- My name is Jeffrey Loyed, and I will be 65 in a couple of weeks. I've been diagnosed with advanced heart failure. They told me about it a couple of years ago after years of afib and high blood pressure. I felt okay and took their medicine, and I felt okay, not good but okay. Last August, I went to Michigan for my son's defense for his doctorate. About a week before I left, I knew I felt really bad. But I wasn't sure I was seeing him again. He already had a job in San Diego. So I went to Michigan. All that week, I probably didn't eat two bites. No appetite, fatigue, couldn't sleep. But when I was with him, everything was okay. When it was done, I spent as much time as I could with him. He was a busy guy and had things to do. So I started back to Alabama feeling about 30% normal. When I got to Birmingham, I felt horrible, and my air conditioner was out at my place. So I went to my mom's, went to sleep, and woke up the next morning feeling worse than ever. So I got up and checked myself into the emergency room. They immediately took me to intensive care, where I stayed about 2 weeks. At one point, the doctor said my heart was working at 7%.
- Well, the good doctors got me on my feet, put me on some medications, and a couple of months later, I almost felt normal, sort of.
- I googled advanced heart failure. Life expectancy was 6 to 12 months. Okay, I've had a good time, a fairly good life. Work is work time, free time I made the best of it every day, trying to have as much fun as I could. That was last August, now it's October. I don't feel great, about 70%. I never have an appetite, can't sleep well, and feel fatigued a lot.
- Enough of that, I got my first motorcycle when I was 7 years old. I've had one in my life almost the whole time when I could afford it or keep it running. Never a new one, or anything else like a car or furniture. Never had anything that I couldn't afford. But I enjoyed the ones I had and kept them running. Of course, I had the best time on them that I possibly could have. But I have that passion. And I've always imagined myself at this age, retired and traveling the country on a great touring bike. That's always been my dream. Especially since I've been alone for the last 15 years. I've got no bike now, just a 2014 British bike plagued with electrical problems. Matter of fact, this morning I went to the store down the street. Had to work on it for 15 minutes to go home. Par for the course.
- But yesterday, a friend invited me to go with him to Barber's Vintage Bike Festival. I've been there the last 4 years. When I got there, he said let's go test drive some bikes. I met him about 8:30 a.m. We went to the Indian dealership. They get your information, give you a wristband, and they have about 30 brand new bikes from a Scout to the $42,000 one. We rode them all. Some of them twice. I'm telling you, it was the most awesome day I've had since my son was born in '97. The great thing about it was once you get this wristband, you could jump on any bike that was there and take it on the test drive course, which is about 10 miles through nice curvy roads. Great straightaways where you can give a little gas. All my troubles and worries melted away as the scenery did as I blasted through it. I asked the guy when is the cutoff time for test rides. We had been doing it for 8 hours already, all day long. Seat time on brand new bikes. He said 4:30. I looked at my watch; it was 4:20, and there was one that I hadn't ridden yet. It was always busy when I was free. I jumped on it and took it on the 10-mile course. It turned out to be my favorite one. I'll send you guys pics of it. I was so pleased and had such a great day. I was the happiest I've been certainly in the last year.
- Matter of fact, when I got home, I sent all my friends a 300-word text with all the pictures and telling them how great of a time I had.
When my dad died about 15 years ago, my mom found a picture in his wallet. It was a picture of me about 1972 where I had won this little Enduro race and made fourth place. It was a Polaroid of me holding my trophy up, standing next to my little Suzuki 90. I couldn't believe he kept that in his wallet all those years. It was a folded-up Polaroid. I've got a picture of it in my photos. I'll show that to you guys later if I can.
If there was some way, somehow, that I could spend what little time I have left riding this great bike that I've been dreaming about since I was probably 20, that would be such a blessing and would make my last months or years so much more pleasing and happy. When I'm gone, you can take it back where it came from. Donate it to charity, raffle it off. I won't be needing it anymore. But I need it now if possible, to make my dream come true. It would make an old guy really happy. Thank you very much,
Jeff Loyed
Organizer
Jeffrey Loyed (Organizer)
Organizer
Trussville, AL