I'm writing this with tears in my eyes but the end of my traditional shooting has finally arrived. Since mid-2005, I have been "blessed" with a neurological disease that has finally progressed to the point where I can no longer shoot my recurves to the degree necessary to humanely take a deer. My body told me it's time to quit and I am going to listen to it.
I am writing this to let everyone know that I will be listing most of my traditional equipment -except bows - for the 2007 St. Judes Auction. Two of my bow will be given away to needy children and young adults during Christmas time.
We all need to contribute as much as we can to the St.Judes fund. I pray everyday that no one, especially a child, has to go through what many of us are experiencing.
God bless everyone on this site and especially our troops who are fighting to preserve our freedom.
Mods- I apologize if this post is in the wrong location. Please move it to the appropriate location.
Bless you John! Best of luck with your continuing battle. Randy.
John you can still share your experience so don't retire completely.
John~
Hang tuff! I hope that you find some "ease" in your disorder, in the ensuing months ahead.
God bless you John, we will pray for your recovery.
God Bless you John, your words and actions are an inspiration to all in the community...
God Bless you John.<><
My prayers to you and also.... rifle hunting isn't that sinfull.. stay in the woods when you can,,,Kindest Regards
Just enjoy the outdoors every moment you can. God bless you, i wish you the best of luck.
god bless john and take care :thumbsup: we only have one body. :campfire:
Hello there i cant pretend to know what you are going through. If you feel you cant do the animal you chase justice, that is a decision that i respect you for making. But theres a lot of foam out there you could put holes in and a lot of fellowship with friends to be shared.
Prayers out to ya.
And thank you for my freedom
Best wishes from me as well, I admire you for your descision regarding the harvesting of animals. I am sure that doesn't make it any easier, but I respect you all the more. I hope the best for you and yours, and I agree, keep at it, no doubt you have alot of wisdom to share.
Jake
Bless ur heart buddy...John ur still A #1 around here in my book...always a friend in my book. Mark #78.. :thumbsup:
Yes, there's lots more to archery than bowhunting. Stay at it as long as you can make the arrows fly. Prayers and blessings from the Stout family.
Prayers out for you John. :pray: :pray: :pray:
Best wished to you in what ever venture or avenue you take. As all of us can learn, please continue to allow us to learn from your wisdom. Just a hello now and then to let us know you are well
John,
I have never made your acquaintance; nonetheless, your post touched my heart. I would first like to thank you for the service you gave to your country and each of us. Second I would like to encourage you to share the knowledge you have accumulated with the people who receive your generous gifts this Christmas. My prayers are with you.
Don
God bless! You will be in my prayers....Mike
god bless, I will keep you in my prayers
May the good Lord walk with you no matter which path you take. You will still have to stay in touch with this trad. gang and hang around the campfire.
Chort
From one VN Vet to another. I'll include you in my prayers! Take care brother! God Bless!!
John, That's very noble of you concerning game but please dont walk away from the fire...we appreciate you here ! Always room in camp for good wisdom and huntin' stories. Just shoot when and if you can. We look forward to youre company!! God Bless you my friend !!!
Shoot foam! Sorry to hear of your illness.I respect you for your concern for ethics but like others have said theres a lot more to archery than hunting.God bless and hope that there is recovery in your future.
I guess we all will reach that personal decision at some point in our lives and we will have a thousand different reasons as to how we got there. If you can pull a string, don't give up on the bow John. There is something magical about the flight of an arrow that helps calm my soul...
JL
Many thanks for the kind words and prayers. I'll still be visiting TradGang on a daily basis. I get a huge kick out of all the "true" stories, especially those about us short people. I'm keeping my Bob Lee recurve just in case...
Good for you. Glad you will still be sharing the virtual fire with us.
God bless you John! You will be in our prayers
I'm so sorry to hear the news. I'm dreading the day I might have to make the same decision. My prayers are with you.
Robert
God bless John, Prayers from the Bobb family,, Please any special stories you could tell on the forum here or any wisdom to pass on would be just awsome..
I pray for your full recovery in The Mighty Name Of Jesus. Amen.
