02/04/2026
Hello friends and followers I just wanted to check in as it has been a long time. I have been pretty MIA for the past few years honestly. So I thought it was time I filled you in on my absence. A few of you already know this tale, but it has taken me some time to try to put down these words.
For a couple years my back had gotten so bad that the last thing I wanted was to even look at anything related to kayaks or fishing as I simply couldn't do it without extreme pain. I reached a point where I couldn't walk without the assistance of a cane and even with it I was limited to very short distances. Besides the pain this caused a lot of depression as I was basically becoming a couch potato. Well a friend and physical therapist recommended I look into PRP, Platelet Rich Plasma, injections. They basically draw a whole lot of blood out of you, separate it then reinject it into your spine. Yeah 26 shots into the spine, super fun. Well after a week I had tossed out my cane. After three months I was feeling soo much better but not where I wanted to be so I opted to do it again. This time within another few months I was really feeling like I had my life back and was ready to charge.
Well it was not to be as about this time my amazing wife of 38 years, Allene, was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer. As she has always done she faced this with a positive attitude ready to take on this challenge. My job of course was to be by her side during this battle. This was in October of 2024. She went through countless rounds of chemo and radiation treatments, always with that same good attitude. In November of 25 she started experiencing some trouble breathing and it was discovered that she had a small spot on her lung and fluid around her lungs. This meant the insertion of a tube to drain the fluid and she was put on constant oxygen. Treatments continued and she seemed to be doing well. In early December her breathing became very labored and she had to spend a week in the hospital, twice. Near mid December the cancer had progressed into her lungs pretty aggressively and she was placed in in home hospice care.
My best friend for 40 years, my amazing wife of thirty eight years passed in her sleep on December 28 and I have been crushed ever since. Thankfully both of our kids were able to be here every day for that final few weeks. And even though she could barley communicate she always found a way to make us all smile or laugh. Her final complete sentence to me set us all rolling on the floor laughing.
I am literally sobbing I as write this but I just felt it was time to reach out and explain my absence. I am honestly now sure when I will get back to the kayak world as at the moment I am just dealing the new realities of my life. Being her care giver I had to do a lot of lifting and managed screw up my back again so I am also dealing with that.
Thanks for the support over the years I look forward to getting back involved in the future.
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