Getting your poults in a row

[Wingbone]

I've watched this forum for years, and really just find comfort in knowing that I'm not alone in my obsession with the wild turkey. I find myself reading more than posting anymore, but again I still find comfort in just being here. Lately though, I've felt the need to post on here about my season this year. It was a drastic mixture of extreme highs and extreme lows, but for very different circumstances than I usually find myself in.
  The night before opening morning, I started experiencing some unhealthy symptoms of something likely going very wrong inside me. I tried to convince myself it wasn't serious and that I just needed to go hunt the next day and if it persists, I'll go to the doctor. Well, by daylight the symptoms had persisted, and I'm sitting at my house in my hunting clothes trying to muster up the courage to go hunt for a little while. Around 11 am, I decided Hell or high water wasn't keeping me from opening day, so I headed to the farm. As luck would have it, I killed a hot mid-day gobbler and was back home in a couple hours. That's when the wife said we were heading to the ER. We went through.all sorts of tests, and a few doctors came in together with a solemn look on their faces. One spoke up and said they'd found a large mass on my colon. It was cancer, and by the size of it, they basically told me I didn't have long. They weren't even going to mention treatment. I'm 35 years old, with a wife and a 3 year old daughter. Honestly, I couldn't even process what was being said. My wife made everyone leave and we spent the day in my hospital bed crying, holding, praying, repeat. I joked, that at least I got to throw one more gobbler over my shoulder on my way out. She didn't find it amusing. But, throughout the day, I realized so many ways I'd gone wrong in this life. I hadn't treated people well, I was self absorbed, I didn't feel like I needed anyone, and I had really neglected my friends and family pursuing my own interests for years. Suddenly, it was all very clear to me I'd mess up, and truly I hadn'hadn't prayed, really prayed, in a long time. Then out of nowhere, at around 8:30 pm, a young surgeon came into my room, and said, "I'm very confident I can save you." It was all blank faces in the room. I went from a life sentence to a gift of life in that one sentence. He took the tumor out three days later, and all regional lymph nodes returned negative for cancer the next day. They couldn't explain it, but it hadn't spread. I had been saved, not just by the many doctors, surgeons, nurses, and nurse practitioners, but by prayer. Aside from my own, over the following weeks, I received cards, calls, txts, visits, you name it, all telling me they were and had been praying for me. It jolted me to the core. I've realized how much it means to be kind to other people, strangers or not, you never know when you might need them to return that kindness. And the most important thing, get your priorities in line. Everyone will have their own opinions of how those should rank, but get them sorted regardless. For me, mine had always started with hunting whatever was in season, and then I'd work everything else in where I could. Now? First, I always look up, then I make sure I tell my wife and little girl how much I love them all day everyday until they tell me to stop saying it, but I don't stop.  I said all of this because I know there are alot of guys on here of all ages that, like I did, think they're invincible. It turns out none of us are, and I don't want anyone to feel the regret I felt for taking so many great things and people in my life for granted. Everyday is a gift.
    And remember that bird I mentioned I crawled out of bed to bag opening day, well I sent three more to join him the last week of my season, after begging the surgeon to release me to shoot a gun. 

[243kid]

Very well written l enjoyed reading it...

[Clardh]

Very well written l enjoyed reading it...

x2

[dejake]

God is good.  He still has plans for you in this world.

[Tail Feathers]

I wondered about "extreme highs and lows" as I began to read.  Now I 100% agree!
You definitely finished strong!

[crow]

it's good your still here and recovering, it's nice to have good people behind you
thanks for sharing, very well written

and congrats hanging in there for a good season

[monty690]

Yessir!!!! The Great Physician is still on call!!!

[WiLL B]

Well I hope I never have a season like yours! But good post. Thanks for reminding us what's important!

[Gawhitaker]

Prayer sure works, no doubt the Great Physician is still on call. Glad it turned out like it did, thanks for sharing.