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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 1999
    Location
    Sedro Woolley, Washington, USA
    Posts
    1,558

    Default Back

    It has been some time since I have posted here. I have stopped in from time to time to see what is happening. Over the past year many things have changed in my life. A kind of moving away from fly fishing has been taking place in the past few years. My only real fly fishing goal nowis to help re-establish the spring CnR steelhead season on the Skagit River. Which really isn't a fly fishing goal as much as it is a part of a bucket listing. One of the things I want to do before I leave this earth is to catch another Skagit spring run steelhead.

    Which brings me to part two of my return post. In the past couple of months I have had two major surgeries and one minor one as a result of acquiring a couple of brain tumors. The largest, about the size of a golf ball was removed surgically and two smaller ones blasted with radiation via Gamma Knife. The thing about brain tumors is they usually migrate there from someplace else so some serious testing was done and it was discovered I have stage IV lung cancer. Damn, and I quit smoking some 17 years ago just to prevent this. They found two tumors in my lungs and there are a couple of nymph nodes which the cancer has spread to also. Prognosis is decent and I am a good candidate for chemo. I have been in chemo for a few weeks now and so far the only side effects have been some insomnia. Doctors continue to be optimistic I will respond well to chemo treatments. I will also need to have MRIs on my brain every two to three months to catch further tumors early and zap them with the Gamma Knife.

    All of this is likely to cause me to retire early ,damn. Even dark clouds have some silver in them. We are in the process of finishing up refinancing our house and tiding up some other financial things to allow me to "retire". After retirement I will continue to work on projects regarding the Skagit River and its steelhead. I will be broadening that work to include Searun Cutthroat. I will also be spending more time on my photography with a focus on the Skagit River and northwest Washington.

    Look forward to participating a little more on the board.

    Have a very Merry Christmas

    Kerry

    PS; a picture for you...
    Last edited by Kerry Stratton; 12-10-2013 at 02:59 PM.
    "The reason you have a good vision is you're standing on the shoulders of giants." ~ Andy Batcho

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Las Cruces, NM
    Posts
    2,097

    Default

    So sorry about your troubles. We're here for you.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Harrisburg, SD USA
    Posts
    432

    Default

    Hey Kerry. Sorry to hear of your issues but you seem to have a good, positive attitude. Hang in there.

    Sure yould like for you add getting to South Dakota to chase some pheasants on that bucket list. I've yet to get the chance to repay you for the day on the Stilly you gave me and Stan a few years back. I still have the picture of the 3 of us in front of the North Fork Stilly sign sitting on the shelf beside my desk.

    Good luck and all the best!!!

    Royce

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 1999
    Location
    Sedro Woolley, Washington, USA
    Posts
    1,558

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Royce View Post
    Hey Kerry. Sorry to hear of your issues but you seem to have a good, positive attitude. Hang in there.

    Sure yould like for you add getting to South Dakota to chase some pheasants on that bucket list. I've yet to get the chance to repay you for the day on the Stilly you gave me and Stan a few years back. I still have the picture of the 3 of us in front of the North Fork Stilly sign sitting on the shelf beside my desk.

    Good luck and all the best!!!



    Royce
    Royce, what I have learned about this stuff is attitude is what is going to enable me to beat it. Perhaps attitude is more important than the treatments themselves.

    I need to make it to S. Dakota. Not only to see you but I also have a standing invitation to visit from my friend Brad whom I believe you have met.
    "The reason you have a good vision is you're standing on the shoulders of giants." ~ Andy Batcho

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    neither here nor there
    Posts
    5,343

    Default

    It does take some pretty tough some-be-otichies to get through this. And, we are here for you! So good to see your post!

    *do hope that passes the sensor....it's said in all fun...from a very tough place! Approved! Denny
    Trouts don't live in ugly places.

    A friend is not who knows you the longest, but the one who came and never left your side.

    Don't look back, we ain't goin' that way.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Auckland New Zealand
    Posts
    1,131

    Default

    Hi Kerry, good to see you posting, even if it is bad news!
    I hope all goes well for you and the Steelhead return to the Skagit, if they do be sure and post some pics!
    Good luck and god bless
    All the best.
    Mike

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