A little depressed, overwhelmed, questioning elk hunting future

[pianoman9701]

Because I wear my heart on my sleeve a lot, many of you are aware that I'll miss hunting this year due to having a hip replacement on Aug. 29th. Two days before my surgery, my wife started having double-vision and migraines. A couple of cash-only MRIs and CT scans later, it appears that she has a recurrence of pseudotumor cerebri - a condition where the brain produces more spinal fluid than the blood can dissipate, creating pressure on the brain which can lead to permanent vision loss or complete blindness. Needless to say, I'm worried, as is she. We had a friend drive me to the hospital for my surgery and the next day, I ended up taking Uber home after my hip replacement. I quickly became the caregiver instead of the other way around, which was fine because my recovery's been going well. Hers, not as much. Off to a neuro opthamologist today to find out why the $400/mo drugs don't seem to be working and she's still suffering. We're on private health insurance and because of the high deductibles and the three major medical events this year, we've paid over $40K in medical ins., treatments, and pharmacy. It's a crime what's happened to our healthcare. 60% of my takehome is going to medical this year. My wife is also unable to work due to other medical issues.

Also, as you guys know, my hunting partner of 10 years had a massive stroke last October which looks like it has permanently grounded him to any but the easiest disability hunts. I'll turn 60 next year - too damn old to find another partner. It's hard to find a camp to join because sleep apnea means I have to run a generator. What a mess, right?

I'm not a weak man and I've been meeting all of these challenges, but it appears I have my limits. I love the HuntWA forum which has been a great place for me to be. Other than Facebook, I really don't do anything else online. I just need some encouragement, some reasons to keep hunting going forward. If you have any suggestions on how to make a little money on the side, that also would be helpful. And, I wont be accepting any handouts, either. That's not what this is about. I just need reasons to keep my stuff and continue hunting. Thanks for listening. You are who I have to talk to about this stuff! 20K of my closest friends!

[kentrek]

Take a look into goal zero yeti 400 for your cpap, sorry to hear about the bad luck....keep up the fight

[quadrafire]

A LOT heaped on your plate this year. Sorry to hear.
Glad you've found a place to share. Many guys wouldn't do that. And end up drinking their frustrations away, or worse............

[coachcw]

Keep pushing buddy , the best day of work isn't as good as the worst day of elk hunting . positive energy is your best cure ! in the worst case with a loss of vision the sounds of elk woods can be amazing . I'm truly hoping for a full recovery for both of you . Corey

[pianoman9701]

Take a look into goal zero yeti 400 for your cpap, sorry to hear about the bad luck....keep up the fight

I will look into that and will keep fighting. Just needed to vent a little. Thanks

[7mmfan]

A few times in the last couple of years I've found myself in a situation where I told myself I shouldn't, or couldn't go hunting/fishing for various reasons. Usually it had to do with either money (or lack there of), or responsibilities that I felt I couldn't delay. None of these were health related for me or loved ones though, so I can't speak to feelings that you must be dealing with.

I always felt like I was doing the right thing by not going, but the mental funk carried on and almost became "normal". When I finally dug in my heels and went hunting for a long weekend, slept in a tent, got up early, hiked, glassed, sat in the sun on a cold November day, it was like the reset button had been pushed.

All of the issues that were keeping me from going were still there, and that was my ah ha moment. Those problems weren't going to solve themselves that weekend whether I went or not. Sure there will be issues when time is of the essence and you need to handle them asap, but there aren't near as many of those as many of us feel there are. Go hunting, enjoy doing what you love, knowing that you can pick up where you left off when you get back. By getting out and resetting yourself mentally and physically, you will be able to come home with a more upbeat attitude and handle what you need to easier.

As far as camps go, I can't believe that there isn't a group of guys that would take you into their camp. I'd say you're welcome in ours, but we won't be hunting in WA this year. Good luck, keep your chin up, and keep chugging along. Time only stops once for all of us, so make the most of what you have before that time comes.

[pianoman9701]

Keep pushing buddy , the best day of work isn't as good as the worst day of elk hunting . positive energy is your best cure ! in the worst case with a loss of vision the sounds of elk woods can be amazing . I'm truly hoping for a full recovery for both of you . Corey

I've considered quitting just to get free healthcare. The whole losing-your-house thing keeps getting in the way though! I'm certainly on the mend, Corey. We're working on the Mrs. Thanks. 

[Grit dog]

Dang man, sorry to hear about your predicament!
If it helps, you're not the only one who's had a shatty year. Things are great now at my house, but almost 20 years younger than you and spent the last year with my wife's illness, 5-6 surgeries, probably 120 days in the hospital culminating in 2 heart surgeries. 1 failed, next one was her second open heart surgery in 7 years. All while trying to keep the kids (10 and 13) trying to have a "normal" life.
Did not have any financial difficulty through it luckily, but did end up getting laid off from a 16 year career job and having to find a new one due to our limited geographical mobility last year. That has worked out for the best now as well........so keep pushin man. It sucks but there's a light down there somewhere!

Regarding hunting, I suck at it and could learn a thing or 20!
If you want to go late archery up here, I gotta place you could camp with power and a paved driveway and hunt nearby over thanksgiving, with me. That's all I'll say publicly.....lol.

