Still a bit weak, but stamina is improving very slowly. Going to stay indoors today and will take each day one at a time.
You are progressing more slowly than GG or my friend who had an unexpected stent procedure. I wonder if the other meds you are on are affecting you? Are you still taking the Hep C?
You already know, but when I had a major surgery I learned not to overdo the exercise any one day. I'd pay for it the next day or two before continuing to progress.
Yes, they made me go right back on the Hep C regimen even with mild protests from me. I still have a DVT (blood clot) in one of the large, deep veins in my left leg. They took me off Wafarin and put me on Eliquis. I have raspberry welts on my left upper wrist from that (2" X 3"). They put me on statins, blood pressure meds, etc. I am taking 20+ pills a day. I had blood tests at the doctor's office Monday. I called for the results but the doctor wanted to talk to be about them - the nurse said he would call me - he never called me!
So yes, I am suffering from more than just a heart attack and stent placement. I have several other issues which leave me weaker.
I have to agree with you that GM was singled out more vociferously for its sins. But that might be due to better PR coming out of VW than came out of GM.
But it's the auto Mainstream Media that controls a lot of the tone of that messaging, too. If the media likes a brand, they can neuter the negative aspects through their wording.
VW/Audi and GM both have had some vehicles that gave people trouble in their past. Both have known about the problem for a period of time before letting the public/government in on the secret. So far I've been accused of having an "ax to grind" and been accused of noticing "perceived" sleights in the handling of the two reports.
The folks in this group are not typical of the general public, but I wonder how the stories would have gone were GM to have been caught in a pollution/mileage over-rating scheme instead of an engineering and corporate communication failure?
...If VW had had a mechanical part that caused power steering force to increase greatly to control the vehicle when the engine shut off unexpectedly?
Someone asked another forum member if they were employed by GM because they sometimes spoke up for GM? I have never been employed by GM or any seller of GM products. I guess I should have been asking people in the group who spoke up for toyota when they had the sludge, er I mean "gel" problems followed by the runaway acceleration if they worked for toyota. Or if Honda supporters during VCM and transmission problem days worked for Honda.
Rather, I think things should be handled fairly. There is new information from VW/Audi every 2 or 3 days, but little gets mentioned here.
It seems to me that Audi has been getting off much more lightly than VW. I think GM got hammered harder than either of them because they are a more mainstream brand. VW plays more out in the perimeter of US car sales.
For me I have never been a huge Ford fan. There has always been something about them in terms of design or engineering that has failed to resonate with me. I don't hate them, I just don't find them appealing.
From the Ford products I've owned, my general perception was that they were screwed together better than the rest of D3, but they often didn't accommodate my six foot frame as well and the engines didn't seem all that strong, yet only got middling mileage. I've rented a few Ford products the past few years and seemed that for me, that was still the case (and the eco-boost turbo's seem a bit of a waste because they don't seem any better than a conventional V6 and there never seemed to be much fuel economy advantage in real world driving either).
Mike....just had a thought. I am in no way suggesting you jump back in the saddle. Each person's situation is different. Follow your DRs orders. We want to hear that you're well and vibrant, again!
But, Mike, if MB did something dishonest, what brand would you consider, and I suppose that same rule would apply to GM.
I would consider BMW, Porsche, Jaguar, etc. When a corporate entity intentionally deceives its consumers and/or the public regarding defects or fraud, I'm done with that company forever!
In theory, I would say the same......but, time does make a difference.
I almost bought an exploding Pinto at the time, but I opted for a 1973 Maverick (almost ashamed to admit that) at the time (at least it had a 302 V8). But, that was my last Ford, for some reason. However, in the last few years that exploding gas tank is really on the small back burner, if I was looking for a car in certain categories I would buy a Ford and that wouldn't be a consideration. I'd consider a Mustang, Fusion, Escape, Lincoln, Flex, F-150 to name a few....I think Ford would be very careful not to let that happen again.
Don't be too sure of that. Historical memory fades after the last employe of that era retires. Then there's no one left to remind the do anything young Turks from pushing the envelope.
If what you say were the case we wouldn't have a war every 30 years or so.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Mike....just had a thought. I am in no way suggesting you jump back in the saddle. Each person's situation is different. Follow your DRs orders. We want to hear that you're well and vibrant, again!
I have difficulty standing for more than 5 minutes. I get dizzy and weak. Some of this is attributable to some of the Hep C drugs. Some due to being fairly inactive since Friday.
In the hospital, I was not "walked"! I was told Sunday late afternoon I was going home. I had no caseworker, no PT, and the first time I was seen by the hospitalist was 5 minutes before discharge. It took ICU almost a full day to find out who my admitting doctor was.
