (MEC 600 Jr Mark V) and it made my eyes pop out a bit ($338!) Wow. I swear you could have gotten get them for a hundred bucks 'used' pretty easily at one time. I'm getting old! Stuff is crazy expensive now. Besides costing way more than expected, you can't even get a new one right away. They had this notice: "NOTE: DUE TO HIGH DEMAND THIS RELOADER HAS A 3 TO 5 WEEK PROCESSING TIME."

I even checked ebay & you could probably get a 12 ga press for $100 or so if you were patient, persistent and lucky. But the .410 presses were all in the $300 range. I wish you luck in your reloading endeavors @DeepSouth

Edited March 7 by Frog4aday
Many typos & errors

[DeepSouth]

I bought a Mec Jr in 12 gauge from a coworker in the 70's and it's been in the box ever since. Came with 2 buckets of hulls, small amount of shot, powder and primers. A 410 kit on ebay is close to $200. I bought a Lee Load All in 20 gauge at a yard sale about the same time. I should have bought a few different gauges back then since 410 isn't listed anymore. 12, 16 and 20 gauge hulls are cheap and easy to find, not 410. Plastic hulls will reload average 5 to 10 times, depending on the crimp. Can trim back and make shorter ones. Straight wall brass without a crimp are showing 20 and more reloads. 209 primers at the local store are $15 per pack, large pistol are $8 to 10. Hulls will need a press for most every stage. Brass needs a universal decapping die, a 444 Marlin sizing and decapping die ever so often. Can be loaded with a wood dowel. I guess the crimp could be trimmed off hulls and use an over card. I'll be using fiber wads instead of plastic wads. Paid monthly installments on doctor bills last night. Looks like the shotgun gets to wait a bit longer. A battery for my truck will cut into grocery money this month. Oh well, will have a bunch of brass loaded for fire forming when gun is bought.

The shipment of brass is suppose to be delivered Saturday. Still sitting at Indy, IN USPS hub at 7:35 this morning. A package takes 2 days to get through the Memphis, TN hub.

There's an estate auction at Hernando, MS today noon till 6 pm. In one photo I see part of an IMR powder jug, black label with gold print. I think it could be 700X. Reloading supplies are on the list. Same photo, looks like a good size stack of Wolf ammo in boxes, maybe 2 or 3 cases. Sell it higher per box than by the case. I'd love to go but no money.

[Frog4aday]

@DeepSouth

It's interesting seeing the cost break down between a plastic .410 hull vs. using a metallic cartridge case. Primers (209) being nearly double the cost of a large rifle primer surprised me. But then I saw a bag (25lbs) of lead shot going for $70 and thought it had to be a misprint. Inflation and time have made even reloading a costly enterprise. 

As for automobile (new battery) and medical expenses bumping 'gun stuff' to sometime farther down the road, that's depressing. Batteries are over $200 now. And medical co-pays & bills are depressingly high. Leaves no money left for the fun things that make life worth living. I hope you don't have to wait too long to get your .410 project moving again.

[DeepSouth]

Tuesday I visit the head doctor for a check up. Seems everything is doing great with what's left of the tumor. Next infusion is 3/18, maybe the last. Not over the esophagus cancer by any means, Still have trouble eating chicken and bread. Doesn't matter how chicken is cooked. Bread wants to ball up while chewing. It stinks even when toasted and taste bad. I've bought a lot of different brands lately. One will taste and smell good for a while then go to the bad side. There use to be 7 bread bakeries in the Memphis area, Hart's, Wonder, Colonial, Tasty, Kroger, International, can't remember the others. Nearest one now is 100 miles away. Wonder is baked in GA now, haven't looked at other's labels.

Doing a little more research on shotshells. Some people are having problems with 209 primers seating in the pocket. Some are hard to press and some fall out. On the BPI website I see some list 16mm and 18mm primed hulls. One person said European and Fiocchi hulls and primers were 18mm and American hulls and primers are 16mm.

Not much savings on chilled shot. BPI has 22 lbs for $50 plus shipping. Sportsman's Warehouse has 25 lb for $52 and $60, depending on what size the shot is. Haven't compared other websites.