As far as side jobs, are you handy/mechanically inclined?  Have a shop?  There's some deals once in a while on cars. Few and far between, but I've made decent $ on fixing and flipping the odd car or truck.
Drive for über?  Don't know shat about it, but it appears easy and make your own hours. Maybe get to haul hot chicks home from the bar?? Haha
Construction is going nuts too right now. Contractors can't find enough help and not enough residential guys to go around. Thinking handyman work.
My father in law, retired, over 70 but healthy for the most part, turns down work in his home handyman business. They're in a retirement community and the world is in need of more folks that can fix stuff and don't charge $100 an hour and are trustworthy. Which you sound like.
His customers are all within his subdivision and he doesn't have enough hours in the day to do all the work. He gave up the heavy work, building decks or fixing roofs etc nOnly does simple stuff from replacing light bulbs to new faucets, plumbing leaks etc.
if you're healthy enough for that and knowledgable, get yourself into a retirement community or 2 where the residents own their homes and are responsible for upkeep.  That work can be under the table too and liability isn't a lot.
That's all I got.

[pianoman9701]

Yeah, Grit, the money is secondary to my wife's hurting. I know what you mean there. Handy? Oh yeah. I've changed light bulbs in both the house and autos! And am a master at construction. I built a raised flower bed using angle irons and wood screws this year. Quality stuff, man!  No, not much for being very handy I'm afraid.

[Grit dog]

Regarding finances, I'm not one for working the system....at all, but do you have kids, family, friends etc you could trust enough to deed your house and finances over to so that on paper you're "broke?"
Plenty of people out there that haven't worked as hard or at all that are getting mucho assistance and don't deserve it. They let them bills pile up and never intend to pay.
Even your wife, "split up" for tax purposes, let HER credit take the hit, protect both of your assets under your name, there's ways around it.
I know smart people and dumb people that are working the system. Both seem to benefit from it. We have too much to lose (both financially and integrity) to do that, but if we didn't.......
Personally I'd feel much better at night thinking my tax dollars were going to support someone like you vs the masses of deadbeat shiftheads out there!

[Grit dog]

Yeah, Grit, the money is secondary to my wife's hurting. I know what you mean there. Handy? Oh yeah. I've changed light bulbs in both the house and autos! And am a master at construction. I built a raised flower bed using angle irons and wood screws this year. Quality stuff, man!  No, not much for being very handy I'm afraid.

Ok lol. Well if you need something done around the house, if I can't be there to help you I'll totally try to walk you thru it. Seriously, just hit me up.
Look into Uber then. Seems like the perfect balance of side $ and flexible hours. Only problem is the pianoman would have to report it to the tax man!

[sumpnz]

There shouldn't be any health insurance plans that result in $40k out of pocket.  Unless a lot of that was for things that just aren't covered at all.  I'd suggest you look carefully at your plan and see what you put back on the insurance company.

I hear you on the difficulty in missing hunting seasons.  Last year I had a hall pass for deer season that I couldn't use when I needed hernia surgery.  Wrote off all of the 2011 season due to the birth of kid #3 in the middle of deer hunting season.  SWMBO requested demanded about that same time that I pick one species to hunt as I was gone too much otherwise.  I chose elk, which means I haven't hunted deer since then. 

But, now my oldest kid is old enough to go hunting, and the second kid is getting close to old enough.  So deer hunting is coming back into the realm of the possible. 

Point being is, get through this current tough time, get you and your wife healed up and healthy, and you'll get out hunting again.  60 is not too old to find a new hunting partner.  Enjoy the disabled hunts with your long time hunting partner, and start looking for other guys you can convince to go out with you.

My elk hunting partner snores really bad.  It was miserable trying to sleep until he got a CPAP.  Now, no worries.  Where we hunt he can plug it in to the cabin wall for power.  If you can't find a place to camp with power, if you're able to bring a generator, you could also bring several 12V car batteries instead of the generator.  If the CPAP runs on 12VDC you can wire it directly to the battery, if it requires 110VAC just use an inverter.  Rig up a solar charger to recharge the batteries if you need more battery life than the number of batteries you can bring would otherwise allow (assuming it's sunny enough to be effective).  That would eliminate the noise problem.

[Rainier10]

Now is not the time to make any decisions on your hunting future.

Focus on your rehab and dealing with your wife's health.

After your hip is doing betting and your wife has stabilized and you have a plan for dealing with that things will be clearer about what your hunting future holds.

[rtspring]

GET BACK ON THAT HORSE AND RIDE THE SOB!!!  Your welcome in my camp anytime anywhere!

After my two point mess I damn near quit hunting! 2 turkeys, 1 bull, 1 buck with my bow! Thank god I didnt give up... 

Keep charging my friend, its life..   Sounds like your at bottom so the only way to go is up...   Do not give up!

GETSUM

[Fl0und3rz]

Keep pushing buddy , the best day of work isn't as good as the worst day of elk hunting . positive energy is your best cure ! in the worst case with a loss of vision the sounds of elk woods can be amazing . I'm truly hoping for a full recovery for both of you . Corey

I believe you have intimate knowledge of fungi, is that right?

I don't know about others, but I would pay good money for a book or an e-book that was highly specific to the various WA specific edibles available in the backcountry, what to look out for, regions, times, etc.  The problems with other resources is that they always seem to be not very accessible regarding how to apply the information to WA, in particular.

And fungi are scary to me, given their possible side effects if you get it wrong.

With speech to text software, self-publishing, and the availability of public domain information, you could probably cobble something together pretty decent, assuming I am right about your background.  You could probably even get Hunt-WA guys to submit photos from the back country and/or provide notes on region and timing to help out.

Just an idea.