This hospital is awful - I had to go there because it was the closest one. My father ended his life there for no reason.
So my care in the hospital was sub-par and I never knew who my doctor was. I complained to my primary care physician about my care, and all he did was shake his head.
Mike, I'm not sure how it would all work in your situation, but it seems like the best option would have been a transition facility. My mother, after she was in the ICU for a while, was supposed to go there. Basically you don't need to be in the hospital, but you aren't ready to be home (and need some level of care) so you go into one for a s/t transition period.
especially since you don't have someone living with you to take care of you.
I almost bought an exploding Pinto at the time, but I opted for a 1973 Maverick (almost ashamed to admit that) at the time (at least it had a 302 V8). But, that was my last Ford, for some reason. However, in the last few years that exploding gas tank is really on the small back burner, if I was looking for a car in certain categories I would buy a Ford and that wouldn't be a consideration. I'd consider a Mustang, Fusion, Escape, Lincoln, Flex, F-150 to name a few....I think Ford would be very careful not to let that happen again.
Heh. Our last Ford was a '74 Maverick. Awful car. Maybe the Maverick killed a lot of future sales for Ford?
For me I have never been a huge Ford fan. There has always been something about them in terms of design or engineering that has failed to resonate with me. I don't hate them, I just don't find them appealing.
In 74 were there any AMERICAN cars that weren't awful?
I was always a Chrysler fan but the mediocre offerings of late along with their series of foreign owners turned me cold. Ford on the other hand has been getting routinely better reviews for reliability and quality. They also didn't take bailout money. Now I own two Ford products. There's also a Chrysler and GM in my driveway so I don't play favorites.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Mike, I'm not sure how it would all work in your situation, but it seems like the best option would have been a transition facility. My mother, after she was in the ICU for a while, was supposed to go there. Basically you don't need to be in the hospital, but you aren't ready to be home (and need some level of care) so you go into one for a s/t transition period.
especially since you don't have someone living with you to take care of you.
I think that might be something to consider. Usually a hospital social worker sets that up. Doesn't sound like you had one. Is there an agency you can call. It does not sound safe for you to be at home alone.
Mike, I'm not sure how it would all work in your situation, but it seems like the best option would have been a transition facility. My mother, after she was in the ICU for a while, was supposed to go there. Basically you don't need to be in the hospital, but you aren't ready to be home (and need some level of care) so you go into one for a s/t transition period.
especially since you don't have someone living with you to take care of you.
I told the hospital that and I told my primary care physician that, but it fell on deaf ears.
I received 10 frozen meals today from the health insurance provider which are microwaveable, but there isn't enough in each meal to feed a gerbil. A neighbor did some shopping for me - dozen bagels, tuna fish, milk and sandwich bread. That should hold me for a few days.
Tomorrow, I am going to try to walk my catwalk a little to see how far I can get. It has railings so I can hold on if I get dizzy.
at this point, I have had something from just about every mainstream maker. And a few oddballs. Plenty of junkers in the mix! but most of them were in the old days. a few duds new or fairly new in more modern times though. At this point, I would consider any brand. Some just not as hard (Chrysler). and depends on the model in some cases.
Ford, GM (chevy and Opel), Chrysler, AMC, Nissan, Toyota, Mazda, Honda, Acura, VW, Subaru, Volvo. Mitsubishi via Dodge (Colt). Hyundai of course. I think that is all of them, but entirely possible I missed something. Probably one of the few here that can claim Opel!
Barely dodged the bullet on a Renault back in the day!
Mike, I'm not sure how it would all work in your situation, but it seems like the best option would have been a transition facility. My mother, after she was in the ICU for a while, was supposed to go there. Basically you don't need to be in the hospital, but you aren't ready to be home (and need some level of care) so you go into one for a s/t transition period.
especially since you don't have someone living with you to take care of you.
I think that might be something to consider. Usually a hospital social worker sets that up. Doesn't sound like you had one. Is there an agency you can call. It does not sound safe for you to be at home alone.
I am doing the best I can. My doctor knows I am home alone and he doesn't seem to be concerned. I still have a plastic wrapping on my groin where they put the catheter. It's all black and blue. Maybe if I feel up to it I will run over to the doctor tomorrow morning to have him check me out. Doubtful I will be strong enough, so I'll take one day at a time.
Mike, I wonder if your insurance/benefits provider could offer some help in pointing you towards/setting up some of these things like transition or cardiac rehab programs? They are spending a bundle on you so it is in their best interests to get you well as soon as possible.
I can sympathize with where you're coming from. I have had a few medical misfortunes in my life but the one that reminds me of yours was about 25 years ago. I had been diagnosed with heart problems and went into the hospital for the cardiac cath procedure to see where the problems were. I was 33 at the time.
