Region 13

Hi Barbara

I think an update is in order.

February 21, 2010

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To all my friends:

My health has been improving slowly since my last e-mail -- I attribute my advancement to Dr. Jemsek, who I believe is a genius in regards to treatment of Lyme Disease and other co-infections.   I am still on a heavy duty program of anti-biotic, which at times make me pretty sick.  I am also on a gluten-free diet, which is suppose to aid my immune system to fight Lyme instead of gluten.  I am on a serious course of pro-biotic to keep my digestive tract on track.  I drink a lot of green tea spiked with lemon juice and go to an infrared sauna to sweat out toxins.  It is a complicated program, but it is working!!

I have a story to share to all which shows my progress and power of giving back.  Last year I drew an antelope permit, and a deer permit in New Mexico.  I was wondering how I was going to go on these hunts because I felt so bad at times I didn't want to do anything.

I went to an RMEF banquet and bought a two-cow guided elk hunt since I did not draw an elk tag.  The year before, I had won a guided elk hunt at the annual Sportsman's Banquet in Albuquerque which got mixed up somehow and I did not get to go on it.  I went to the Sportsman's banquet again this year and a man named Rob Holloway said I would get to go on the cow hunt this year after all and that he was sorry for the mix up.  I said, OK, but then stepped back to think about what to do because I had already bought the two-cow hunt.  I saw the name of an organization "Children's Outdoor Adventure Foundation", which is a group that "Creates Outdoor Adventures for Children with Physical Disabilities and Life Threatening Conditions".  Then a light bulb went off in my head (lets call it Devine Intervention).  I went back to Rob and told him that if he had a child in mind, I would donate the hunt to that child.  He said he had the perfect kid in mind and that he would be at the banquet.  So, in the middle of the banquet, Rob stopped everything and brought the kid up (in his wheelchair) and me, and we gave the elk hunt to him --  it was priceless.

A day after that banquet, a rancher heard of my gift to this kid and offered to let me antelope hunt on his ranch.  I went with a friend of mine, the rancher, and his son.  They took me to the antelope and I got a nice buck at sunrise!!  I was unable to do any work but all of  my helpers had the antelope cleaned, quartered, skinned, and in the truck in no time.

I went to Sportsman's Warehouse in Albuquerque and bumped into Rob again.  They were having a little sport's show that day and he told me to go to another booth and buy some tickets.  I won the top prize, a guided float trip on the San Juan River.

So, I went back to Sportsman's a week later and ran into Rob again.  I asked him if he could take a handicapped child on a float trip and he said, yes, so I donated the trip to him.  He invited me to go to the Sportsmen's for Fish and Wildlife Banquet, so I bought a few tickets to go with him.

The following week, I drew the handicap elk hunt at NRA Whittington Center in Raton.  They only had one permit in a national draw!!  I decided to use this hunt, and I gave the two-cow hunt to a friend of mine so that he could take two youths.

A few weeks later, I went to the Sportsmen's for Fish and Wildlife banquet with Rob.  I bought a few raffle tickets and won a buffalo hunt in Colorado!!

I went on my deer hunt and got a nice little buck.  My son and a friend helped me out a lot, but I was actually feeling better and I was capable of doing some of the skinning and quartering.

I went on the buffalo hunt in Colorado with two good friends.  The guide and my friends did most of the work, but again I was able to do more.

Then I went on the Elk Hunt at NRA with two friends.  I got a big cow just before sundown and I actually could help in the field dressing.  One of the ranch hands came over and loaded the elk up and took it to their skinning shed.  After that, the work was easy!!

But, the best part of all, I went on the elk hunt with the Children's Outdoor Adventures.  The handicap child I sponsored got his cow elk bright and early on the first morning -- bar none, this was the coolest thing ever!! See picture.

In the middle of all this, I felt good enough to go down to Bosque Del Apache in September to run my dog Thumper and to help the granddaughters run Cooper, who is Rich Carpenter's dog, Din's, sister.  Thumper did not do so good but the girls got their ribbons with Cooper -- see picture

So, with a lot of help from my friends, some Devine Intervention, a lot of luck, and joy from giving back, my health is improving steadily and I hope to see everyone this coming summer