As most of you know Joyce (Bait Babe) and I had a his & her Leopard hunt booked in the Niassa Reserve for early June. It seems that will not be happening for us, at least not this year.

Joyce developed some low back pain in July. She’s an avid Crossfitter so we just attributed the pain to muscle strain. Two weeks later after landing a large Halibut the pain increased. I finally got the hardhead to come in for an Xray two weeks later. She had a compression fracture of her 4th lumbar vertebrae with an very suspicious appearance. Loads of testing later everything was negative. Then in October the pain became intractable and a repeat MRI showed her vertebrae to be all but gone.

She underwent stabilization surgery on 11/04/13, fusing L-5 to L-3 with hardware. Finally a good pathology sample revealed the cause as Large B-Cell Non- Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. She is presently having her first round of chemo as you read this. It will be 6 cycles given 21 days apart.

I’m mentioning this here for two reasons. There are some AR friends that already know this information and I recently got a PM asking me where I was hunting Leopard and with whom. I thought it better just to make a general announcement so to speak.

We certainly will not refuse kind thoughts and prayers but we are NOT seeking anything else.

I just wanted to let folks know that if I were looking for a good Leopard hunt with a beyond excellent chance of a daylight Leopard I would be contacting Greg Brownlee before the conventions. We were slated to hunt with Derek Littleton of Luwire and I did my due diligent research.

Cheers and best wishes for the holidays
Jim & Joyce

Little Miss Crossfit in May after stacking two cords of wood.

Jim hasn't had a bad hunt yet. The man does his homework!!!

Brett

Hope all goes well for Joyce - prognosis can be very good for large B-cell lymphoma with good chance for cure. Regards, AIU

Ditto on the prognosis. My Dad was diagnosed with the same type of cancer several years ago (believe it was actually Stage 4A) and he is doing fine today. Will keep you both in our thoughts and prayers. With all this talk of late on deleting things, let's delete this disease!

Sorry to hear about this. Included her and your family in my prayers.

Hope she gets back to normal soon and you get those two leopards!

Prayers sent her way. Hope the chemo doesn't tear her up too bad.

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
Ditto on the prognosis. My Dad was diagnosed with the same type of cancer several years ago (believe it was actually Stage 4A) and he is doing fine today. Will keep you both in our thoughts and prayers.

Thanks Mike,

We are far more optimistic than pessimistic, although Joyce did accuse me one day of having the "mushing mortician" on speed dial. Hey what can I say, I'm a planner.

Jokes aside, the prognosis is good and she is in excellent health without any co-morbidities.

Being a Crossfitter, she's looking at the chemo like any other workout. Knocking it out one round at a time.

BTW, technically she's stage 4B

quote:

Originally posted by pagosawingnut:
Prayers sent her way. Hope the chemo doesn't tear her up too bad.

Thanks for the cheery thought!!

It is what it is. Chemo is the ultimate "The enemy of my enemy is my friend" It rarely comes without a price.

Very best to you both. Was nice to meet you briefly last year at SCI.

I hear leopards make good motivation.

If tests or treatment bring you to Seattle let me know.

Baxter

quote:

Originally posted by BaxterB:
Very best to you both. Was nice to meet you briefly last year at SCI.

I hear leopards make good motivation.

If tests or treatment bring you to Seattle let me know.

Baxter

Baxter,

Would love to get together much later for a long weekend break from all this but I'd rather Joyce not have to go to Seattle for treatment. That would not be for a good reason.

Cheers Buddy
Jim

10-4. :-)

God Bless You Both!

Very sorry to hear this. Wish you both the best of luck with a speedy recovery.

I'll be pulling for you guys. Joyce's fitness and positive attitude should help greatly in this battle.

quote:

Originally posted by sandyhunter:
I'll be pulling for you guys. Joyce's fitness and positive attitude should help greatly in this battle.

+1

You met her!! Actually it was her Reedbuck we all enjoyed together.

If she's anything, she's positive.

The very best to Joyce, with her training ,in my mind she will kick the heck out of this! Best to her, and you! Kick ass Joyce!!!

Jim,

I am sure Joyce will get the greatest of medical attention with you at the helm.

Prayers sent for you guys!

2 days after 9/11 i started chemo for stage 4 B cell non Hodgkins lymphoma. i was told my life expectancy was 9-10 years. i was also told that a new drug was available(Rituxin) that was hoped would change that prognosis but under the "old" treatment regimen the cancer would recur in 4-5 years and a second remission was more iffy. 4 1/2 years later, the cancer recurred( right on schedule in spite of the new drug added to the standard treatment). i figured that was it but went through round 2 with fingers crossed. they got me into remission again and again the treatment regimen had changed. long story short, it is now almost 7 years later and 6 months ago my oncologist told me that as far as he was concerned, i am cured. he also said that treatment has progressed to the point that even if it recurs, i can be treated and put back in remission again. in other words, it a treatable disease like diabetes or hypertension rather than a fatal disease. i have gone from the depths of depression to the heights of ecstasy over the last 12 years and have learned a VERY valuable lesson- NEVER GIVE UP! tough times don't last( and 5-6 months of chemo is tough, having been down that road twice) but tough people do! MY PRAYERS ARE WITH YOUR WIFE DURING THE COMING ORDEAL, BUT IT WILL PASS.