After it was done they wheeled me back into my room with the usual instructions not to move for a few hours, etc. I am laying in the bed and after a while I wasn't feeling right. I hit the call button and thankfully a nurse arrived quickly. I told her I wasn't feeling well and she peeled back the bedsheet and let out a yell before calling a code. At that point a bunch of interns and nurses rushed in and started going to work on me. I was bleeding internally into the leg where they had made the incision into the vein for the cath. As these people started trying to get a BP, put in an IV, etc., I felt myself slipping away. I remember a bunch of things, like someone saying my BP was 20/0, another person climbing on top of me to put pressure on the incision in my leg, and someone else saying they couldn't find a vein. I actually stopped breathing and had a near-death experience, which I could tell you about because it was wild, but which would take way too long. Fortunately the heart didn't stop and they were finally able to get enough plasma or whatever into me to bring the BP back up.
So all that happened and within a surprisingly short time I was feeling not too bad. I spent the night and they sent me home the next day. No instructions, no orders, nothing. I had lost a lot of blood and was feeling pretty wobbly. After a quiet night at home I went to bed. The next morning I woke up, stood up and immediately passed out, falling straight back onto the bed, thank god. I was out for a few minutes. That was a Saturday and needless to say I didn't have a very good weekend. My right leg was black and blue from the hip down to and including the foot thanks to all the blood that had emptied into it. On Monday I called my family doctor and got in to see him that afternoon. When I told him why I was there and what had happened he didn't believe me at first, until he had me drop my pants to see my leg. When he saw it, he exploded. He got on the phone and started chewing out people in the hospital about what had happened. After he ran out of people to yell at, he hung up the phone and told me I was *that* close to dying in there. I sort of knew that but he confirmed it and told me to not do anything for the next week, and what to watch out for.
The medical profession can work wonders, but is also amazingly bad at not managing cases very well sometimes.
Mike, I wonder if your insurance/benefits provider could offer some help in pointing you towards/setting up some of these things like transition or cardiac rehab programs? They are spending a bundle on you so it is in their best interests to get you well as soon as possible.
I can sympathize with where you're coming from. I have had a few medical misfortunes in my life but the one that reminds me of yours was about 25 years ago. I had been diagnosed with heart problems and went into the hospital for the cardiac cath procedure to see where the problems were. I was 33 at the time.
After it was done they wheeled me back into my room with the usual instructions not to move for a few hours, etc. I am laying in the bed and after a while I wasn't feeling right. I hit the call button and thankfully a nurse arrived quickly. I told her I wasn't feeling well and she peeled back the bedsheet and let out a yell before calling a code. At that point a bunch of interns and nurses rushed in and started going to work on me. I was bleeding internally into the leg where they had made the incision into the vein for the cath. As these people started trying to get a BP, put in an IV, etc., I felt myself slipping away. I remember a bunch of things, like someone saying my BP was 20/0, another person climbing on top of me to put pressure on the incision in my leg, and someone else saying they couldn't find a vein. I actually stopped breathing and had a near-death experience, which I could tell you about because it was wild, but which would take way too long. Fortunately the heart didn't stop and they were finally able to get enough plasma or whatever into me to bring the BP back up.
So all that happened and within a surprisingly short time I was feeling not too bad. I spent the night and they sent me home the next day. No instructions, no orders, nothing. I had lost a lot of blood and was feeling pretty wobbly. After a quiet night at home I went to bed. The next morning I woke up, stood up and immediately passed out, falling straight back onto the bed, thank god. I was out for a few minutes. That was a Saturday and needless to say I didn't have a very good weekend. My right leg was black and blue from the hip down to and including the foot thanks to all the blood that had emptied into it. On Monday I called my family doctor and got in to see him that afternoon. When I told him why I was there and what had happened he didn't believe me at first, until he had me drop my pants to see my leg. When he saw it, he exploded. He got on the phone and started chewing out people in the hospital about what had happened. After he ran out of people to yell at, he hung up the phone and told me I was *that* close to dying in there. I sort of knew that but he confirmed it and told me to not do anything for the next week, and what to watch out for.
The medical profession can work wonders, but is also amazingly bad at not managing cases very well sometimes.
Scary! I think I got screwed because it was the Thanksgiving weekend. I fell ill early Friday morning and got lucky there was a cardiologist at the hospital when I arrived. I was in the cath lab in 25 minutes after arriving there. They have a brand new cardiovascular unit at that hospital one floor above the ER.
As soon as I woke up, the pain was gone as was the shortness of breath. I bled pretty badly in ICU where the catheter went in in my groin.
I I will be speaking with my doctor tomorrow morning and see what he says. Thanks for your support.