Donald
Hi Brother, Our Lord suffered for us all so that we might know Him and receive salvation. In our suffering we grow closer to Him. So you have been "blessed". Maybe He has more important things for you. His ways are not our ways. Romans 8:28 And we know in all things He works for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.
The other thing I think of as I get older is we will all be given NEW bodies, ones without pain and suffering...for ETERNITY! Praise the Lord!
Best of luck John with your health. You will certainly be in my prayers for you. That's got to be the hardest thing to do walking away from something you have loved for so long, but its a honorable thing also.
I'll be hanging up my recurve but I'll still be hunting in my memories and the stories I read on TradGang. Keep 'em coming.
Thanks again for the prayers.
I believe in a God of miracles. Maybe not a miracle of healing but a different way of shooting? My best friend has parkinsons and shakes like a leaf. He now shoots a bow that has to weigh 10lbs but he gets to hunt. Not a lecture just hope and encouragement. God bless. DT
John I do know what you are going through as I also fell pray to a serious illness that required tha I miss this past hunting season. It was my sons first hunting season so it was doubly hard and while I completly respect your decision to quit hunting PLEASE don't Quit archery pass on your wisdom to others. I have another friend seriously ill right now and I visit as much as I can to learn what I can while there is still time Make the absolute best use of your time it is precious> God bless I am praying for you
John,
Sorry to hear of your affliction.
I have a question for you. Have you ever been tested for Lyme disease? I have been battling it for 2.5 years now and have had severe neurological problems too( as well as cardiac and muscular). I'm not a doctor but I have studied this disease extensively for the last 2 years learning what I can about it. Lyme can mimic over 300 other diseases. That is why it is so hard to diagnose. Mine initially presented itself as a "heart attack". After 5 days in cardiac intensive care(at a cost of over $85,000), the doctors released me and were scratching their heads. Took 2 more months before I stumbled on the truth. Most doctors don't know squat about this infection. I personally know 2 people that the doctors were convinced had MS and had been treated for that disease for 2 and 5 years. Turns out, both had bad cases of lyme. Another friend of mine was diagnosed with Parkinsons even though the tests for the disease were all negative (he had all the other symptoms). He too had lyme disease.
If you have any doubt or question about your diagnosis, do yourself a favor and get tested by an infectious disease specialist who is familiar with Lyme. They will have the proper tests to give you a definitive answer. If you need some recommendations, pm me with your phone number and I will call you.
I hope I haven't spoken out of place hear, but I would hate to see you give up something you love for the wrong reason.
Good luck and God bless.
Jon - you have not spoken out of place. I appreciate the advice. I've had to miss the last two hunting seasons because of this God awful disease. I've been tested for Lyme disease but the results were negative. I have hunted in areas thick with ticks so I know I've exposed to those evil critters.
The neurologist I'm seeing has ruled out MS but he does believe part of my problem is related to Agent Orange exposure. I'm scheduled for two days of testing in June. I'm praying something shows up - good or bad. With the Lord's help, my wife and I are dealing with it.
If the results are negative, I will check with an infectious disease specialist.
I've missed the last 2 seasons also. If I can get into shape, I will be hunting this fall in Montana. Can only pull 45 pounds accurately right now.
Be careful with the kind of test used. I was tested twice with the "western blot" test 10 years ago and it came up negative. I had found a tick on me and had the bullseye rash. That's how I ended up so sick. It was in me 8 years before it gathered enough strength to come after me. Look on the web for Dr. Joseph Burrascono. He is one of the best in the field. He's in your neck of the woods.
Much of Lyme diagnosis is done by clinical evaluation and ruling out other things. The infectous disease doctor that diagnosed me gave me a 50 question questionaire to fill out. He said that if you answer positive to 15 of the 50 questions, he suspects you have lyme disease. I hit 48 out of the 50 questions positive. I had been in treatment for a year and a half before I found a lab with a reliable test. Look up Bowen labs in Tarpon Springs Florida. They have a patented test that is top notch. I would highly recommend that you look into further testing. Let me know if you need any other contacts.
Jon
John, I wish you the best. I prayed for you. I will keep you in my prayers. Jawge