FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Knockin Tail Lures by My Coast Outdoors

*************

Carrie, The Boss, Ben  and Mia the real tough guys in this story.

If you will not fight for this, what will you fight for?

15 days ago I was having trouble catching my breath, next thing I knew I was on a life flight to Pueblo Parkview Medical Center ICU.  It turned out to be a life-threatening myasthenia gravis crisis.  Until taken off the ventilator 3 days I ago I have almost no memory of much of anything except death came for me the second day and I fought will all my strength and won the battle for my wife and family.  I will never forget the face of death.

Off the vent but one sick puppy!

It came as a screeching, howling whirlwind color of the lights of death. I fought with every bit of strength as it tried to pull me in.  I broke the restraints tying me down and before it was over it took 6 to subdue me.  (One of the male nurses who stopped in to wish me well said for an old man I put up a helluva fight.  And my new Neurologist said for an old man my strength carried the day.)  As I was on the vent with a tube down my throat, I had ripped it out and the next day there was a decision to be made, be reintubated or accept my fate and give up and quit the fight and pass away peacefully.  It would have been so easy to accept hospice care, but I chose life.  Trust me the decision to let them sedate and put that tube back in and place me back on the ventilator was a man up moment.  But surrounded by my family I made it out the other side.  Many a crisis, reasons to give up.  Without them I would have given up.  It was so hard on the Boss and my daughter Carrie but the support of Barb, Steve, Lee and others who came and stayed those many days were a kindness that can never be repaid.

This does not do my arm justice.

So here I sit in rehab after 14 days in ICU, finally off all even the o2, my arms black and blue from IV’s and a hundred blood draws.  If there was a place for a shot it has had 10, and it has been days since I had a good night’s sleep.  And today was the second real food I have eaten in 2 weeks, one heck of a way to lose that old man belly fat. And I cannot stress enough how all those miles on the treadmill even when I was not feeling it helped carry the day,

As I write this the tears are flowing for the Boss and my daughter Carrie.  They said I fought like a badass, but they were the true tough guys making the tough decisions.  My fight was easy, fight or die, they suffered so much watching the fight I barely remember.  I am sharing this with you for a purpose.  We have the best insurance money can buy; we even had flight insurance that will pay the who knows how many $10’of thousands that cost much less what will be the well over a million for the hospital.  So we thought we’d had done it right but here is what we have learned.

One day it was all good, the next a life-threatening crisis.  You never know.  Sit down with your loved ones and have an honest discussion on your wishes and for God’s sake have a specific medical directive on file. Just stop in your local hospital and speak with the social worker for help. I feel so sorry to have left them deciding what I wanted, but they got it right as they struggled with what to do with my sorry ass.

To the ER Doctor at the Del Norte Rio Grande Hospital who made the right call in under 2 hours to life flight me, the Attendings, Interns, Pulmonologists and residents in the ICU at Pueblo Parkview Hospital, and especially the nurses who were so kind and so professional, you names will escape me with time but you all saved this guy who was not deserving.  I am humbled by you dedication giving me this second chance at life, I will not waste it.  To my great neighbors in South Fork who kept watch on the house for us and kept up with the Boss even though you barely know us my gratitude.   MG cannot be cured but together it will be managed.  It took the professionals, family, and a little God to get to the other side, but mostly it took my own personal bad ass.

When things were scary beyond belief you held it together, you kept the faith.  You stayed the course in our darkest hour in spite of your fears holding it in for me.  It was a freakin’ close one, it does not get any closer than that.  I do not know what I ever did to deserve you but today we stop crying and start laughing again.  I love you like no other, we have a second chance at life and I promise to never take it for granted.  I will be out of here in a few days and the adventure will continue. You are my freakin’ bad ass and saved my life plain and simple.  So thanks, I owe you a cold glass of wine on a mountain somewhere buddy.

 ************

This was the post I was working on before all this drama but never got to hit send but it will be great to be back on the mountain chasing critters again.

