Due to an unexpected heath issue I had to have an emergency spinal surgery and have been on bed rest and limited activity for almost three months.  I have made a remarkable recovery. Not 100% yet. That may never happen but am far better than anyone expected at this stage.

Anyway due to my recent limitations the Pod spent the summer under a shade tree.  I got out last week and was able to give it a good bath and cleaning hoping to use in a couple of weeks.  Apparently, I may have been a little too aggressive when power washing the leaves and debris off the roof.  

I turned on the AC to cool down the inside and circulate the air on the inside. My Thermostat showed a code I forget what it was but I looked it up and it said the outside thermostat was not picking up the outside temp.  Research said it was probable a loose wire on the AC unit.    

 

I weigh 220 and have been on my roof several times. I lay some 3/8 plywood across so it takes the load to the walls, stay on hands and knees, and put down the jacks so the rpod is stabilized. Stay in the center flat roof section and you should be fine, it has an aluminum structure. The curved sections just use light wood stringers, I wouldn't put any weight on those. 

Thanks for the info guys,  I felt  a small sheet of plywood to sit on would do the trick but didn't want to risk it without asking.  

As for the back surgery. My back is a train wreck.  Genetics.  I have no cartilage in my body for the most part.  I've had both shoulder total replacement due to injuries and no cartilage so everything is bone on bone.   My spine is apparently the same. I have lost at least 2.5 to 3 inch in height.  Average for my age is 0.5 to 1 inch.  All vertebrae are bone on bone.  

My C3 had slipped so far off of the C-4 about half way off, It was doing some major compression on the spinal cord which looked like an hour glass on the MRI.  It was in a strangle hold about 2/3rds compressed for the width of the C3.  It had been going on for a while but the symptoms had gotten to the point I couldn't ignore or write it off to just getting older any more.  

I had neuropathy from my finger tips up to my elbows,  horrible muscle spasms in my arms and shoulders and had gotten to where I could barely walk.  And have loss a tremendous amount of muscular strength and mass. 

They did a  C2-C3-C4 fusion in order to stabilize the C3 .

Relief of the symptoms was almost immediate. I still have neuropathy in my hands. And am still a little unsteady when walking at times but all in all doing great.  Strength is improving daily.

When considering the alternative if left untreated would have been paralyzed in a few months  and eventually death I'm a happy camper. 

Thank you all for your concern. my Dr released me to return to work when I felt I was ready.  He had given me FMLA until Oct 1st if needed but I went back to work on the 8th of Sept.  So far so good.  I am taking things slow and am very cautious with my movements. I am especially cautious on any stairs  or ladders.  Handrails all the way. 

I was able to take a coupe of short rides on my Goldwing last weekend.  No problems so far.  I don't plan on attempting any thing long rides for a while yet.

 I am fairly certain that the disc slipped that far out of place last year while working on the better half's car I was kind of twisted looking under the dash on my back in the drivers floor replacing some fuses.  I felt a very loud painful "POP"   Needless to say I don't do that any more.   

I have a 14 year old step-son who I have been teaching how to do things around the house.  He has been doing all the heavy lifting for me as of late.  So If I do feel the need to get on the roof it will only be to watch and supervise him. I have the Pod very level and stable and would probably even hook it to the truck to give it even more front to rear stability.  

Thanks, again

Tom, just twisting to get from the ladder to get on the roof can cause a herniation.  Climbing up a six foot ladder to watch and maybe even supervise might be fine, but stay off the roof given your condition. 

I have personal experience with falls of a short distance and they can be life threatening.  I fell from a scaffold when a plank broke that was not more than 7' high and it nearly killed me.  The medical bills were over $500K and 12 years later, I still deal with the consequences.  

I fell off the second step on a ladder, maybe 2 ft, but on my side onto concrete. Broke my left hip and elbow. No surgery but 6 weeks in a wheelchair allowed to put no weight on either my left leg or arm. Basically that made me pretty close to helpless, you can't get far in a wheelchair without both arms, I just went around in counterclockwise circles. Lesson learned, you only need to fall a foot or two to break yourself.

I have a grandson who now gets the "opportunity" to crawl around and learn under my "supervision" while I stay in a safe place and observe. So I like your idea of "training" the 14 year old. Consider combining that with some modern tech. I've found that if we both use our iphones on facetime I can look at what he's doing in real time without being in his face.  Works out well for both of us, my grandson gets less direct interference from grandpa and I get to sit comfortably in the shade in a lounge chair and sip an adult beverage