Life happened.....

My husband lives for fishing. It's all he thinks about when he isn't fishing. And if the weather is not being cooperative or for whatever reason he can't go fishing, he's in his hobby room making sure all of his fishing gear is ready for the next time he does go fishing. This includes making sure the snack cupboard is stocked. Honestly, he's as bad with his fishing as I am with my crafting!! (And really, is it a BAD thing? Not at all!) He is one person - he has three pontoon boats. THREE! (Looking around my room at all the die cutters and machines I have that do the same job....oops!) Don't even ask about the rods, reels and flies. 👀

But life has thrown him/us a curveball that we had never in a million years thought would ever happen. He's been suffering with pain in his toes, foot, and leg since January, the worst of it beginning in March. His toes became infected and went septic, he was put in a coma and flown by helicopter to the ICU for a week in April. After many doctors, xrays, sonograms, and angiograms he now has two stents for revascularization of his right leg. However, even after all that, the blockages in his arteries are so severe, he ultimately ended up with gangrene in the toes. He is facing major surgery. 

We have been considering all options for the few weeks and he has made his decision how to proceed (after going back and forth and changing his mind a few times). It's a scary thing to have to face, but given the severity of the blockages in his lower leg and foot, taking just the dead tissue (toes) is not an option that is likely to heal properly, if at all. Therefore, he will be losing not just the toes, not just the foot, but midcalf down. It seems so surreal to even say it out loud, but that is what our future holds. It has been a horrible chapter for him, dealing with the pain for so long, so even though the next chapter will be extremely difficult, we are ready to face it together. Believe me, I have prayed about this A LOT. He has a good attitude about it after thinking for so long about what to expect, what to do, what it will be like afterward, and considering everything there is to consider. We are ready for it. 

He said he doesn't want a peg leg as it will get stuck in the mud when he goes fishing. Maybe a web foot attachment?? LOL

He is scheduled for surgery Friday, June 30. He'll be in the hospital for at least a few days, then there will be a long road ahead, learning how to deal with it all. He has a good outlook and great attitude about it all and I am grateful for that. If you pray, please keep him in your prayers, and me too, as it will certainly be a huge change for us both. 🙏

Pictures from Wednesday, June 14, 2023. 

Randy catches carp and freezes them until he has a couple of coolers full. He then takes them to a guy who makes fertilizer out of them. It's a win-win for them both!

Son, Christopher's first carp