I understand your consternation regarding GM vs. VW. GM took it between the eyes when the faulty ignition switch came to light. But I believe you will find an equal attitude regarding VW if you look back on the posts these past 3 months.
I have to agree with you that GM was singled out more vociferously for its sins. But that might be due to better PR coming out of VW than came out of GM.
Couple of differences that make GM have more posts than VW.
* GM's mistake has directly led to deaths, and in accidents, nonetheless. VW probably has caused more dead through the extra pollution, but it's harder to quantify, and more importantly, harder to put "a face" to build a news cycle around * GM took American bail out money (Government Motors, any one?) * GM is American, VW is foreign * The number of GM cars are orders of magnitude more than VW
But it's the auto Mainstream Media that controls a lot of the tone of that messaging, too. If the media likes a brand, they can neuter the negative aspects through their wording.
In this case there are no favorites. The story unfolded pretty accurately, both companies did a cover-up.
The folks in this group are not typical of the general public, but I wonder how the stories would have gone were GM to have been caught in a pollution/mileage over-rating scheme instead of an engineering and corporate communication failure?
It is more than a few rogue engineers and a communication failure. You have to go through a whole process to order a new part and get all the codes changed. Management if not directly involved is involved for creating this need to cheat...and not admitting to it.....or not encouraging employees to report it.
My guess is they would have been reported the same in reverse. GM would be accused of beating pollution tests, VW for ignition failures. Just me, but, knowing people are dying because of a faulty part, and knowing about it for a decade, is much worse than cheating on pollution tests.
Someone asked another forum member if they were employed by GM because they sometimes spoke up for GM?
I have never worked for any car company. I have owned GMs and a few VW/Audi products, 4 in total. If I have a gripe it is with Audi because of the clutch problem......so I don't favor VW over GM...if anything the opposite. I still say not fixing a problem, when people are dying, is about as bad as it gets.
Rather, I think things should be handled fairly. There is new information from VW/Audi every 2 or 3 days, but little gets mentioned here.
There was a news story yesterday that VW sales were down 25%. News is reported as it comes out. No need for daily updates.
IN SUMMARY: If I really liked a GM product today I would probably buy it....but, it would have to be superior in very many ways....because the trust is gone. The trust has gone from VW/Audi for me too. So, if I was in the market for a car I would only consider these makes if I found their cars to be the best by far in their category.
There is something that I really don't like in the world of business. It is when a company says, That was the old us, we don't do that any more. We have changed. That really says to me, we have changed because we got caught, now we start with a clean slate........well, for me, it ain't that easy. Show me some proof, and it will take a few years to regain my trust.
Ford actually did take a five billion dollar loan from the federal government however.
No corporation is above skullduggery. While the individuals you may know in a corporation can be morally admirable, for some reason when the collective consciousness gets to a boardroom, the individual morality seems to get lost.
I asked ab348 if he used to work for GM, just trying to figure out the basis of his loyalty. He responded. We all have interesting backgrounds
My grandfather worked at the Norfolk VA Ford plant. As a young man I was very supportive of Ford. I quickly learned that Ford didn't care about my loyalty so I stopped singing their praises. I still enjoy buying/selling/owning cars but I have no brand loyalty. Consumers should buy whatever suits their needs best. I'm up to 41 or so cars in my lifetime. Pretty happy with what I have now, but still always shopping...
2011 Toyota Camry, 2014 Jeep Wrangler, 2017 Honda Civic Coupe, 2019 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid XSE, 2021 Toyota Tundra, 2022 Toyota 4Runner, 2022 Tesla Model 3
I really like the Keiser spinning bikes at my gym, although they're very pricey. Like 5 years of my gym membership pricey! I've worn out every piece of home gym equipment I've ever bought, so the gym membership is a real bargain
that was 2009, and it was a loan for 5.9 billion to help develop more fuel-efficient vehicles. Also, while Ford did not eventually take bailout money, it did actively lobby for the bailout previously, fearing that a collapse of the D2 would destroy many supply chains, and hence hurt Ford in a serious way. Ford also asked the government for a $9 billion line of credit for the future, should the situation in 2009 get worse (nobody knew at the time of course, how bad this would get). I don't know if Ford used that line of credit however.
Anyway, Ford's claim of not needing government assistance and of 'standing on its own' was disingenuous to say the least, no matter how one might regard the wisdom of the bailouts.
<. Probably one of the few here that can claim Opel!
Barely dodged the bullet on a Renault back in the day!</p>
Perhaps I can claim hitting two targets with one stone? I had a 85 Renault Alliance convertible manufactured by AMC! It was a fun little car (to a degree). Certainly not very quick and was starting to have transmission issues around 40000 mi, It was a 5 speed and it would get stuck in 3rd gear when it rained. It was still under warranty so the dealer supposedly rebuilt part of the tranny. That did not address the issue. Traded it soon after for a new VW Fox.
