Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire What's the hardest thing you've ever done?

Watching my Father die from cancer over a several month period was rough, still miss him and my Mother,,

But reading the ‘events’ in this thread has left me with a great sense of sympathy for many of you,,

There are some soul crushing stories here, but yet somehow it seems you all managed to stand tall and keep going,

That is true strength and my hat is off to all of you.

Golf

I was very bad

My wife was 3 months pregnant with our 2nd. We had just told our 5 year old daughter she was going to be a big sister. Went to find out the sex of the baby and instead found out she had died. That one about killed us.

Calling my dad at work to tell him to come home because mom had shot and killed herself. That was tough at the time but nothing compared to losing the baby.

Continuing with life after my 15 year old daughter was killed in an auto accident.

That was more than 12 years ago now. I have largely healed but it leaves a mark.

For those of you who have experienced similar life changing events, God's grace will get you through this.

405wcf

Learning how to walk again in my 30th year.

Sitting quietly with my youngest daughter, looking into those beautiful and still smiling eyes of that most lovely being, and telling her that it is OK to let go of the pain and suffering to fly away on the wings of angels.

Having a doctor walk in to the ER room where I was waiting, and telling me they did all they could to save my wife, but she was gone due to a car accident. Then, 3 days later, seeing the unbelief on the faces of our 2 children as we buried her. 9 years ago and I’ll never forget it.

My Dad had stumbled on some basement steps and hit his head on the concrete floor. He never regained consciousness and a few days later I had to tell the doctor to stop life support. I sent my Mom and Sister home as there was a terrible ice storm coming. I stayed with him until the end.

22 months later I got to do it again when my Mom got an infection and went septic. I sent my Sister home to get cleaned up and had them remove the ventilator so she wouldn’t have to see Mom die.

The same doctor was in ICU and she remembered me because she said “I’m sorry but this isn’t going to turn out any better than the last time “. She seemed to really care

Had to help support two friends bury their teenage boys due to suicide. I still recall those two phone calls too.

KC

Saying goodbye both of my Grandmas.

Telling my kids their Papaw had died.

Burying my dogs is always pretty tough.

Dropping my daughter off at college this past August was pretty tough. I was not prepared for just how tough that moment was going to be.

[quote=405wcf]Continuing with life after my 15 year old daughter was killed in an auto accident.

That was more than 12 years ago now. I have largely healed but it leaves a mark.

For those of you who have experienced similar life changing events, God's grace will get you through this.

405wcf[/quote

could not have done it without GODs grace, same with all the other stuff i have gone thru...
read thru post on,[ ill be dead in 5 years]

Watching my 42 year old dad die of cancer when I was 21 and the oldest of five.

A close second was first to find a two year old left in a vehicle that died.

Admit I was wrong and ask for help.

Reading this thread made me realize I’ve yet to have any real problems.
Buried both my Grandads 60 days apart back in ‘09, it was rough, but they both led long, full lives.
I had to hang on to that, cause it still sucked.

I was really close to my grandpa, he was my best friend, mentor….everything to me. I have great parents but dad wasn’t an outdoorsman so grandpa indulged this young boy. For most of my life they lived next door so I practically lived there. Years later they sold their house and moved to Apache Junction Arizona but about 8 months after moving to Arizona I see grandpa’s truck coming up our private road. I ran out so excited for this impromptu visit but my excitement turned to over-the-moon happiness. I asked them how long they were going to be here when grandma said the words I’ll never forget…” I can’t listen to your grandfather cry himself to sleep every night anymore so we’re here to stay”. Grandpa replied rather tersely (totally out of character for him) to grandma…”what the hell good is life if you can’t be with the ones you love. I love Arizona and the weather but I love you so so much more buddy, I’m sorry we ever left”. As the years went by I would go to grandma and grandpa’s house several times a week to have lunch, help with projects and to just spend time with grandpa and grandma.

