A couple of months ago, I wound up in surgery due to a leaking/busted colon. Spent 25 days in ICU then home. Having to be careful for 3 months. That means don’t fall, ride a 4 wheeler, fire a high power rifle, draw a bow, mow my lawn, pick up anything over 4 pounds, etc. When I asked about cross bow hunting the Doc said no problem as long as some one else cocks it and releases the bolt. Also, someone has to drag the deer to the road to haul to the house for skinning and gutting. The Doc hunts so he knows the whole routine and knows my place.

So, a young friend and his GF will be hunting my place by themselves. They have already filled 6 feeders but haven’t seen anything worth shooting.

This will be the first season I’ve missed since I got out of the USAF in 1968.

25 days in ICU. I can't imagine. If you can get through that, you've got this. Keep on the mend. Very magnanimous of you to share your place. Good luck to the couple and get all the way healed soon.

Best of luck sir 🙏

Man, you survived quite an ordeal to say the least.
Very glad you are doing better and pray you continue to improve.

Missing hunting does suck but the bright side is that you are still here to miss it.

You are past the worst part, are healing and getting well. The place will be there when you are up to it and appears you have reliable people watching it. You have a lot to look forward to. Good luck with your recovery.

I know how you feel about not being able to do anything. But, the days will pass (slowly) and you’ll be fine.

Yep

At least you are still here to witness their efforts. Good luck to you on your recovery and make sure to follow the Dr.'s orders.

I hope you recover as quickly as possible. I have to ask though, what were the symptoms of your condition? I know that sometimes there can be bad stuff happening on the inside and we barely have symptoms to alert us.

Good luck to the young couple filling in for you this season!

Continue to get better and the hunting will be waiting for you. Prayers up for your Continue healing.

stay on the mend and hope you can back at it SOON.

Man I fell like an egg sucking dog. I had prostrate cancer surgery last week and am missing opening weekend for the first time in more than fifteen years, and then read your story. I'm fretting about not getting out till sometime after Thanksgiving on in December. Just know while not as bad of as you I DO FEEL YOUR PAIN, nothing like the comradery of opening weekend, catching back up in some cases with friends that non-hunters will never know. Growing up in a large family, the best I can compare it to is thanksgiving/Christmas dinner when the whole family gets together at one time, coming in from all parts.
Sounds corny I know but at least now there is next year, and hey if it helps and you can, there's always post season exotics.

GNTX, symptoms were thinking that my bowels needed to move. Then, on the pot, spraying nothing but blood.

BTW, I have no memory of even being in the hospital for that 25 days. Still having memory issues.

“spraying blood”….holy cow…now I REALLY hope you’re getting better.

You can still go hang out in camp just not be part of the action.
Your winning your still with us.

Actually went to my place yesterday. Walked about 1/4 mile with no problem. Grandson has a 222 that I will try to shoot in a couple more weeks. I built some minimum charge ammo that should be ok for me to use without busting things loose again. I’ll have to hunt close to the house and make a damn good heart shot. I have a JD tractor with a front end loader to bring deer in so it shouldn’t rip any stitches.

Yep, I’m going apechit.

Thanks for sharing. That blood spray out of my rectum would definitely get my full and immediate attention.

I’m glad you got it taken care of and from your other posts, sounds like the season might not be a complete bust for you. Take care. I wouldn’t want to bust open any stitches in that area for sure.

It is not easy but I would follow the Dr. orders on this. The rifle outweighs your current weight restrictions. I missed part of the 2017 season and all of 2018 and part with illness and surgeries but that is part of life. It sucks to miss activities you love doing but in the long term I do not regret missing those in hindsight.

There is something about spending a lot of time in bed in ICU that messes with the body and mind IMO and if on intubation for very long it is even worse plus the drugs, but staying alive is a good thing. Physical memory and thought processes are not what they were but it is what it is. Some things I remember real good and others I suck at and some things are just gone. With time some of that has gotten better though.

Prayers for full recovery body and mind plus get back fully to what you love to do.

Good advice Kmon. Ya know, I killed my first deer in 1967. A mule deer while in the USAF stationed in Arizona. I expect I’ll wait.

Take it easy, Dave. Kudos to you for sharing your place. I had my colon resectioned about 5 weeks ago. They had to gut me like a pan fish. It still hurts. Glad you didn't get sepsis. That stuff is no joke. My surgeon said I had a 'cranial-rectal inversion', basically caused by having ones head up ones arse. True story.

Kid, I have no idea what I had immediately after surgery. I don’t even remember the first 25 days that were in the hospital. Or very much about the first 2 months home. Things are starting to clear up but the docs say it will take awhile to get all the drugs out of my system and I might never remember those 60 days home.

Family Doc told me to drink a Gatorade every day.

I had some memory loss from the brain surgery back in the 80’s. Many times I was asked “what did you forget”?

Hope your recovery goes well. Feel your pain. I am on the sidelines this fall as well after a bad fall down the side of a ravine about a month ago. Doc says another 4 to 6 months before back on my feet fully. Your situation sounds more serious - listen to the doc and let it ride.

Partner, just chill out and relax, after what you have been through.There will be many more opener's ,if you will listen to your Doc !!

Got a call. One of the kids, a 20 yoa girlfriend, got a damn nice buck. Bow hunting. I’ll post a pic in a couple of days when they emerge and come back to town.