Posted on 11/04/2015 7:26:30 PM PST by ButThreeLeftsDo
We're taking Larry deer hunting this weekend. After 35 years in the woods with Larry, sadly, this will be our last together.
After 40 years at the same job, he finally had enough and retired this past spring. He's a mere 62 years old.
He left his job on a Friday and started his new job the next Monday. Working at a local golf course. Cutting grass, doing maintenance, free lunch everyday and free golf on Mondays. He was in heaven.
About three months ago, his eyesight was suddenly failing him. The eye doctor said that there was something affecting his optic nerve and that he should quickly see a neurologist.
Four days later he was having brain surgery to remove as much of a brain tumor as they could. It was small, but growing quickly. They got some, but they couldn't all of it. Stage 4 myoblastoma. He's not going to make it.
And, of course, that sort of surgery has its drawbacks. His sight is pretty good now, but he is now paralyzed on his left side. He's left handed.
They didn't give him any assurances of long life with radiation and chemo, so he decided that rather than spend 3 days a week in a medical facility, he was going to stay in his home, with his family, instead.
That's Larry.
The crew took a vote and it was 9-0 in favor of bringing Larry for one last hunt with all of his friends. He's not actually going to hunt with us (he's in a wheelchair, fer cryin' out loud)but he will be there when we have the Friday night meal and all of the stories that will be told for the umpteenth time.
When he was told that he was, indeed, going to be a part of deer hunt 2015, he was more emotional than I have ever seen him. He's never been an emotional guy. That would be me.
So, he'll stay at the house with another friend of ours that doesn't hunt, a volunteer, and wait for a call from the woods letting him know that we filled his tag.
At first, he was against the whole idea, but now he can't wait to get on the road Friday.
This is going to be a special weekend. For a lot people. for a lot of reasons.
I visited him for a while last Friday. As I was leaving so he could have lunch and a nap, he said to me...
"Life's short. Run hard."
We love you, Larry. More than you will ever know.
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 "Hige sceal þe heardra, heorte þe cenre / mod sceal þe mare, þe ure mægen lytlað." "Will shall be the sterner, heart the keener; Spirit the greater as our might lessens." |
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Prayers for Larry, may GOD heal you first of all, and if the choice is not to be so, may GOD grant you peace and comfort, in Christ name, amen.
Lost my husband of 23 years at age 57, massive heart attack. Worked hard all his life from the time he could lift a rifle and put food on the table till the day he died.
Again Prayers and comfort for Larry and all who are going through this horrible diseases.
Joey Feek. gospel, C & W singer, She is from Alexandria, IN and she is only 40 and has stage 4 colon cancer. 2 surgeries 2 rounds of chemo have left her frail. We came home," Rory wrote. Not to die. But to live. To put our hands in each others and sit out on the back porch and watch the sun set as our sweet little baby girl plays on a blanket in front of us. To bask in the glory of the beautiful life He's blessed us with, and try not to question why we can't have more of it together. And why He is allowing this to happen. The doctors gave us an estimate of how much time they believe that Joey has, and we both looked at the calendar that hangs by our kitchen door, then I took the calendar off the wall and threw in the trash can. So, we don't have forever. We've got right now."
NOV 5
Indiana Boone is just a little over 21 months old, she is a Downs Syndrome baby.
They all matter. I HATE CANCER, HEART ATTACKS, and any thing that takes the ones we Love to soon; For my parents, both who died of lung cancer, caught to late, for the friends I've lost to it. TEARS.
God bless Larry, and his circle of friends.
Prayers sent
Hey, thanks for reminding to post an update!
Hunting wasn’t all that great, with daytime highs in the 60’s.
Tommy got Larry to deer camp on that Friday afternoon. He was stoked about just being there with us.
After putting up the last of the tree stands, attention was turned to the preparing of the traditional Friday night before deer opener dinner. It is always much like a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Turkeys, honey hams, mashed potatoes, veggies, rolls...
As I mentioned, Larry is left handed. Now, being paralyzed on his left side, eating right handed has been a challenge for him. This was the perfect meal for him. He could eat the turkey, rolls and ham with his fingers, the rest he could just “shovel”. He remarked that this was a lot easier than eating chow mein. “Eating chow mein, I’m a mess!” Still, one of the funniest people I know.
Larry was always our “sandwich guy”. After the Friday night meal, Larry would take sandwich orders from everyone and make whatever you wanted from the leftover turkey and ham. The next generation of deer hunters took over sandwich duties this year. But, Larry was still in charge.
He wheeled himself over to the counter where the “kids” were putting the custom sandwiches together. “That’s not enough ham! He asked for Miracle Whip, not Mayo!”
I laughed, I cried.
Next morning I filled Larry’s doe tag at 8:15. Sent him a text with a picture and he was elated. We finished the day with a spike and a spork. Not bad.
We sent Larry off for home on Sunday with Tommy around 9:30 in the morning. Got a text from his wife later that afternoon telling us that he couldn’t stop talking about what a great time he had.
Cried some more.
I’m so glad we did this for him and that it worked out so well. Thank you, all of you here that kept Larry in your prayers.
Believe me, it works.
Got the bad news a couple of hours ago.
Larry has one or two days, at most.
Thanks for your thoughts and prayers for my dear friend, Larry.
Larry has been clinging on. He thanks all of you for your prayers. His wife can no longer tend to all of his needs.
Larry was moved to a Hospice House today.
I just got home from stopping by and more than likely saying goodbye to my dear friend.
Love to all FReepers here.
3
Just lost JRandom :(
prayers out
Yep. Saw that.
I’m losing all of my heroes and friends.
i’m sorry.
i talked with RandomFreeper because of brain tests he had done and I have a TBI so we just chatted a little
he was a GREAT guy, tough. Told me being scared is ok, giving up isn’t.
i started following this board at 31 in 1999. Joined last year.
It seems the average age is probably above 50. People can live to 90 or 100 today and many are.
I pray FReepers are among that lot.
They are of a kind that is hard to find these days.
And the utterly lost generation under 40 needs them more than ever.
I’ll be proud to still be on the board 30 years from now.
Prayers for the Father of us all to hold his hand as he takes his first step into his next phase of life...the eternal kind. Prayers also for him to be eased of pain and suffering....and for strength and courage to the family and friends he leaves behind.
Thanks for the update...
Prayers for Larry and his family and for you BTLD. It’s always so hard. *sigh*
Prayers and love for Larry, his family....and his dear friends.
Thanks 3
God bless you, and his wife, and of course your dear friend Larry.
Good friend are few and far between. Thanks for letting us know about him and thanks for standing with him. There is a special place for people that care enough about others to give more than lip service.
Blurry screened prayers up!
Raising a prayer — and a glass — to Larry. You must be a good friend to have made so many.
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