Since I don't get out like I use to I make good for my idle time. I could buy fiber wads and over cards but press them out with a punch. I have 2 different sizes of cardboard. One is what I call standard size, between 1/8 and 3/16". The other is from a pizza delivery box, compressed a bit, about 1/16" thick. Got a snack size bag of each. Yesterday while watching youtube movies I glued 2 of the disc together. Most likely add them together today making some 1/4, 5/16, 3/8 and 1/2" wads. Cardstock can vary in thickness. some not much thicker than a sheet of paper. Cereal and tissue boxes seem the thickest so far.

Looking at the TNGO website I wanted to make a comment on Stones River gun range in the Nashville area chatter. I don't get that option.

Edited March 9 by DeepSouth

[Frog4aday]

Trying to put a Cheddite 209 primer (yellow box) in a Win AA case tells me they are definitely 'tighter' (bigger) than USA primers. I don't know anything about 16mm vs 18mm sizes. Importing supplies helps when there are shortages but then these peculiar oddities crop up, like non-uniform primer sizes. It can get frustrating. I found this explanation in a review of Cheddite primers (I do not know if this is true or not, but it does match w/what I experienced): "Federal primers are made in inches. Cheddite are metric. Use USA primers in USA shells & use Metric in European shells. USA primers are 0.241 Metric is .0242
- Len Steyer, OH"

 

I'm happy to hear your brain tumor is responding well to the chemo. That is encouraging! I'm hopeful your esophageal cancer starts to shrink more so you can detect improvement in your ability to swallow. Not being able to enjoy bread and other things you like is aggravating. Interesting about your sensation of taste/smell being affected. 

 

Back to homemade .410 shells - making your own cardboard over-wads for use in metallic cases seems like a good way to save some money & kill time. Gluing two wads together sounds like it should work to provide a thicker, stiffer wad, provided the glue holds up over time. Only way to know is to try.

As for the cost of shot, over $50 a bag for 25lbs is painful when I remember getting it for $18 a bag @ Gene Sears in El Reno, OK. Such is the march of time and effects of inflation. I just need to recalibrate my brain for the new 'normal'.

Edited March 11 by Frog4aday
Clarify "yellow" (older) box Cheddite primers vs. the newer blue box Cheddites.

[DeepSouth]

Spent yesterday at the head doctor's office to check on my tumor, all looks great. I'm up to 130 lbs. Got to return every 3 months for another year. Then we'll go every 4 months for 8 months then to once per year. Left the house at 9:45 am returned 7:30 pm.

Spent the rest of the day shopping with my oldest son. We went to 2 Ollies and 2 farmer markets. One store wouldn't have what we wanted got it at the next store. The first Ollies didn't have Plochman's mustard, got it at the second store, 99 cents, retail $2.69. One store in Desoto county carries it but can't keep it in stock so I got 4. I like it better than the other brands. Our Desoto county stores don't carry a good supply of Jumex nectar drinks so I got a case of each, pineapple and pineapple/coconut. None of the stores had scooters or wheelchairs so I pushed a cart at each and went down most every aisle.

Edited March 12 by DeepSouth

[RED333]

 

2 hours ago, DeepSouth said:

Spent yesterday at the head doctor's office to check on my tumor, all looks great. I'm up to 130 lbs. Got to return every 3 months for another year. Then we'll go every 4 months for 8 months then to once per year. Left the house at 9:45 am returned 7:30 pm.

Spent the rest of the day shopping with my oldest son

 Praise the Lord good news period.

[bigun]

2 hours ago, DeepSouth said:

Spent yesterday at the head doctor's office to check on my tumor, all looks great. I'm up to 130 lbs. Got to return every 3 months for another year. Then we'll go every 4 months for 8 months then to once per year. Left the house at 9:45 am returned 7:30 pm.

Spent the rest of the day shopping with my oldest son. We went to 2 Ollies and 2 farmer markets. One store wouldn't have what we wanted got it at the next store. The first Ollies didn't have Plochman's mustard, got it at the second store, 99 cents, retail $2.69. One store in Desoto county carries it but can't keep it in stock so I got 4. I like it better than the other brands. Our Desoto county stores don't carry a good supply of Jumex nectar drinks so I got a case of each, pineapple and pineapple/coconut. None of the stores had scooters or wheelchairs so I pushed a cart at each and went down most every aisle.

Glad to hear it’s going well for you.