2021 VW Arteon SEL 4-motion, 2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech
<. Probably one of the few here that can claim Opel!
Barely dodged the bullet on a Renault back in the day!</p>
It was still under warranty so the dealer supposedly rebuilt part of the tranny. That did not address the issue. Traded it soon after for a new VW Fox.
RE: Bailouts. I wouldn't say I wouldn't buy a particular brand because of a bailout. Although it is not a good thing that we have to bailout a company....it probably shows they deserve to go under if they get to that stage.....the bailout probably pays off in the long run if the company survives. The saving of jobs plus taxes collected probably make bailouts worthwhile.
Ford actually did take a five billion dollar loan from the federal government however.
No corporation is above skullduggery. While the individuals you may know in a corporation can be morally admirable, for some reason when the collective consciousness gets to a boardroom, the individual morality seems to get lost.
Probably true, but I still prefer to find corporations innocent until proven guilty, or I may not buy any car, or anything for that matter.
I have a feeling that there are a few car makers that just wouldn't take the chance VW or GM did, but then again, when your mistake could take your business down you don't know what some people (or corporations) will resort to.
IN SUMMARY: If I really liked a GM product today I would probably buy it....but, it would have to be superior in very many ways....because the trust is gone. The trust has gone from VW/Audi for me too. So, if I was in the market for a car I would only consider these makes if I found their cars to be the best by far in their category.
I have to agree. For decades the foreigncarphiles have excused not liking something from US brands that was equal by finding one detail that was not up to snuff, subjectively. Such as, the XX brand didn't have a cup holder in the middle of the dashboard like their favorite model YY has. And that was good enough to banish the competitive model. I suspect all the auto writers for the enthusiasts magazines who probably never drove a Malibu, Gen 7 or Gen 8, were condemning it as just more of what they didn't think was good 'nuf.
I doubt that most of the evaluations of the Malibu that panned Gen 7 and Gen 8 were by those who hadn't driven one other than a rental base model.
The Fox was a surprisingly good car. I have owned many VWs since, with the last one being an 06 Passat 2.0T. The Passat was a great driving car but required many unscheduled visits to the VW garage.
2021 VW Arteon SEL 4-motion, 2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech
RE: Bailouts. I wouldn't say I wouldn't buy a particular brand because of a bailout. Although it is not a good thing that we have to bailout a company....it probably shows they deserve to go under if they get to that stage.....the bailout probably pays off in the long run if the company survives. The saving of jobs plus taxes collected probably make bailouts worthwhile.
The GM/C bailouts were more to the unions than to the companies.
VW/Audi is currently announcing they're arrange large loans from banks. Also the Porsche family is a large stakeholder in VW.
I object to bail-outs when an executive prospers from them. Take the current Secretary of the Treasury who prospered to the tune of just under $1 million just after Citigroup was bailed-out. Not a fan of that.
The GM/C bailouts were more to the unions than to the companies.
VW/Audi is currently announcing they're arrange large loans from banks. Also the Porsche family is a large stakeholder in VW.
After WW I Mercedes and Benz almost went bankrupt. High inflation and poor sales for German cars, along with increased competition almost put these two companies out of business.
The bank would give them a loan, but they would have to merge. Daimler and Benz never liked each other, but a merger was the only way to save the companies.
Without a merger and without a loan there wouldn't be a Mercedes Benz company, and I have no idea what I would be driving right now.
After WW I Mercedes and Benz almost went bankrupt. High inflation and poor sales for German cars, along with increased competition almost put these two companies out of business.
The bank would give them a loan, but they would have to merge. Daimler and Benz never liked each other, but a merger was the only way to save the companies.
Without a merger and without a loan there wouldn't be a Mercedes Benz company, and I have no idea what I would be driving right now.
By some twist of history, later BMW was almost bankrupt and bought by Benz in 1959.
The GM/C bailouts were more to the unions than to the companies.
VW/Audi is currently announcing they're arrange large loans from banks. Also the Porsche family is a large stakeholder in VW.
After WW I Mercedes and Benz almost went bankrupt. High inflation and poor sales for German cars, along with increased competition almost put these two companies out of business.
The bank would give them a loan, but they would have to merge. Daimler and Benz never liked each other, but a merger was the only way to save the companies.
Without a merger and without a loan there wouldn't be a Mercedes Benz company, and I have no idea what I would be driving right now.
That seems to have worked well there. Why do people criticize GM so much for the government's bailing out the unions in their case?
