Back again in X-land

G

goddard78

Paul in Perth, Australia
A few may vaguely remember me, I've sort of lurked on the old forums a while back, making a few posts. Probably most notably trying to figure out what to do when my old 1300 engine died.

Well I'm pleased to say that the 1300 was resurrected, rebuilt and running as of a few years back, but unfortunately I started suffering from major chronic fatigue not long after. After much complaining and feeling like a hypochondriac for a couple years it eventually turned out to be a type of blood cancer (multiple myeloma), which was only picked up after the cancer was in a very advanced state. Fortunately after much chemo and a stem cell transplant, I'm in remission. Here's hoping it holds, cause at thirty I'm not ready to give in yet.

Anyhow, the poor little X1/9 has been sitting garaged since then, battery is well and truly dead and it needs some serious TLC, I'm hoping to get back into tinkering with it soon and get it back on the road now that I'm getting my energy back.

Unfortunately I've long forgotten my old Xweb login, couldn't see a way to retrieve it via my email address, maybe I missed something I don't know.

It's good to be back, the X1/9 bug is biting hard and with a little luck I'll have her back on the road in a month or three. Just need to fix the ignition system, and kill and oil leak from the gear box.

Regards
Paul Goddard.
 
Welcome back Paul

I remember reading some of your old posts way back when I was a newbie. Most of the gang is still here, now converted to XWeb 2.0.

Good to hear things are going better for you. Most of us didn't know of your health troubles. It's with great hope that you're over the worst, but stay steadfast with monitoring and diligence to get back to 100 percent health.

Also when you get a chance, post some updates of your ride. We'd all like to see where it's at as well.
 
Well the ride isn't too pretty, trim is pretty shot, dash has a massive crack through it. Missing the arrangement of levers behind the left door for the engine cover and rear storage (considering making a sand cast aluminium replacement, I did such things in high school and it was pretty straight forward). Rust in the doors and the corners below the windscreen, paint sucks. Needs a lot of work, overall it's reasonably sound though. I'd always planned to restore the X but funds kinda got in the way, I was taken to the cleaners by an ex gf just after buying the car, then chronic fatigue and cancer killed me as far as employment was concerned. Just starting to get my fitness back now, though suprisingly a little effort takes a lot out of me. I went to change the front brake pads on my girls Suzuki Vitara SWB (think they're a Sidekick in the US) earlier this evening. Took the RH wheel and caliper off and then discovered the pads I'd been supplied were the wrong size. By the time I'd got the old pads back in and the wheel back on, I couldn't believe how exhausted I was, light headed, dizzy and my muscles aching. Kind of a shock really, I thought I'd be up for such a job by now..... Regardless, I'm in good care and am being closely monitored by my specialist, so worst case scenario I should still be ok for a while yet, best case, I may never have to deal with this cancer again.... we'll see.

Never got round to updating everyone here, it's kind of one of those things where everything other than survival is forgotten, though I often took a peak at the little X, longing to be back behind the wheel. I find her much like riding a motorbike, once it's in your system you can never get it out. I'd wanted one since a kid and once I got behind the wheel I knew I'd be an X1/9 driver from then on.

Thanks for your concern, it's good to be back.
 
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Welcome back...

And glad to say your cancer is in remission...
There' plenty of folks here who have to pace themselves for one reason or another when working on their cars, so you're not alone.

Your old login wouldn't have worked over here anyway, it's all different.

I'd like to urge everyone in the US to consider getting on the National Bone Marrow Registry. This registry is how many bone marrow donors are matched to potential patients.
 
Thanks Greg,

I realized the old login would be a no go here, I was under the assumption that the old forum was still being utilized to some extent while bugs here were being ironed out.

I would like to second your suggestion that people consider being part of their national bone marrow registry. Such registries exist in most westernised countries, you could be the difference between someone living a full life or suffering an early death (and a lot of the people who need marrow are little kids). Although the proceedure for marrow extraction looks a little nasty, it's actually quite tolerable, they tend to dope you up a tad and use local anesthetic, it's about as traumatic as having a filling done on your teeth. I was rather fortunate that my own stem cells were suitable for use, my closest chance of a marrow match was my younger sister and she refused to be tested.
 
Gald that you are back and good to know that you are in remission.

Here's to you being in remission for a very long time......