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
2 days after 9/11 i started chemo for stage 4 B cell non Hodgkins lymphoma. i was told my life expectancy was 9-10 years. i was also told that a new drug was available(Rituxin) that was hoped would change that prognosis but under the "old" treatment regimen the cancer would recur in 4-5 years and a second remission was more iffy. 4 1/2 years later, the cancer recurred( right on schedule in spite of the new drug added to the standard treatment). i figured that was it but went through round 2 with fingers crossed. they got me into remission again and again the treatment regimen had changed. long story short, it is now almost 7 years later and 6 months ago my oncologist told me that as far as he was concerned, i am cured. he also said that treatment has progressed to the point that even if it recurs, i can be treated and put back in remission again. in other words, it a treatable disease like diabetes or hypertension rather than a fatal disease. i have gone from the depths of depression to the heights of ecstasy over the last 12 years and have learned a VERY valuable lesson- NEVER GIVE UP! tough times don't last( and 5-6 months of chemo is tough, having been down that road twice) but tough people do! MY PRAYERS ARE WITH YOUR WIFE DURING THE COMING ORDEAL, BUT IT WILL PASS.

Very inspiring! Best wishes to you both!

Jim
I will be praying for the both of you.

Best of luck to your better half!

Cancer is a tough fight, but she obviously has that in her!

quote:

Originally posted by Frostbit:

Being a Crossfitter, she's looking at the chemo like any other workout. Knocking it out one round at a time.

Great attitude.

Wish you both well in this fight.

being an old fart and uninformed, what is a Crossfitter?

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
being an old fart and uninformed, what is a Crossfitter?

That is a Crossfitter!!

Round one done, five to go…

"Let me tell you about Crossfit"

BTW, Crossfit is the reason I could survive a Sheep hunt with Brett Barringer and his Fiancé Jena at double their age. They also Crossfit.

Jim,

You get Joyce fit for next year and I may have a cunning plan.

Thinking of you both always.

Best

Andrew

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:
Jim,

You get Joyce fit for next year and I may have a cunning plan.

Thinking of you both always.

Best

Andrew

Thank you Mate!! Joyce has got this, trust me.

well, it is definitely above my pay grade/fitness level!!! PM sent

Hang in there and good luck my friend
Been there with wife years back

Holding thumbs for you. My family too has taken some big hits from this indiscriminate disease. I second the motion to DELETE it .

Hopefully we meet at the Alaskan SCI in Feb.with good news.
Thinking of you guys

As you said Jim, Joyce has got this! She's an incredibly strong willed women!

Greg

Hope it all goes well for you both buddy & I've gotta say I love the nickname Bait Babe!

Jim;

As you know, Bait Babe is in my prayers...and knowing her, chemo will be a piece of cake!!!! She'll kick it's butt!

Hugs, Darin

all it will do is to give the leopards a chance to grow bigger before you shoot them
may god bless

Best of luck. it is a horrible disease.

My prayers are with you Joyce and Jim.
With your attitudes and determination you are already way ahead and winning this battle.

Sincerely,
Dog Man

Thoughts and prayers are with you guys as Joyce fights this disease!

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
2 days after 9/11 i started chemo for stage 4 B cell non Hodgkins lymphoma. i was told my life expectancy was 9-10 years. i was also told that a new drug was available(Rituxin) that was hoped would change that prognosis but under the "old" treatment regimen the cancer would recur in 4-5 years and a second remission was more iffy. 4 1/2 years later, the cancer recurred( right on schedule in spite of the new drug added to the standard treatment). i figured that was it but went through round 2 with fingers crossed. they got me into remission again and again the treatment regimen had changed. long story short, it is now almost 7 years later and 6 months ago my oncologist told me that as far as he was concerned, i am cured. he also said that treatment has progressed to the point that even if it recurs, i can be treated and put back in remission again. in other words, it a treatable disease like diabetes or hypertension rather than a fatal disease. i have gone from the depths of depression to the heights of ecstasy over the last 12 years and have learned a VERY valuable lesson- NEVER GIVE UP! tough times don't last( and 5-6 months of chemo is tough, having been down that road twice) but tough people do! MY PRAYERS ARE WITH YOUR WIFE DURING THE COMING ORDEAL, BUT IT WILL PASS.

A-1
Good luck sounds to me like this cancer will be toating a ars whipping.

quote:

Originally posted by Dog Man:
My prayers are with you Joyce and Jim.
With your attitudes and determination you are already way ahead and winning this battle.

Sincerely,
Dog Man

This adventure wasn't chosen and likely will not be enjoyable, but it will be an adventure nonetheless. We've had many in 40 years and will travel this one as the team we have always been with an army of friends behind us.

We appreciate everyone's kind words, thoughts, and prayers.

My thoughts and prayers with you both. If anyone can whip it, she can!

(For you guys who have not met her, she's actually tougher than Frostbit ... faaaaaar better looking as well!)

Prayers for you both.

Delete it!


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