@tyguy - just for my back wheel. I've been blessed with good genes. I'M 5'10" & weigh 155 lbs. I know I should excercise and think this would be a good way for me to do so. We have an Eliptical downstairs in the basement, but my head hits the low ceiling. I used to bike ride a lot & have a nice, lightweight, K2 Roadbike. I just thought it might be a good idea to help keep me fit.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
That seems to have worked well there. Why do people criticize GM so much for the government's bailing out the unions in their case?
You don't seriously equate a bank-forced merger with government deciding that 100 years old bankruptcy law doesn't matter, as long as their political backers get the money, do you?
For me I have never been a huge Ford fan. There has always been something about them in terms of design or engineering that has failed to resonate with me. I don't hate them, I just don't find them appealing.
From the Ford products I've owned, my general perception was that they were screwed together better than the rest of D3, but they often didn't accommodate my six foot frame as well and the engines didn't seem all that strong, yet only got middling mileage. I've rented a few Ford products the past few years and seemed that for me, that was still the case (and the eco-boost turbo's seem a bit of a waste because they don't seem any better than a conventional V6 and there never seemed to be much fuel economy advantage in real world driving either).
I traded in a 2013 F150 with the 5.0L V8 engine for a 2015 F150 with the 2.7L V6 (twin turbo ecoboost). The 2.7L is faster than the 5.0L V8, and gets decidedly better gas mileage. Now as to the turbo 4 cylinders, I have no experience and no opinion. I can say that I owned a 2005 Mazda Tribute (same/same as Ford Escape), in which I fit comfortably. The new Escape, I don't fit at all. I have noticed a trend that cars seem to get smaller inside year after year, even while they get bigger outside.
To me, a loan paid back with interest is not a bailout. Much different what happened with GM
Simply not true. Their loan was "paid back" at least partially by proceeds from an alternative energy government grant. They played a shell game with the billions to demonstrate how they "paid back" the government. Not to mention blatant violations of bankruptcy law forcing union fund payments before senior debt.
Abacomike hasn't posted today. He was going to see his physician this morning. I hope
nothing bad has happened.
Hi! Never got to the doctor - not enough strength. I spoke with him on the phone. He ordered a 1-hour home health nurse to check my vitals and report my condition to him two-three times a week. He is also making an appointment with the cardiologist for next week sometime.
He said my liver enzymes were a little high, but that is to be expected with the medications I am taking. All other test results were in the normal range.
My major problem at this point is weakness, faintness, etc., and getting short of breath upon exertion. So it makes it difficult to prepare food. A neighbor has been getting my mail each day and if I need something at Publix, he runs over for me.
I have been monitoring posts - just didn't have anything to contribute.
Comments
So yes, I am suffering from more than just a heart attack and stent placement. I have several other issues which leave me weaker.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
VW/Audi and GM both have had some vehicles that gave people trouble in their past. Both have known about the problem for a period of time before letting the public/government in on the secret. So far I've been accused of having an "ax to grind" and been accused of noticing "perceived" sleights in the handling of the two reports.
The folks in this group are not typical of the general public, but I wonder how the stories would have gone were GM to have been caught in a pollution/mileage over-rating scheme instead of an engineering and corporate communication failure?
...If VW had had a mechanical part that caused power steering force to increase greatly to control the vehicle when the engine shut off unexpectedly?
Someone asked another forum member if they were employed by GM because they sometimes spoke up for GM? I have never been employed by GM or any seller of GM products. I guess I should have been asking people in the group who spoke up for toyota when they had the sludge, er I mean "gel" problems followed by the runaway acceleration if they worked for toyota. Or if Honda supporters during VCM and transmission problem days worked for Honda.
Rather, I think things should be handled fairly. There is new information from VW/Audi every 2 or 3 days, but little gets mentioned here.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
From the Ford products I've owned, my general perception was that they were screwed together better than the rest of D3, but they often didn't accommodate my six foot frame as well and the engines didn't seem all that strong, yet only got middling mileage. I've rented a few Ford products the past few years and seemed that for me, that was still the case (and the eco-boost turbo's seem a bit of a waste because they don't seem any better than a conventional V6 and there never seemed to be much fuel economy advantage in real world driving either).
If what you say were the case we wouldn't have a war every 30 years or so.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
In the hospital, I was not "walked"! I was told Sunday late afternoon I was going home. I had no caseworker, no PT, and the first time I was seen by the hospitalist was 5 minutes before discharge. It took ICU almost a full day to find out who my admitting doctor was.
This hospital is awful - I had to go there because it was the closest one. My father ended his life there for no reason.
