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When God taps you on the shoulder


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#1 ScubaTex

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Posted 31 August 2013 - 07:36 PM

On the cusp of my 63rd year, over the past 10 days I’ve attended Memorials for two of my friends and co-workers.

The first passed in April, but with the work schedule of the widow and those who worked with him, the memorial wasn’t until 10 days ago. He passed from a heart valve defect which hadn’t been detected until December of last year. In his younger years he was considered one of the best bicycle riders in the state [long before Lance Armstrong]. He was known to break the crank arms from the sprocket. One year a couple of us decided to ride the Hotter’n Hell Hundred [we did the 100km instead of 100 mi] held at the end of August in Wichita Falls, Texas. The summer before, we trained religiously, many 30-40 mile rides, with a very steep hill less than a mile from his house. Several times I felt his hand on my back literally pushing me up the hill. On the day he passed, he had worked a symphony rehearsal, went home to mow his lawn, with the ‘hand’ powered reel mower he had used for years. His wife of 40 years found him later. He was a year older than me.

My second friend didn’t attend the first’s memorial, ten days ago, he didn’t ‘feel well’. He had gotten a physical with blood test from his Dr. a week before, and pronounced ‘good for another ten years’ [he was 69]. The following day he went back to his primary Dr. was told he had a respiratory infection, told to go home and rest. Two days later, he went to the emergency room, admitted, and diagnosed with pneumonia and leukemia. Two days later he was dead.

What’s the lesson here?? The older you get, the more fragile your body becomes, the longer it takes to heal. Don’t let any illness/condition linger, it may cost your life.
Live long, dive safe
Bill

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#2 WreckWench

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Posted 31 August 2013 - 08:16 PM

Thank you Bill...great insight and even better food for thought!
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#3 ScubaTex

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Posted 01 September 2013 - 04:24 PM

As I composed this thread, last night, I didn't realize how prophetic my words would be.

As soon as I was old enough to shoot a shotgun my father had taken me dove hunting. The opening day of dove season, also happened to be my birthday, to the dismay of my mother, later my wife, and friends who tried to plan a party. It had been several years since I'd been hunting on my b-day, I'd taken up scuba diving, trips w/SD to Roatan & Mayaguana, helping a rancher throw a party for his dove hunters [Dallas Safari Club]. This year I was determined to spend some quality time in the Texas heat trying to hit these winged missiles. I went skeet shooting 3 times in the last 2 weeks to recoup my rhythm, shooting eye, and determine if the was any problem with a surgically repaired shoulder. I rented a motel room 30 minutes from the field, instead of having to get up at 3am to pack and travel. I had even packed a small portable grill, so I would be able sample some tasty fare between hunts. I woke a little after 5am, took a few items to my truck, got a cup of coffee from the lobby and drove to the field. I was on a farm-to-market road, as I topped a rise I noticed a pick up & 4 wheel ATV off the road ahead on the left, I slowed as I passed, thinking they were hunters making their way into a field. As I went to switch on my 'brights' suddenly there was a black cow in front of my truck. I only had time to swerve to the right, but not far enough, I hit the cow in the front right shoulder, spinning her around caving in my door. I pulled off the road, the cow ended up off the opposite side of the road. Immediately, the people I thought were hunters approached and asked if I was ok, I was, even the airbag hadn't deployed. It turns out the people were trying to 'round up their loose cows, they thought they had gotten all of them. Luckily, I drive a 3/4T 4 wh drive PU, if I had been a car the cow could've come over the hood and thru the windshield.

Lesson for the day, even after you pass someone on the opposite side of the road, be especially cautious, danger can still be right in front of you.


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#4 little mermaid

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Posted 01 September 2013 - 04:38 PM

Wow that's one heck of a birthday present!!!! Glad you are ok and Happy Birthday. I am sorry for the loss of your friends. Thoughts and prayers with you.

#5 Greg@ihpil

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Posted 01 September 2013 - 05:46 PM

As your Title indicates....Maybe God was tapping you on the shoulder and didn't want you to shoot any more birds.......MMMMM
Glad your OK..What happened to the Cow? Did it make it home or was it dinner?

BTW, you have a knack for writing...Your delivery is interesting,how you tell a story.

Oh,and Happy B day!!! belatedPosted Image

Edited by Greg@ihpil, 01 September 2013 - 05:47 PM.

Greg
: Posted Image
E= pluribus Forum Enjoy the view. ,Do unto others:respect

#6 ScubaTex

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Posted 01 September 2013 - 07:08 PM

As your Title indicates....Maybe God was tapping you on the shoulder and didn't want you to shoot any more birds.......MMMMM
Glad your OK..What happened to the Cow? Did it make it home or was it dinner?

