Sunday, January 11, 2009

An early end to the season?

I had a knot in my stomach as I prepared for Friday morning's hunt in a rice field north of Sacramento.

Was it the coffee on an empty stomach? Was it the crazy north wind that promised excellent hunting?

Nope. Turns out it was the beginning of appendicitis.

Got two birds that day - a beautiful bull sprig and a nice looking drake spoonie - and I'd better enjoy them because that might've been my last duck hunt of the season. Had surgery Saturday afternoon, and they tell me I've got to take it easy for a couple weeks. If I do get to hunt again, it'll have to be with buddies who do all the heavy lifting. (And my friends know how I am about that stupid cart...)

Sigh.

I blame the bumpy-ass gizzard.

OK, back to my drugs now. I'll be back, dear readers, when I have something lucid to say.

© Holly A. Heyser 2008

24 comments:

Jon Roth said...

Oh my, that's no fun! I am so sorry to hear that unfortunate news. Glad that surgery went well and I hope that you mend quickly. By the looks of the weather in the extended forcast, the season may as well be over anyway. Take good care.

Albert A Rasch said...

Holly,

Sorry to hear about the appendix business. Mind your Drs orders and relax!

Regards,
Albert A Rasch
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles
Proud Member of Outdoor Bloggers Summit
Southeast Regional OBS Coordinator

Native said...

Man,
Bummer dude! Wishing a speedy recovery for ya' Holly!

Way to go though, getting that last bit of shooting in before you have to go in for surgery.

Andrew Campbell said...

Get well soon, Holly! Much better to have found it now (meaning at the end of the season) (and before it became an emergency) (in that order).

best wishes
Andrew

Blessed said...

sorry to hear about that... glad everything is ok!

oldfatslow said...

Be careful with that
apendectomy. Mine led
to a sequence of events
that got me married,
seven kids, and into
duck hunting.

ofs

SimplyOutdoors said...

Well that is no fun. Hope you're feeling better soon. Take some time, and relax.

Unknown said...

Get well soon!

The Hunter's Wife said...

Take care Holly and get some rest.

bushman said...

Good! Now tha California duck population can recover!

Just kiddin...get well soon!

Holly Heyser said...

Thanks everyone! I'm enjoying my first cup of coffee (except for a sip yesterday) since Friday morning, so things are looking up.

Native, if I'd known it was appendicitis and not food poisoning, which was my guess, I'm not sure I would've gone out there!

Andrew, I agree with you. This interrupts way more than just hunting, but I know a burst appendix would've been much worse.

OldFatSlow, they did not warn me about the risk of children and marriage before surgery. Now I'm scared.

And Bushman, all I did is take out 37 of California's least wary ducks this year. I swear I was doing them a favor...

OK, that's all my rubbery fingers can type for now. Thanks everyone!

Tom Sorenson said...

Wishing you well - that sounds about zero percent fun. Wish I could think of something full of wit or wisdom to share here...but it's not coming to me. So here's a boring ol' "get well" message.

Terry Scoville said...

Oh, no fun Holly. You do as the doctor says and you'll be swingin' a gun before the season closes! Get well soon.

Anonymous said...

Hang in there, Holly! Follow doctor's orders, but I sure hope you can join us at SHOT!

I know you won't be able to shoot at the range day, but I'll be sure to play with a couple of extra shotguns just for you.

Feel better.

sportingdays said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
sportingdays said...

Does this mean you now get to hunt those disabled blinds at the wildlife refuges? Sweet.

Just kidding, Cazadora. So sorry to hear about the appendicitis. Get well soon. Definite bummer to go down during hunting season. Maybe a couple of weeks of R&R will let you get back out there for the last weekend.

Anonymous said...

Aww, Holly! Feel better... You'll be terrorizing those kids in no time!

Marian Ann Love said...

So sorry to hear that you had to have surgery. Thinking of you and hope you get well real soon. Take care and get your rest Holly. Hugs, Marian

Anonymous said...

Look at this as an opportunity lost...y'all cudda performed a self-appen-deck-otomy with a sharp Buck knife...and started a sub-blog on field surgery! But seriously, Hol, best wishes for a speedy recovery...

Josh said...

My cousin was taking me out to a club by the end of the week after his surgery... don't do that, though. He was hobbling around, and I felt so bad I missed a few birds... yeah, that's why I missed them.
We sure missed you out for snipe last weekend. Rest up and get better, & if you need anything, just ask.

Holly Heyser said...

Oh, I'm trying to be good. I did the toughest thing yesterday - canceled my trip to Florida, where I was supposed to be attending the SHOT Show this week. I was going to meet tons of people I've met online through the blog, so it's very disappointing. But I've been to SHOT before, and it's huge - so much walking, so much talking. I'm very, very bad at resting, but I'm trying to take this as a mandate to take it easy.

And Glenn: I did have that beautiful engraved Buck knife on me, but dammit, I forgot to put anything in my blind bag for stitches, and that's a big blade -a Bandaid wouldn't have done it...

Anonymous said...

Aw come on.....Sarah Conner would be out there hunting TODAY!....A few years ago a friend of mine missed a good part of the end of the season, but on the last day he had me come out to his blind with him. He just rolled up that IV tube in his arm and wrapped an ace bandage around it. He did not count on how much the needle in his arm would hurt when he brought his gun up to shoot...but it gave him a great excuse for missing. At least I had a great shoot that day.
Get well soon,

David Pentoney

Holly Heyser said...

Blech. The IV was AWFUL. The thought of shooting with one in my arm makes me want to barf.

I may make it out the last day of season if I'm feeling OK, and I may have one opportunity to go along on a hunt before then without actually lifting a finger - including a trigger finger. We'll see. As crazy as I am about duck hunting, my health comes first. Despite my late start, I have many duck hunting years left in me. :-)

Anonymous said...

Geeze, I'm gone for a little bit and I miss everything! I'm glad to hear you're on the other side of the surgery and recovering.