One sunny February day in 1994 I had called grandpa to tell him that I wouldn’t be coming to lunch tomorrow since I was taking my little sister and my buddy from England down to the Edmonds waterfront for lunch but I would be there the following day. Just after lunch I got a call that grandpa had collapsed carrying groceries in the house. Grandma said that grandpa was in such a great mood all day laughing and joking with her, he was looking forward to the leg of lamb grandma was going to cook. Grandpa had a triple bypass in 1977 and was born with an enlarged heart so cardiac issues were always present. That afternoon grandpa suffered a massive MI and was down without oxygen for several minutes before a neighbor lady that was a nurse started CPR. The medics got there and got a rhythm back BUT grandpa had a DNR so he was admitted but not “supported”. I walked into the room and saw grandpa lying on a cold metal table. His breathing was shallow and he was extremely diaphoretic with the sweat pooling in his eyes and running down his face like tears. It was getting late and everyone was heading home after a long and stressful, emotional day. I told everyone that I’m NOT leaving grandpa alone…no way in hell I would leave grandpa, if it was me on that table you can be damn sure that grandpa would NEVER leave my side and I damn sure wasn’t leaving his! I spent all night drying his face and telling him how much I loved him. I told him stories of our times spent fishing, hunting, our Boyscout camping trips and the 10’s of thousands of miles we spent traveling across the country on our summer vacations. The family all started filtering in and promised me they’d stay by his side until I got back to the hospital. I told grandpa, as I kissed his forehead, that he can let go and go to heaven, that we love him but we understand that if it’s time it’s ok to let go. I ran home to shower and change real quick but it wasn’t long after I left the room that grandpa passed. I got home and saw the flashing light on my answering machine…grandpa let go when I walked out…

For years I carried the guilt that had I been there that afternoon I would’ve started CPR immediately and he would’ve had a chance. To a lesser extent I felt like grandpa was holding on for me and only stopped when I left.

For many years that was THE hardest thing I could ever imagine…and then I got older and life decided to show me that what I went through was nothing compared to what others are going through and some of that I’d be going through in the years to come. Grandpa had a good life and while 74 is too young considering that grandpa smoked since he was 8 he was doing pretty good. It’s the deaths and serious afflictions of the young and healthy that brought things into focus for me.

I’ll see grandpa again someday and I can’t wait….I will wait but it’s going to be a glorious reunion one day.

When I was in High School my older brother, 19 at the time, almost died in a bad oilfield accident. He was pinned between a pipe trailer that slipped off its jacks in a pouring rain and a drilling rig. It just about amputated his legs below the knee and he lost a ton of blood and had brain damage. He miraculously lived, but he was never the same person again after that accident, and had some bad mental issues...

It was really tragic for my entire family, of course, it was like he was there, but someone else took over his body and mind...It was really hard to see someone I looked up to struggle every single day like he did and not be able to do a darn thing about it. He had his whole life taken away in just a matter of seconds at a very young age. He never married or had children, and never had really much enjoyment in his adult life from all the mental issues and being crippled from the accident.

He passed away a couple of years ago (30 years since the accident), and I felt terrible because all I could think was praise God his suffering is over..I still remember how he was when we were young before the accident, how great an athlete he was at football and basketball, and how he always had a lot of friends, was never in any trouble, and was always smiling and happy... He was always looking out for me, and always spent time with me even though he was older and had lots of older friends around...We'd ride dirt bikes together and hunt and fish on my dad's farm when our dad wasn't working us...It really killed me when he told me one day he wished they had never put the turnicuts on his legs and just let him bleed out and die, I can't imagine how hopeless he felt...

Reflection , it’s all we got and keeps us moving on , just really slow sometimes
Kenneth

Well …..I’m not certain if it was wrestling an 800 pound Black Bear at a county fair, or “attempting” my first (and last) bull ride…..both when I was near 40 years old! 😁

Both caused several days of discomfort post event! 😂 memtb

I can't even imagine. Thank you for sharing and your family is in my prayers.

watch an er doc let my little girl die, and act like i was taking up his T time at the country club

And that is as far as I can go in this thread...

I'm sorry for all of your losses.