I called everyone to the bed before the knocked me out and told
them that this was the last party I was coming to, then everything went black. I woke up the next day and found out
they did not replace the hip but put in screws (4) of them, and I ain't talking sheet metal screws. Those things
have got to be at least 9 inches long, and to this day I can tell you where each one is in my
hip.
Now I'm on recovery from the last
hip operation and it is going slow. In fact, it took nine months to get over both operations. I went in for a one
year check up. They did more x-rays
and found also that I have a disk going out in my back.
I thought
what else is going to happen...something you must never say; I found that out the hard way. I have put off the back operation
due to the fact that I saw
my Dad go through three of them and they told him the next time he will have to decide if he wants to spend the rest of his life
on his back or sitting in a
wheel chair.
With all this, I still get out and
fish my heart out when ever I can, provided I have someone to go with me.
Well, I fished a tournament last
year and about three days after
it was over, I noticed that my right elbow had like a golf ball on it. I went to the emergency room to get it checked out. They
drained it and told me they did not know what that was from, even though it makes my right hand numb.
I still
get on the lake and have to cast with both hands to ensure that I do not throw my rod in the water.
Well, the body is falling apart
and went in to see about something for my back and was told that my blood pressure is twice what it
should be and was told to be looking for either a heart attack or stroke to occur. They told me it was a matter
of time and that there is
little that they could do for me.
I was told to enjoy
what I like to do most for the
short time I have left.
I felt like I got dealt from
the bottom of the deck. After
all, I am just 54 years old and have not been able to work for the past three years and tried to apply for Social
Security Disability and that is a
never ending story of how you can not have the money that you have worked your lifetime for to help you when the time came if
you were disabled.
You would think it is their money.
If you are thinking about
applying for Social Security, plan on at least three years for it to be even looked at by the social security
adminisration.
With all this bad news, I have
slowed down to a crawl and more
or less, just waiting for my time. I got to do some early spring fishing or late winter fishing and will cherrish those
days very much.
I
have made all the plans of what
is to happen after I am gone and what buddies get my fishing tackle.
The night finally arrived about
9pm; I was visited by my Mother that has been gone for 15 years. She came into my bedroom and said it
was time to go and not to
be afraid.
I told her that the only wish I
had was to go fishing one more time. I wanted that last cast and I had planned on going at the lake. That I
was waiting on my Social Security
so I could get a small place at the lake and finish what little time I had.
Mom explained that it was not to
be, and that I must come and go
with her right then. The trip was not bad, just about what it would have taken me to get to the lake. I got checked in and have a
nice place in heaven and was told
that the real fishing begins now.
I requested a last wish that I
could attend my funeral and it was granted. Oh, what a sight; all my old fishing buddies were there and
all talked about the great times we had together and the fish that we caught, and how much that I had
taught them that they could
relay on to other fishing folks. They knew that is what I wanted.
I had also asked my tournament partner to have me cremated and to
take me to the lake. When he
caught his next eight pounder and released it back to the lake, he was to put me in the lake with the eight
pounder.
That way he knew everytime he
would catch that fish I would
have something to do with it. I promised him that I would be with him in spirit every tournament he fished and might be able
to give him a slight edge.
So, if you are fishing a
tournament and you notice this one guy always comes up with a sack of fish and wins all the time, just think of me. I will
always be at the lake and with
Mother Nature, and will take the love of fishing with me where ever I go.
Keep the Hooks Wet!
Steve McGoldrick
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