The neighbor’s kid did not want to go this morning, so we hit the lake and of course limited.  The water has been going down, and the ramp is now unusable which happens every fall.  As the boat will be getting shrink wrapped soon that is the last day of Beaver this fall, and while there are other lakes time to concentrate on the fly rod for a little.  But the punch line today was when we got back we headed to my cleaning table.  I am cleaning fish and we are talking when behind us a big buck we never noticed was 10′ behind us just watching.  The bucks are back and so are the turkeys, and there are does with first years showing up, the fall show is about to begin.  That was just plain cool.

************

And speaking of animals just a side note on living in the mountains.  A couple of days ago here in town a mountain lion ran off with some folk’s dog.  This is the woods.  Plus, it is a small town.  As the season changes some of our neighbors are heading out until next spring.  About 300 stay all winter so a major event, lion eating a dog, our big crash with a mule deer a couple of years ago, it does not matter what, everybody knows.

************

Hit a high lake this morning and it was not a rip-roaring success.  Apparently, a leader I bought is old or defective as I broke off several.  Very irritating and has rarely happened to me fly fishing, The buggy whip absorbs plenty and broken lines are not very common.

Glad I had another rod in the truck.

I was able to save the day and catch a few when I finally figured out there was something bad about that leader.  The lake I was at this morning is heavily stocked and a great place for me to practice the fly rod thing.  There is much to learn and it is just plain fun.

*************

MLF ANGLER INDICTED.

3 people died when an MLF tournament pro hit a striper guides boat on Smith Lake in Alabama.  The angler has been charged with multiple felonies, including 3 counts of felony manslaughter, and will face trial at some point.  But the reason I am commenting is the first major lawsuit has been filed, with more to come.  One is basically suing MLF for letting folks haul ass during tournaments.  I have been wondering for quite a while when this would happen.  Fresh or salt we are going too fast, end of story, time to rein it in, there is no constitutional right to drive a boat like a bat out of hell.  So, all tournaments need to take heed, and I might add the boat manufacturers, it is going to be a new day.  You may not actually be liable but when something like this happens everyone in sight will be sued.  So will keep watching as it unfolds civilly and criminally.

************

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

Over a million acres of lakes and rivers on the boundary of Minnesota and Canada, it is one of the great wilderness areas left in America.  I have been fortunate to have done 3 canoe trips to the area, and it was amazing.  Now Trump is proposing that mining be allowed that will potentially affect the watershed.  This is insane.  Please if you give a hoot about the outdoors, please do some reading.  Educate yourself.

On one trip as we drifted a small river catching fish in a sea of wild rice a huge bull moose walked into the rice and chowed down, right next to us.  Minnesota has done a serious job in protecting it for all of us.  And again, corporate interests are attempting to take over OUR lands.  They cannot be trusted with an irreplaceable resource.

************

THANKS

I got home the other day, and this was sitting on the porch.  Love to share the sport and it is nice to get a present every once in a while.  My neighbor’s son in law is a 9 year NFL pro and a real  gentleman.  So thanks, it will get plenty of use.  Hope we get to spend some serious time next year pounding them stupid.  Plus you ust do not realize how big and NFL defensive end is until he steps in the boat.  Wow.

************

FLOOD

It has been a dry summer around here until Friday.  It started raining then and is still raining as I write this on Monday.  At least 2 – 5″ in the area the rivers and creeks are running super high and muddy.  The flooding was worse over the pass to Pagosa and highway 160 was closed for half a day.  It looks like the rain will be stopping but it will clearly be a few days before the fishing returns.  Will check a lake or two tomorrow but they have surely been affected.  But who knows, with a good raise the ramp on Beaver should be back in play.

*************

With this front the temps are now getting into the 30’s at night and our highs will be in the 50’s from now on.  Looking back at last year we had an early snow at this time and they opened the ski area early.  If this was snow it would be a lot but with it projected to be a warm winter only time will tell.

************

It will be a little while before you hear from me again, but you know I just can’t shut up.  But for now I owe the Boss some us time.  I already back on my feet in spite of what has happened and will be pounding the rehab as hard and steady as I can.  I will probably stick my foot in my mouth and start making some vacation promises.  You earned my literal undying devotion and it time for a new celebration of life.  And man do I need a shower, so rest easy baby we made it.

Good luck and tight lines.