Keep us posted how things progress
 
Thanks Kevin, Here's hopin the remission is indefinite, we'll see, they say if I make it past 5 years, the chances of me having to deal with it again are unlikely. It's a long wait, to be honest I try not to think about it and just get on with life. Unfortunately I have a few limitations on what I can't do now, my pelvis and upper femurs have lost huge amounts of bone density as a side effect of the cancer. So I'm kinda fragile like a little old lady, no more motorbikes for me, or lifting anything more than about 10kg. W

ith a little luck I'll be able to find employment somewhere that can look past my newfound physical shortcomings soon and get back into fixing the car and with a little luck save some money to help get a house with my girl.

***Edit***
Pic on its way.... It's like 3:30am, can't sleep... just waiting on the camera to charge.
 
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Welcome back Paul

Excellent news on your remission. I hope everything goes well from this point forward.

I also hope you get the X back in good shape, but your health is more important. :)
 
Thanks Jim.

Yup health is more important for sure but well covered.

The X needs a fair bit of work and I don't really have the facilities to do many of the things that need to be done so I expect it'll be pretty shabby for a few years yet. Rust removal is likely going to be the biggest problem, if I had a garage I'd have a crack at fixing it myself. Not something I've done before but I'm one of those people who isn't put off by a difficult job and would rather learn the skills involved and spend the time to make sure its done properly. I'm always a bit torn with the X, part of me says I should just get rid of it, but I can't see myself feeling the same about another car. It's spent more time off the road than on the road over the last 7 years, so far I've refused to replace it, despite a lot of ridicule from friends and family.

Attached a pic, sorry it's not the greatest, not enough room in the carport to get a good shot at the moment, but you can see she needs a fair bit of love even here.

 
Paul... my regards also... Being OLD, I remember your car...

... but not YOU!

HAHAHA!

Hey... as far as the cancer goes... Been there done that... only for my harvest back in '87 I went under a general. It was nothing until I awoke... and then it was like someone had hit me with a 2 x 4 across the back.

I'm now a "recovering medical resource user"... as calling me a PATIENT is an oxy-moron... and please don't give any credence to the 5 year thing. Not to be a pessimist... as I'm not, but I prefer to be a REALIST as it helps to move forward in more of what I feel is a reasonable manner.

I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgekins' Lymphoma back in '84 and was told they had not a TREATMENT, much less a cure. Usually OLD men died from something else before this cancer killed them... which was a 3 - 6 year mortality average. In '87 I told my doc after the first round of CHOP therapy... I wasn't ready to cash-in either and we needed to AGGRESSIVELY pursue a treatment and not just sit around for the inevitable. That's were the harvest came in so I could have a fresh Immune System after they treated me aggressively... WHEN they decided to. It ran about $40,000 USD in those days... a few years later up to $110,000. Now we held off, weapons ready, and waited...

In 1985 I participated in an Agent Orange Study and in 1991 it was determined my cancer was a direct result of my service in Vietnam. I continued to work and submit to PET/CT scans (which currently run $12,500 a pop) every 6 months until one day... 17 years later... I failed! There it was again... only this time, not at Stage IV, but caught it at Stage .001!!! What progress!

I began a treatment with the drug Rituxan which is ROCKET SCIENCE today and except for chronic fatigue... kicked the Lymphoma in the ass at only about $25,000 a treatment x 4 treatments for a month, done twice a year, for 2 1/2 years.

Then came a problem with my overtaxed immune system and to bolster it... took another $3.5 MILLION in 2007 in Immune Globulin Infusions. 2008 was a good year... as my bills only amounted to about $1.5 mil.

The stress over caring for the bills and watching out for HITMEN that my insurance carriers are sending out to get me keeps me jumping...

So... you can and WILL survive... although sometimes I wonder at what cost and for what kinda lifestyle and that's what SHRINKS are for... and don't hesitate. As you can see here... Mine's done me a world of good... HA! I better start seeing him 3X a week...

As for the car... I know prices are expensive down under... but relatively... an X is PENNIES on the DOLLAR as compared to anything else ya could have selected and WAY more FUN for the DOLLAR.

Go for it, don't hesitate... we're all in this together... and this site is a saving grace.

By the way... I called UCLA and asked if they still had my marrow chryo-preserved after 18 years... They thought they were talking to a GHOST!
 
