Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Close calls you were fortunate or blessed to have survived.

I was in Houston Methodist with a lung tumor, 1996. Pulmonologist came in and gave me the death look. I told him to leave and not come back.

My nerves were kind of shot but i called all i knew and asked them to pray for me. Couldnt sleep much. One night I had a dream and HE told me not to worry and i would be OK. Ha, it helped but that was easier said than done.

A Christian guy came the next day and we talked about things. I went with him for biopsy the next day. Coming to a surgeon said it was probably benign and he could save me with a new kind of sx and save most my lung regarding its location.
Several hours later the Christian guy came and told me the surgeon was great on heart transplants but he had researched and he had never done the proceedure i needed and he would let him do it onnhim or his wife.

I asked who could. He said the proceedures inventor, Dr Herman Grillo from Harvard at Bostons Mass General. I said ok. He sent the biopsy etc. While at Houston they found another tumor in my spinal canal at the hangmans vertebra. Thought it was benign but wanted me to take it easy to not break my neck. Crap. Jumping out of trees or off small cliffs archery hunting want the best thing to do.

Flew to Boston and met DrGrillo Sun PM early Oct. He said he thought id be ok.
Operated the next am after hanging my clothes in Closet No13. All the rest were already taken. 13 is a lucky number for Christians, like 13 Colonies, 13 stripes, thirteen tribes...
He finished several hours of sx and caught a plane to Scotland to teach the procceedure and his student surgeons took care of me.

I left the hospita after a week when it normally takes 2 for such.

Had the meningioma removed by neurosurgeon Dr Blacklock or was it Blackrock in Dec at Houston Methodist.

PTL. Thank you Father in Heaven.

Do you recall the name of that Christian?

Gunzo,
There’s money in it if you’re good enough. Getting to be good enough is the issue. Rode bulls while in HS and on College Rodeo Team. Lots of buckout sessions and mid/high level amateur rodeo trying to amass enough points to qualify for a PRCA (Pro) card. I’ve broken ribs, shoulder, both ankles, and right leg. That was 1972-1980. Before Kevlar vests were required and helmets were optional. But that was nothing. I had two cousins went to VietNam and were killed. My draft lottery # was 29 in the final draft for VN.

almost got married

That's quite a testimony.
It sounds like the Lord was guiding you through every detail. Glad that He kept you around.

The name of the neurosurgeon that you are trying to remember.....could it possibly have been Blaylock?
He's a famous neurosurgeon that I've studied.
Here's his picture and some of his history.

https://www.blaylockreport.com

Was running late for work one day and made a roast beef sandwich to wolf down while getting dressed and tying up my boots. Took a big hurried bite and swallowed before it was chewed up. Hunk of beef got wedged in my throat. I coughed which caused me to lose air but it was still lodged. Was in serious shape. Vision was starting to pixelate, figured I had one shot. Threw myself against the kitchen counter, kind of like a self-heimlich maneuver. Luckily it worked. Just layed on the kitchen floor for a few minutes. That day at work, nothing bothered me, was just damn glad to be alive. Throat hurt for 2 days, my solar plexus hurt for a week.

Grateful God spared you, and thankful that he put his arms around your brothers.

Yep. That may have well been him. Was he operating there in about 96?

Yes, HIS angels have saved me many more times than i can remember and some i dont even know about.

19 years old working summer for 2 bit const co taking up a big Transcontinental gas pipeline below Pleasonton. The pipe under pressure broke and took the co weilder out when it smashed his face.

I took over with a big jump in pay. 6 days a week x 12 per.

I knew nothing but could straddled the ditch the pipeline had been cradled up from. Weilders helper chipped the tarpaper from around the weld with it laying on skids. I cut 16 inches of pipe looking down through the cut. Get to a hwy and go down in the bell hole. Dig out under the pipe and cut in from the bottom in case distallate blows out on fire. Big rope around waist tied to truck ready to run and jerk me out of the hole if it did. Just remember to keep the torch out of yur face bouncing up the hole. If they can cut the ditch deep enough, squat on the pipe and if tge pressure from the bend is too great and the pipe breaks before your cut is finished be sure to stay on top and not get caught between the ditch and pipe as it flies up.