BTW, you have a knack for writing...Your delivery is interesting,how you tell a story.

Oh,and Happy B day!!! belatedPosted Image

Never got the chance to shoot any birds, accident occurred at 5:50am, still an hour before sunrise. Took some phone pix at the scene but didn't think others would appreciate seeing the cow. The cow didn't make it, owner took it away w/front-end loader, I'm sure, the right side thoroughly tenderized. Driving the highways in Texas, there's the potential to hit a deer [esp. in the fall] or a 400lb feral hog [which could literally flip my truck] almost any night, but cows should be fenced. A rancher friend, who brought me home, tells me, since the owner was actively trying to return the cow to the pasture some liability could be waived. Plan on going out next week to meet w/adjuster & also hunt. I'll let the insurance co. work it out.

There were no winners in this case. I'm depressed, hitting a cow was the last thing on my mind. I can't let this change the things I do, but rather teach me how to avoid similar situations in the future. My signature says a lot, but it's a reflection of life in general, not just diving.

Bill

Time on earth is precious, time underwater even more so. Live life one day at a time. Dive your @$$ off!!!


#7 Diver Ed

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Posted 03 August 2022 - 08:34 PM

I felt inclined to tell a bit of my story tonight, and this seems like a perfect place to type.  I am coming up on a 3 year anniversary shortly.  In Sept 2019, I had some basic lab work done.  I was then called in for further testing.  The doctor called me back into his office and told me that I had stage 3 chronic kidney disease.  The kidneys were functioning at 30 something percent.  Basically, I was looking at kidney failure in about 7 years.  I spent almost every day for about a month going from doctor to doctor, and test to test.  After about a month, the consensus of 6 different doctors was that I had a parathyroid gland that may be extremely out of wack.  It was pulling extreme levels of calcium from my bones and putting it into my blood stream.  That was slowly killing my organs.  To a much lesser extent, it was giving me regular kidney stones, and I had 7 of them in me at the time.  I walked away from a back to back Galapagos trip that I had set for October, and headed a couple hours away for surgery.  Everything went smoothly, and removing a tiny gland seems to have done the trick.  The calcium levels in my blood returned to normal, and the doctors said that the kidneys would not continue to get worse, and will most likely start to improve a little.  I was no longer looking at a possible 7 year life expectance.  As the title of Bill's original post says, that was God tapping me on the shoulder.  The thought of potentially counting down 7 years really shook me.  Learning that the damage to my kidneys was a by product of a malfunctioning gland that was now removed, and going forward, my organs were no longer under constant attack, was a huge relief.  I took the tap on the shoulder, and I listened to it.  I started walking once or twice a day when the back allows, and I changed my diet.  I also decided to live life as much as I can.  For me, that has a lot to do with traveling and diving.  I have done about a dozen trips now in the last 2 years.  For me, life is short, and we never know how short it really is.  I plan to enjoy it as best I can.  What inspired me to share this is the recent report that I got from my latest set of blood work.  I stopped taking my cholesterol meds due to the side effects.  Without the meds, the cholesterol was still 50 points above the range, but that is actually down a bit from where it previously was when I was taking meds.  My triglycerides were over 2000 years ago.  That is a family chronic issue.  I have been on meds for almost 20 years, and could not get them below 500.  My dad can't get his below 1000.  Mine are now at 190.  My kidneys were functioning at about 32 percent a few years ago.  They are now at 55%.  I walked out of my recent doctors visit feeling like I was on the top of the world.  I feel very thankful that I felt that tapping on my shoulder, and that I made a couple of small changes in my life.  I am seeing the benefits of those changes and enjoying my life.  I plan to continue to travel as frequently as I can and currently have more than half a dozen trips scheduled including a trip to Yellowstone tomorrow.  I could have easily brushed off that tap on the shoulder after my surgery, but I decided not to.  Small changes can make huge differences.  They may not always be obvious, but that does not mean that they are not there.


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#8 WreckWench

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Posted 04 August 2022 - 09:28 AM

Thank you Ed...how inspiring and thank you for sharing it with your 'diving family'! Kamala



Contact me directly at Kamala@SingleDivers.com for your private or group travel needs or 864-557-6079 AND don't miss SD's 2018-2021 Trips! ....here! Most are once in a lifetime opportunities...don't miss the chance to go!!
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#9 Ducky

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Posted 05 August 2022 - 07:05 PM

Im so glad you received that tap on the shoulder Ed. I hope you stay open to receiving all of His blessings. Happy Living, Loving and Diving to you ! ❤️
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#10 little mermaid

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Posted 05 August 2022 - 07:54 PM

Wahoo for you Ed, glad the Dr. news was good!! Very inspirational.!  


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