Enjoy life while healthy.....

I`ve had friends,family(my Dad) and many others who never recuperated from cancer.For my Dad i can say he always gave the best of him and he enjoyed life the best he could.Wish he was still here,but I`m not sad `cause he teached me to enjoy family and good time with friends.So i`m doing what he did,live everyday happier than the one before.
Glad to see you are recuperated,so please don`t get rid of the X,time will come for you to enjoy it again.Plus check here as we now have many members from Down Under posting everyday.Maybe one of them can help you with a place to work on your car and at least get it roadworthy.........welcome back:headbang:
 
Heya Tony, (I remember you, but then you've been a major contributor here for years and I've read tons of your posts.)

Interesting you mentioned agent orange, my father served in Vietnam also (6RAR) and so his agent orange exposure was something that we had thought may have been contributory to me dealing with this and my sister having schizophrenia.

I know what you mean about being a realist, I basically just ran neutral through this whole thing, with a whatever happens I'll deal with it as I need to attitude. When not making health related commitments, I just do what I can with life and forget about it. As far as the five year thing is concerned I'm just running off statistical averages with this type of cancer and realize that nothing is absolute. With me it's an old mans cancer too, so similar survival projections to what you got due to poor data set from people of my age. Regardless I'm doing better than expected, this remission was considered highly unlikely and I'd already filled out paperwork for more chemo when test results kept coming back negative.

Rather fortunately I'm in Australia so the government takes care of most of my health costs. Given the similarly scary costs involved it's rather fortunate, most of the treatment regimes are post 2000 and still covered by patents.

As far as shrinks are concerned, it's more the people around me who need the attention. I'm pretty ok with this, can't change it so there's not a lot of point letting it get the better of me mentally.

I have stem cells in the freezer, much like you have marrow, enough for a couple more transplants if needed. Hopefully I wont need any more than that as the collection process rather sucks.

As for the X, yup it's definently good value when it's going, but I'm also rather scared of what I'll find when the paint finally comes off. Color isn't original, aside from the doors I haven't found anywhere that's been bogged up but I still stress that I'll find more rust or a big fiberglass patched area somewhere. There's also much cleaning of parts and replacing bits that needs to be done, a lot of mouldings covered in overspray, doesn't appear to have been from the original spray job, but more as a result of touch ups with a crappy masking effort by the previous owner when doing minor repairs. At the moment my first priorities are to fix the oil leak and rip the dizzy out which never seems to stay in tune for more than a couple months and replace it with a distributorless ignition system. Probably going to go the Ford EDIS-4/Megajolt route as that seems to be a pretty bulletproof solution at a reasonable price. Plan on asking around here to see if anyone else has done it before I dive in.
 
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Thanks Albert, yup living life to the fullest that you can seems to be the best course of action, anything could happen from cancer to an anvil falling out of the sky (maybe I saw too many WB cartoons).

Not sure what the user numbers are like over in my part of Australia, would be nice to meet some other X enthusiasts though some day. There is a local Fiat club and I know they have a few X drivers, but not really sure if that's my kind of thing.
 
Hi Brian,

Long way from you mate.... All the way over in Perth.

Back in the day I remember a couple people here, Steve Cechelle and I think there was some guy working on a conversion to a Toyota Starlet Turbo engine if I recall correctly.
 
Hey... "I'm OK... You're OK"

HAHAHA...

Did you ever read that book... late 70's I guess... I can't remember the author... But I tend to agree with YOU...that I'm OK... and You're NOT!

Like most of the arseholes I'm surrounded by... the problem is ya can't fix them... so it's learning to deal with them as well as your disease.

Because... if ya don't... usually there is an innocent bystander like your wife, or your kids that gets in the way of your INTOLERANCE for these individuals... and they get the brunt of it instead.

(How do I know this???)

Anyway... just LOOK AT YOURSELF... can you believe where you are and what you've gone through and put up with so far... plus OWNING a FIAT... the laughing stock of the world? Most folks that encounter ME don't know how lucky they are that I didn't waste them on the spot for making fun of my car! HA! Twenty five years of therapy has obviously done some good and saved their lives... HAHAHA!

Hey... yak atcha later... Remember, fixing a Fiat is like eating an Elephant, ya gotta take one bite at a time...
 
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