[DeepSouth]

My truck has sat at the curb so long that leaves dammed up at the tires. Knowing Saturday's rain would be heavy I got the truck onto the driveway. Scooped the leaves into piles where the truck sat. Got a charger hooked up to the truck's battery. Yesterday after the heavy rain came through I looked at the end of the driveway. Water was about 6 inches onto the end of it. Today I need to get the leaves bagged for pick up later.

I haven't got a call back from the head doctor yet. The MRI of my brain must be good. Tuesday, 3/18 is another chemo infusion and a CT. Will know how the cancer is doing after that. I wear out fast and my wife doesn't like me not able to cook daily. I can't cook small so we have leftovers for a few days which she doesn't like. A can of manwich and a box of mac & cheese is good for 3 dinners. 2 days in a row and skip a day or 2 for the rest.

Friday is my shopping day at Kroger for 2X fuel points. Angus ground beef was on clearance Friday $3.20 per 1 lb pack, got all 8 of them. Meat removed from packs and put into seal a meal bags. Had plans to get the large pack of 88/12 at Sam's. Saves me weighing out into smaller packs. 

I need to make some load blacks for reloading 410. A 303 Britt head is 1/2" and a 410 head is 33/64". After a long search at Buck's I found a 9/16" paddle bit for $3.50. Deciding on what wood to use, oak, walnut, eastern cedar, gum, poplar, cherry. 3/4" thickness is all I have, drill through 1 piece and glue to another. 1/8" space between holes, 50 rds per block. Plan to make 4, maybe 8. Leave the wood natural with a clear coat finish without stain. 

The guy across the street died 2 years ago. The family sold the house to a rental company. While the house was being remodeled I got 2 truckloads of stacked lumber from the attic. 3" oak flooring, Cypress, oak, walnut rough cut 1"X6, 8 and 10" wide boards to 16 ft long. Another load of oak flooring from the house, some stained and glued. The clean oak boards are used for cooking and fireplace. Stained and glued boards mixed with other wood is burnt in the fire pit.

[DeepSouth]

Sunday afternoon I shoveled 22 13 gallon bags of leaves and road grit from the street. Sprayed it down with the water hose and got 3 more heavy bags of grit. Now city code shouldn't have anything to complain about. I'll tackle the limbs and leaves in the yard later.

Yesterday I searched the backyard for snakes to drive out. None found so I had corned beef and cabbage for dinner.

Head to West clinic for the 10 am visit. With the CT it will be about an hour longer. Lab work, CT, visit with doctor then infusion. Hope to be back home by 4 pm.

 

Edited Sunday at 12:42 PM by DeepSouth

[DeepSouth]

Got to West clinic at 9:40 am. Called for lab work at 9:50. Called for CT at 10:05. Called for doctor visit at 12:40, he had to wait for CT results. They look like the last one, all good. Asked about the gagging last week. He ordered a gastro doctor visit for Tuesday next week. Up to 131.6 lbs. I blame the gagging for not gaining more. Released from infusion at 5:40 pm. No shopping on the way home. Added more cabbage to the pot then added leftovers and baked for 1 hour. I ate a plate full without any problems. 

[pop pop]

Continue to heal DeepSouth. 

[Frog4aday]

15 hours ago, DeepSouth said:

Got to West clinic at 9:40 am. Called for lab work at 9:50. Called for CT at 10:05. Called for doctor visit at 12:40, he had to wait for CT results. They look like the last one, all good. Asked about the gagging last week. He ordered a gastro doctor visit for Tuesday next week. Up to 131.6 lbs. I blame the gagging for not gaining more. Released from infusion at 5:40 pm. No shopping on the way home. Added more cabbage to the pot then added leftovers and baked for 1 hour. I ate a plate full without any problems. 

That's great you were able to eat without trouble. I'm glad you are going to the gastrointerologist (GI) doc to evaluate your swallowing issues. Ya gotta be able to eat!

You sure stay busy for a guy battling cancer and I admire that. I hope your infusions continue to go well and you can be cancer-free soon.

[Defender]

23 hours ago, Frog4aday said:

That's great you were able to eat without trouble. I'm glad you are going to the gastrointerologist (GI) doc to evaluate your swallowing issues. Ya gotta be able to eat!

You sure stay busy for a guy battling cancer and I admire that. I hope your infusions continue to go well and you can be cancer-free soon.

I had prostate cancer last year/early this year.  In addition to the radiation therapy I had, I took some oral meds.  I was wiped out tired all the time.  Not sure which or if both contributed to that, but it was rough.  I can’t imagine doing all that you did.  Good for you.

p.s I’m in remission now.