Use a metal detector to spot the line ahead of the ditcher when i caught up to it. Left work at seven with the helper, a local boy and in his truck one evening. Two mexicans. One in cab and one in back with me. We left out down a caliche road we had reached on the pipeline we hadnt used before.
I sat on side rail and luckily pused a 55gal drum of deisel over to middled of the bed. Truck was going awful fast. I looked up and ahead and we were fixing to hit a curve doing 60-70. I knew me and the mexican were dead but thought if i did the right thing. I fell in the bed on my back with my legs stiff against the front. I remember looking up and the mexican was looking ahead screaming as the truck slid with brakes locked too late.

We hit the far ditch embankment and i remember, "Dayom what a jar". Later i came to and couldnt move. I thought i was in Heaven. After a while i got the blood out of my eyes and could see clouds. Twisted my head and could see i was hanging in a barbed wire fence. My hip had broken a 4 inch creasote post. I finally wiggled free and craweled to the road. It was bad. Motor in front floor sideways. I walked a mile to the highway and laid down. After a while two mexican men and women all deessed up pulled up in a new yellow pontiac or olds. I asked for help and they hauled ass.

I got up and walked a few hundred or so to a farm house. Lady answered the door and fainted. Dayom. Remembering get the allergies going. He kids came a tried to bring me in but i didnt want to get blood on everything so they calledvthe law and ambulance. I sat on porch and the HS local driver and truck owner walked up. I got up and went to him and grabbed his shirt collar with my left hand and raired back to knock his teeth out and he opened his mouth in fear and he had no teeth. Lost them onnthe steering wheel. Just a bunch of blood.

Mexican went through windsheild and iirc didnt end up making it. The one in back opposite me had the drum land on him causing him to lose his leg.

I walked into the hospital holding my bluejeans up. Almost every seam busted.
I got my head sowed up and some arm and body cuts and next day i went home. Pipeline man no more. College started in 2 weeks anyway.

Amen.

PTL. People should tell their kids and grandkids of what you did. A chair or couch back can save a life.

I did that to and old lady at lunch one day in the clinic. I squeezed her hard twice and she was turning blue. I said to myself, well, ill break ribs this time. I jerked like hell and heard some minor popping but a bolus of damp bread came up.

Ha. No broken ribs either.

Banister end on the pickets going up stairs is what I had to use.....wasn't as far gone as you were but far 'nuff.

+1 Gary

I don't know if Dr. Blaylock was practicing there, but he retired from neurosurgery sometime between then and 2000. With a name like that and practicing neurosurgery at that time, I'm guessing that he is a likely candidate for one that removed that tumor. Doesn't matter since you are well, I take it, and hopefully a positive outcome. The Lord made it all work together for your good. Romans 8:28

He still works today. After his surgical career, he he continued to promote health through nutrition, supplementation and educating physicians. He thought that he could help more people that way. That's how I learned of him.
A top DO friend who started the state DO Assn and a hospital, isn't impressed by anything. He borrowed my book written by Dr. Blaylock, contacted him and joined his group. It seems like you had the best put on your difficult case.

That pick up truck story is amazing.
Right there's your chapter for that book you're family and others will enjoy and boost their faith. 👍

Yes!
That's fast thinking.
A person just doesn't know what it's like until it happens to them. Having a plan is the way to go when you are alone and can't breathe.
I had a similar situation a couple of years ago. A tough piece of steak started sliding into my lung. I fought the panic as the oxygen was running out. Cough didn't work. Made my way to a chair to do what you did but was able to grab it before I passed out.
If we panicked, that would game over.

I fell off a ladder/scaffold from about 26 feet up. I fell pretty much flat, face down. The impact was crazy! Luckily, all I broke was my nose. I dislocated my left shoulder and left foot. I had a pretty big gash on my forehead and busted my lip clean through. It was pretty rough, but it should have been much worse.

PTL. Perfect landing.

Son fell off the tip top of the high roof of a house. By the grace of God landed feet first.

Two mexicans ran a stop sign onto the highway one night. He t boned them at about 70. Head broke and pushed the windshield out. Some good cuts but no broken neck, PTL.

Latest near death was the lightning strike just yards away from me while deer hunting the high Sierra last Monday. Mother Nature can and will kick ass.

I'm still sh-sh-sh-shook up.

Darn scarey. PTL for your blessing.

Been there done that. It’s scary when the panic sets in !!!

Watched a set of wheels go by in the opposite direction while sliding down the two lane highway on my helmet once. And just like that, went from thinking this sucks to let me stay in this lane, God. Got out of it with a skinned knee and needed a new helmet.