So my care in the hospital was sub-par and I never knew who my doctor was. I complained to my primary care physician about my care, and all he did was shake his head.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
especially since you don't have someone living with you to take care of you.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I was always a Chrysler fan but the mediocre offerings of late along with their series of foreign owners turned me cold. Ford on the other hand has been getting routinely better reviews for reliability and quality. They also didn't take bailout money. Now I own two Ford products. There's also a Chrysler and GM in my driveway so I don't play favorites.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
'24 Chevy Blazer EV 2LT
I received 10 frozen meals today from the health insurance provider which are microwaveable, but there isn't enough in each meal to feed a gerbil. A neighbor did some shopping for me - dozen bagels, tuna fish, milk and sandwich bread. That should hold me for a few days.
Tomorrow, I am going to try to walk my catwalk a little to see how far I can get. It has railings so I can hold on if I get dizzy.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Ford, GM (chevy and Opel), Chrysler, AMC, Nissan, Toyota, Mazda, Honda, Acura, VW, Subaru, Volvo. Mitsubishi via Dodge (Colt). Hyundai of course. I think that is all of them, but entirely possible I missed something. Probably one of the few here that can claim Opel!
Barely dodged the bullet on a Renault back in the day!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
I should have said, for some, extra precarious!
You haven't lost your sense of humor.
Get better soon!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I can sympathize with where you're coming from. I have had a few medical misfortunes in my life but the one that reminds me of yours was about 25 years ago. I had been diagnosed with heart problems and went into the hospital for the cardiac cath procedure to see where the problems were. I was 33 at the time.
After it was done they wheeled me back into my room with the usual instructions not to move for a few hours, etc. I am laying in the bed and after a while I wasn't feeling right. I hit the call button and thankfully a nurse arrived quickly. I told her I wasn't feeling well and she peeled back the bedsheet and let out a yell before calling a code. At that point a bunch of interns and nurses rushed in and started going to work on me. I was bleeding internally into the leg where they had made the incision into the vein for the cath. As these people started trying to get a BP, put in an IV, etc., I felt myself slipping away. I remember a bunch of things, like someone saying my BP was 20/0, another person climbing on top of me to put pressure on the incision in my leg, and someone else saying they couldn't find a vein. I actually stopped breathing and had a near-death experience, which I could tell you about because it was wild, but which would take way too long. Fortunately the heart didn't stop and they were finally able to get enough plasma or whatever into me to bring the BP back up.
So all that happened and within a surprisingly short time I was feeling not too bad. I spent the night and they sent me home the next day. No instructions, no orders, nothing. I had lost a lot of blood and was feeling pretty wobbly. After a quiet night at home I went to bed. The next morning I woke up, stood up and immediately passed out, falling straight back onto the bed, thank god. I was out for a few minutes. That was a Saturday and needless to say I didn't have a very good weekend. My right leg was black and blue from the hip down to and including the foot thanks to all the blood that had emptied into it. On Monday I called my family doctor and got in to see him that afternoon. When I told him why I was there and what had happened he didn't believe me at first, until he had me drop my pants to see my leg. When he saw it, he exploded. He got on the phone and started chewing out people in the hospital about what had happened. After he ran out of people to yell at, he hung up the phone and told me I was *that* close to dying in there. I sort of knew that but he confirmed it and told me to not do anything for the next week, and what to watch out for.
The medical profession can work wonders, but is also amazingly bad at not managing cases very well sometimes.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
As soon as I woke up, the pain was gone as was the shortness of breath. I bled pretty badly in ICU where the catheter went in in my groin.
I I will be speaking with my doctor tomorrow morning and see what he says. Thanks for your support.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Couple of differences that make GM have more posts than VW.
* GM's mistake has directly led to deaths, and in accidents, nonetheless. VW probably has caused more dead through the extra pollution, but it's harder to quantify, and more importantly, harder to put "a face" to build a news cycle around
* GM took American bail out money (Government Motors, any one?)
* GM is American, VW is foreign
* The number of GM cars are orders of magnitude more than VW
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
It is more than a few rogue engineers and a communication failure. You have to go through a whole process to order a new part and get all the codes changed. Management if not directly involved is involved for creating this need to cheat...and not admitting to it.....or not encouraging employees to report it.
My guess is they would have been reported the same in reverse. GM would be accused of beating pollution tests, VW for ignition failures. Just me, but, knowing people are dying because of a faulty part, and knowing about it for a decade, is much worse than cheating on pollution tests. I have never worked for any car company. I have owned GMs and a few VW/Audi products, 4 in total. If I have a gripe it is with Audi because of the clutch problem......so I don't favor VW over GM...if anything the opposite. I still say not fixing a problem, when people are dying, is about as bad as it gets. There was a news story yesterday that VW sales were down 25%. News is reported as it comes out. No need for daily updates.
