I’d tell my wife, sons (mid & late 20’s) and the few dear friends I have.
I already live life to enjoy every day like it’s my last, I savor the time with my family, friends.

I honestly don’t think I would have to make too much of a bucket list per se. Depending on the time of year it would either be nonstop pheasant hunting, or nonstop fly fishing with my loved ones.

I had thyroid cancer a few years ago. While waiting for the diagnosis, I knew that there were four types of cancer that I could have. The least aggressive (which is what I had, thankfully) would be easily treated. The most aggressive would be fatal in months. The other two would be a little more invasive, but treatable for the most part.

The afternoon that I found out what type I had was spent on a park bench determining what my plan would be. My first priority was to tell everyone in my family and my close friends. I would give them permission to talk about it so that I didn’t have to tell people. With the treatable form, I would go about my life and get it taken care of. With the untreatable kind, I was fixing to cash out my 401k and disappear.

I would say goodbye to my loved ones, but I wouldn’t suffer in front of them.

First thing. Get a bucket.

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
First thing. Get a bucket.

How you going to do that before making a list? If you rush out and buy a bucket without consideration, then you may end up with a crappy bucket you'd never would have put on your list to begin with.

Relax we are talking 6 months, not six days.

Damn, now it's complicated.

It's always a toss up,
Killing molesters
Or
Spreading joy and happiness

quote:

Originally posted by jigray3:
and open the Pappy.

Life isn't so bad. You've still got Pappy!

I had a coworker named Bill. Going through chemo, he was pretty much told he had 2 months to live. He still came to work, and a few of my coworkers and I helped him out.

I shaved his head in the janitor closet when he started losing his hair. I’ve shaved my head ever since as a reminder for Bill.

He was an amazing man. At his funeral, I introduced myself to his wife and daughter as “The Barber”.

Bill has served in the Army. He was buried in his Army uniform, his Green Beret was his on his chest.

He taught me more about living than anyone else. Don’t take your life for granted. Live every day like it’s your last.

Doc: You've got 6 months to live.

Patient: Jesus! That's all I needed. I've lost my job, my house, my car. My wife just left me. I'm covered up in debt. I can't even pay your bill.

Doc: OK. You've got 9 months.

This hits close to home. I'll be here in 6 months but unless we get a handle on my brain issue I will be in a wheelchair or bed ridden.

I'm consumed with making things easier for the wife if/when she sells the house and property. I already have a buyer for the two kubotas and the 4 wheeler.

This is a great time to sell guns and ammo but sadly as a gun show comes up they get cancelled. Couldn't physically do a show alone right now I'd get a buddy to help.

Simply going day to day. Another spinal tap Monday then a PET scan. Hopefully we figure out a treatment quickly. I'm ready.

The family would know and the list, let's just say the world would lose a lot of stupidity.

I would worry that people would treat me differently and feel obligated to behave in certain ways. 6 months might be 12 or 3. Just don't know. Plus health and abilities would be declining.
Future ideas of getting a dog or relocating would be off the table

What would be on the bucket list?

Enjoy every sandwich!

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
It's always a toss up,
Killing molesters
Or
Spreading joy and happiness

I like where your head is at.

I’d ride a motorcycle on as many of the deadliest roads in the world as I had time for. India, Nepal, Pakistan and others. Not necessarily in that order. Then find a nice beach in Thailand to lay in the sun.

Combo of working on my Bucket list and checking off names on my To-do list/Death Pool!

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
It's always a toss up,
Killing molesters
Or
Spreading joy and happiness

Seems like the two dovetail nicely together...

Not trying to be a downer, but I actually went through this. Absolutely not looking for sympathy, just wanted to share a viewpoint.

Got diagnosis of a rare cancer (NET cancer). Little known about it, even within the medical community. Went to a specialist (there aren't many of them), read everything I could find on the condition and the data - not much of this as only about 7 people per 100,000 develop this cancer - said I had about a 30% chance to live more than two years.

Diagnosis was in October 2017. At Christmas, we sent the grandkids upstairs so that we could talk to our kids (eight kids in our blended family, five of them were there for Christmas). We told them straight up what the situation was as we didn't want to hide anything or have to make them compare notes and try to figure out what was up. As we were constantly going to doctors, there was no way to hide this.

There was shocked silence for awhile, but it passed in an hour or two and Christmas was a really enjoyable time together despite the "talk".

First surgery to remove primary tumor was the next February (4 months after diagnosis). Second surgery (liver resection to remove largest metasteses in liver) was 8 months later in October 2018. Both were risky, but the second surgery was one that almost no doctor would perform due to the size of my liver tumors.

Surgeries resulted in slowing the disease, but there is no cure. The good news is that I'm three years out from the diagnosis and doing very well.

All that said so that I could say this:

To me, if you're doing your job as a husband and a father, there's probably not a real reason for a bucket list. Sure, we've done a couple of trips "just in case" they were our last trips. We did a two week Scandinavian cruise and a Christian Reformation history cruise of the Danube.

But you also have to think about who you are leaving behind. I want to make sure that my wife is financially secure (as much as I can) and that these years (however many the Lord gives me) are good and memorable for my wife, kids and grandkids.

Recently more NET cancer info has come out and the treatments are improving in their ability to slow the disease. Good news for me.

Every day is a blessing and I try hard to use my days to bless others while enjoying the time that God has given me. That's my bucket list.

Apologies for the sermon.

I’d spend as much time with the kids as they’d allow. We don’t have any money, so I’d drive down and see my sister in FL, then go up north, that’s my final resting place.

Right after I finish the dry wall at the new MacDonalds, in Los Colinas, two girls, at the same time.