[Frog4aday]

@Defender

Thank God you are in remission and moving fwd w/your life. Cancer is scary and nothing is guaranteed. I like to hear of people who are successful in their cancer fights. It proves there is always hope.

As for the fatigue, that seems to be a recurrent complaint about the cancer & treatment. Which is most responsible? I don't know but it seems to reaffirm what a tough battle one is fighting and it takes strength and determination to keep going.

Keep living your life @DeepSouth - I admire your stamina and determination. I hope you find your cancer in remission soon, too.

[DeepSouth]

I think talking a lot produces a lot of extra spit and mucus in my stomach. The stomach wants to get rid of the extra and get more food when I eat. I spit up clear liquids, not food while gagging. I'm worn out afterwards and don't want to try to eat anymore. 3/19 the doctor ordered a visit with a gastro doctor on 3/26. I haven't got a call from any yet. I'm doing better eating, we might go fishing instead.
Feeling a bit stronger, I got out and did some work instead of sitting in the bed on the laptop all day.
I have a mountain of leaves in the yard, I tackled some of them with the lawn vac. 2 vac bags stuffs a 13 gallon trash bag. I got 2 filled Friday and 2 Saturday. Rain to start about 2 pm today, hope to get 2 more bags before it's here. The lawn vac has some age to it and the port that the pickup tube fits in is breaking out in chunks. On the last bag about a fourth was spilling onto the ground. Less force to get trimmings into the bag. Had to stop a lot to clear discharge tube. Guess I'll look for a new one.
I've had the charger on the truck battery for week. I tried to crank it, no go. May have to boost it off then head to the store for a new one. Wish I had backed it into the driveway. I'll have to back the car into the side yard, back the truck down the driveway then pull car across the drive. Lots of extra moves.
I checked the stack of lumber under the portable carport. Weather had changed the coloring, I'll take them to the midtown workshop to be planed. I dug into the garage to get 2 12 ft eastern cedar boards from above the side window. They have a bow to them. The blocks will be 7 1/4" long. I'll cut 15" sections and run them through the planer before squaring and final cuts then drill.

[pop pop]

Glad you are able to do some household chores for now. Yard work never ceases around here. We have 3 acers and something is always needing done. 

May your strength continue to increase and hope they can give you something for the stomach to help. Prayer for you today DeepSouth. 

[DeepSouth]

Got my replacement debit card yesterday, called the number to get it started and change passcode. I went to Advance Auto Parts for a battery for my truck. Code wouldn't work, had to use it as credit. Went to walmart for a lawn vac, had to use it as credit again. I'll be calling tomorrow for sure.

I cut the cedar boards earlier today, will call Water Works tomorrow to see if I can use their planer. 

I bagged 4 more 13 gallon trash bags of leaves, total of 8 in 3 days. Not as sore as I was last night.

I fixed sketty for dinner yesterday, heating leftovers in the oven for tonight. Made garlic toast too.

Edited Monday at 01:17 AM by DeepSouth

[DeepSouth]

Staying busy and eating well. I'll get a little burping, maybe a little gagging when first starting to eat but it passes quick. Not near like it use to be. Suppose to have rain Saturday and Sunday, lining things up to keep busy in the house instead of the shop. Next chemo infusion is April 2 and pump removal April 4. That will interfere with hobbies until April 6. I use to drink a lot of coke, milk and tea, can't drink them now for some reason. Liked milk over cold cereal but not now. No problem in hot cereal or other meals. Haven't had a coke since Christmas 2023. I started drinking Jumex nectar drinks, Pineapple, pineapple/coconut are my favorites. I mix them in a pint jar and have 3 or more jars daily. Limited places to buy them. A mexican store in Horn Lake has both in 32 oz boxes, farmer's market on Winchester in Memphis has both in 32 oz boxes. SuperLo in Southaven has pineapple in 64 oz boxes at the best price. I've asked the manager if they don't want to stock the pineapple/coconut to get me a case when I want one. That's been a month and I ask about it on every week. I've asked about other items they use to stock, seems all have been removed from their inventory sheet. Hunt's Manwich could be found in 4 flavors. Original can be found everywhere, may find Bold in some store. The last of the Bourbon BBQ was found at Dollar Tree and I bought all they had, we like it best.