IN SUMMARY: If I really liked a GM product today I would probably buy it....but, it would have to be superior in very many ways....because the trust is gone. The trust has gone from VW/Audi for me too. So, if I was in the market for a car I would only consider these makes if I found their cars to be the best by far in their category.
There is something that I really don't like in the world of business. It is when a company says, That was the old us, we don't do that any more. We have changed. That really says to me, we have changed because we got caught, now we start with a clean slate........well, for me, it ain't that easy. Show me some proof, and it will take a few years to regain my trust.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Unbelievable, talk about precarious.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
No corporation is above skullduggery. While the individuals you may know in a corporation can be morally admirable, for some reason when the collective consciousness gets to a boardroom, the individual morality seems to get lost.
My grandfather worked at the Norfolk VA Ford plant. As a young man I was very supportive of Ford. I quickly learned that Ford didn't care about my loyalty so I stopped singing their praises. I still enjoy buying/selling/owning cars but I have no brand loyalty. Consumers should buy whatever suits their needs best. I'm up to 41 or so cars in my lifetime. Pretty happy with what I have now, but still always shopping...
Anyway, Ford's claim of not needing government assistance and of 'standing on its own' was disingenuous to say the least, no matter how one might regard the wisdom of the bailouts.
I'm going to have to change my sig to one of those iPad ones - try this on for size:
"Please excuse misspellings or boviation from this device that unfortunately has miserably failed to read my mind."
Barely dodged the bullet on a Renault back in the day!</p>
Perhaps I can claim hitting two targets with one stone? I had a 85 Renault Alliance convertible manufactured by AMC! It was a fun little car (to a degree). Certainly not very quick and was starting to have transmission issues around 40000 mi, It was a 5 speed and it would get stuck in 3rd gear when it rained. It was still under warranty so the dealer supposedly rebuilt part of the tranny. That did not address the issue. Traded it soon after for a new VW Fox.
2021 VW Arteon SEL 4-motion, 2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech
And how did that work out?
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I have a feeling that there are a few car makers that just wouldn't take the chance VW or GM did, but then again, when your mistake could take your business down you don't know what some people (or corporations) will resort to.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I doubt that most of the evaluations of the Malibu that panned Gen 7 and Gen 8 were by those who hadn't driven one other than a rental base model.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
And how did that work out?
The Fox was a surprisingly good car. I have owned many VWs since, with the last one being an 06 Passat 2.0T. The Passat was a great driving car but required many unscheduled visits to the VW garage.
2021 VW Arteon SEL 4-motion, 2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech
VW/Audi is currently announcing they're arrange large loans from banks. Also
the Porsche family is a large stakeholder in VW.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
After WW I Mercedes and Benz almost went bankrupt. High inflation and poor sales for German cars, along with increased competition almost put these two companies out of business.
The bank would give them a loan, but they would have to merge. Daimler and Benz never liked each other, but a merger was the only way to save the companies.
Without a merger and without a loan there wouldn't be a Mercedes Benz company, and I have no idea what I would be driving right now.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
http://www.autoevolution.com/news/herbert-quandt-the-man-who-saved-bmw-2185.html
2018 430i Gran Coupe
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
After WW I Mercedes and Benz almost went bankrupt. High inflation and poor sales for German cars, along with increased competition almost put these two companies out of business.
The bank would give them a loan, but they would have to merge. Daimler and Benz never liked each other, but a merger was the only way to save the companies.
Without a merger and without a loan there wouldn't be a Mercedes Benz company, and I have no idea what I would be driving right now.
That seems to have worked well there. Why do people criticize GM so much for the government's bailing out the unions in their case?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
2018 430i Gran Coupe
I traded in a 2013 F150 with the 5.0L V8 engine for a 2015 F150 with the 2.7L V6 (twin turbo ecoboost). The 2.7L is faster than the 5.0L V8, and gets decidedly better gas mileage. Now as to the turbo 4 cylinders, I have no experience and no opinion. I can say that I owned a 2005 Mazda Tribute (same/same as Ford Escape), in which I fit comfortably. The new Escape, I don't fit at all. I have noticed a trend that cars seem to get smaller inside year after year, even while they get bigger outside.
nothing bad has happened.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
2018 430i Gran Coupe
He said my liver enzymes were a little high, but that is to be expected with the medications I am taking. All other test results were in the normal range.
My major problem at this point is weakness, faintness, etc., and getting short of breath upon exertion. So it makes it difficult to prepare food. A neighbor has been getting my mail each day and if I need something at Publix, he runs over for me.
I have been monitoring posts - just didn't have anything to contribute.
Thanks for your concerns!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger