Pellet heads!! What's up today?

Send in a Persian King

 

UNLIKE!

 

Nope try again. It depends on whether the pass through is part of the vent pipe or not.

 

So it's been awhile since I last posted. Hasn't been a fun last 4 months.

Doctors still not sure what is wrong, have always said it could be something neurological. Personally I believe, based on a suggestion on a dysautonomia forum, that I may have a severe vitamin B12 deficiency. The list of symptoms is long and I have checked off a ton of them. And it probably started early 2024 based on a lot of those symptoms.

Treatment seems to be B12 shots and they see if you improve. B12 doesn't store in the body so you can't OD on large doses. Blood testing for B12 levels doesn't show anything cause it's an absorption issue and they can't really test at the cellular level, which is where a defeciency causes the Neurological problems.

Now neither my cardiologist nor PCP would prescribe the shots, saying I needed to see a neurologist first. Except Exeter hospital and Core physicians group shuttered their neurological dept when they were acquired by Beth Israel Lahey.
And neurologists in SE NH ( who are in short supply and high demand) are only taking new patients by referral. So PCP sends out a bunch in July . I got an appointment, in January . Actually faster than I expected given I was told most were a year out. So we'll see what happens then.

Still skin and bones, been on a liquid diet up until recently. Am using Absorb Plus shake powder. Basically formula for adults. Pre broken down nutrients so they get absorbed right away. Expensive, $72 for a tub that makes 10 shakes. Also using Boost high calorie drinks. Started eating solid food again over the past couple weeks. The Absorb Plus and taking Natren probiotics has finally got my stomach issues mostly resolved.

Still don't have much energy or stamina but after being mostly bedridden through August , at least now I can move around the house better and can do some chores. Lori has been able to do more as she is doing a lot better than she was a year ago but she tires easily as well. She had her 6 month checkup last week at Lahey and she's still not in immediate need of a transplant.

I'm hoping my energy and stamina get stronger by the end of the year. Didn't buy any pellets but have about 3 months worth in the shed. With luck I can handle the 40lb bags by then. Missing the sounds and heat of the P43. The electric baseboard heating keeps us warm enough though I'm not fond of the higher bill. At least I can handle the snowblower now when the time comes.

Oh for anyone who saw my post about help finding someone to reattach roof ice melt cables, we found someone on Angie's who is supposed to come Friday afternoon so we hope that works out.

Sam

 

That is a lot to go thru. I hope things become easier for you and you continue to gain energy, strength and stamina. Glad that Lori is better and able to help you out!

That is interesting about the B12 - I tend to have issues if I consume too much B vitamins - most notably the first sign is that I get a ganglion cyst on my left thumb (weird, I know).

 

My mom was on B12 shots from 1966 till her passing in '97. She had pernicious anemia. I remember her being just as bad off as I am for a couple months with all the same symptoms. When she got home from the hospital she remarked how she was told they had never seen anyone with such a low red blood cell count who wasn't dead.

My labs show I don't have pernicious anemia but that is now classified as a autoimmune condition. My autonomic nervous system is not working right and hasn't for close to two years and that is considered an autoimmune condition as well.

My cardiologist believes my ending up with slow heart rate and needing the pacemaker was caused by something messing up with my autonomic nervous system and also all my stomach/ digestive issues , blood pressure drop when standing, muscle and nerve issues can be caused by a B12 deficiency . When I talked to my PCP about it, it became obvious he has no knowledge about it, refuses to listen when I try to present info. Only sent referrals for a neurologist out cause the cardiologist asked him to. He's only ever concerned about my blood sugar, even with me obviously wasting away in front of him.

Sam

 

X2

 

No comment on Lahey as I have info from elsewhere how is Lori?

 

We unloaded the second load of shells yesterday and all went well
10-1/2 barrels.....
Weather is being decent.
The big stove running on low is keeping thew house comfy.....
The plan is to get back to the plant in the next week and get another full load and get it in the barn.
So at present we have 60 barrels of shells full....

 

Lori doing good. Compared to a year ago she's a hundred times better. She still tires easily but has been doing more around the house and yard.

Sam

 

We finally unloaded the dumpster.
Got that done and now its time to run Munchy again.
Had check engine light pop on in the 2005 Suburban...I grabbed the scan tool and checked it out
A bad O2 sensor ....I AM NOT crawling under that beast in the mud.....
We got into a small shop here locally and they had it done in a couple hours..
Good to go now.

Sadly we needed to unhook the Green Burb from the trailer so we had a rig to drive while "Poppa" Smurf was in the shop.
Today if the weather holds we will run Munchy again and fill up the stove ready barrels in the basement.

First nice day and we are going to run to the plant and grab another dumpster full and get it in the barn.....

Big Whitfield is gittenerdone for now.

I decided to order up some spare times for the custom controls on the Whitfields...
These are a standard part....But are built to order for each customer.

The timers are offered with many options and specs like Amperage rating, Voltage, On time, Off time, On board adjustment or panel mounted control...

Each one is different

Lock out relay (Will not allow the stove to restart when there is a power outage...Must press RESET)

Start up timer.....(The Advantage 2T has a start up timer that runs the unit until the low temp switch shows proof of fire)
Auger timer (Controls the auger feed time Adjustable on the timer .5 seconds to 5 seconds ) (Off/Burn time adjustable on the panel with a rotary switch and a bank of resistors that allow from 7 seconds off to 3 seconds off plus a continuous on to prime an empty auger)

I has to choose the type of unit and then pick the options

Once ordered they build these to the specs and ship them.

The prices have gone up since I built the controllers

Cheaper to buy 2 each of the 3 different parts.
Still about $700

We may never need spares.....But two weeks of lead time and winter just around the corner....

I do not want to be unable to repair a stove if we get a failure......

I should have bought extras long ago.
The new controllers have been on the stoves since 2019.

Time to get spares in the cupboard.....

 

Holy cow, was it way back in 2019 since the controllers were built? It is always good to have spares and be prepared!

 

There are desecrate component radios that are kept afloat because today's shack in a box fails more often says a Bear who owns more than one shack in a box. Six to put a number on it. Show them young ones Snowy.

 

Any sign of jtakeman ? Havnt seen a post or a "like" from him in a while

 

YUP May of 2019 was when the new controller was finished.

Time flies for sure.

During the heating season the stoves (One or both) will be running 24/7 I hate to think how many cycles those timers have gone through...

When I built these controllers I wanted to keep the basics of the two units the same.

There are few differences, but for the most part they are the same..

 

Left the house for the first time since a doctor's appointment in July on Tuesday. Lori had an opthalmologist appointment in Portsmouth and wasn't sure if she was getting an injection in her right eye ( being treated for occasional fluid buildup).

So just decided to go with her and drove both ways (about a 40 minute drive one way). Even stopped at Walmart in Epping on the way back for a little shopping.
Surprisingly didn't have any issues other than getting a little tired by the time we left Walmart. Just took it slow. Did feel a little strange driving for the first time in months.

Going to try bringing in 4-5 bags of pellets a week between now and the end of the year. Want to try to get 25-30 bags in for when we fire up the P43.

Sam

 

Weather has been really decent so far this fall season.

Yesterday I plugged in the heater in the pump shack.
I do not want to wake up in the middle of the night when it gets below freezing and then remember I had not plugged the heater in.......
Freezing up the plumbing in the pump shack is just bad JU JU.....

So far the long term weather is not at all bad.....No big storms.
Small little disturbances with moderate rains.
No cold forecast as yet either.

We are running the Big Whitfield 24/7 and firing up the little Whit in the weeeee hours when I get up to get the shack up to cozy.
With the sunny days we have had by mid morning the little stove gets shut off .....

Clear overnight will see the house temps drop to about 67 F in the living room...(Little stove in there)

Getting ready for TDAY
The kids decided to do it this coming Sunday as they are heading to Idaho to be with the Son in laws dad and that side of his family.

Looks like the weather will be great for traveling.....

 

We ran Munchy again yesterday and filled up the empty barrels in the basement.
Today we are having are thanksgiving dinner with the kids as they are heading to Idaho for the Holiday with Son in laws side of the family....

Weather is still decent.
Last night we brought the little stove on line as the house was only 65 F on the far west end of the place...

At 3 when I got up it was mid 30's F outside
A little weather system is moving through this morning..
More sunny weather with scattered showers through the coming week.....

I think the next dry day we will head to the nut plant and get another load of shells.
We are still 6 barrels away from being able to unload a load.