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Posted: 12/11/2013 1:01:57 PM EDT
[Last Edit: SleeperShooter]
Jeff,
You were on the site for a relatively short time, but you made an impact here that will forever be felt by those that had the wonderful opportunity to talk to you, see you in the hospital, and read your posts. You will be missed. Reta, You are now part of the ARFCom Family. That's a hard circle to join and once you're in, you're in for Life. If you ever need anything please don't hesitate to ask. When you think it's time for your little munchkin to learn how to shoot and handle firearms safely, do not hesitate to email me. Dollars to doughnuts that we'll have quite a selection for y'all to shoot and learn to use properly. I'm pretty dang sure the ammo will be provided for as well.  Please know that you and your family is forever in our prayers and thoughts.
Respectfully, SleeperShooter ETA: Link to the Original Thread by Jeff. ETA2: Quoted for posterity. Originally Posted By Fatalwishes:
No shit. I'm laying here at Harris Hospital in Fort Worth Texas realizing my final days are upon me. It started back in April when I was diagnosed with stage IVLymphoma cancer. Couldn't just be normal Lymphoma, it had to be Burkitt's lymphoma. And a rare one at that. It's what's called a triple hit Burkitt's. Meaning there are three bad chromosones they have to fight. Basically it's a fast growing tumor they throw everything at. We started with Chemo called Hyper/Cvad....one of the strongest doses of chemo they have. The tumor responded and went from 22cm to 8.4 cm then got pissed off and started growing again. They took me off Chemo and Sent me to MD Anderson in Houston to be on a clinical trial. I tried that and the tumor got bigger after a month so they kicked me off and sent me back. Now I'm laying here with this huge belly, a bad prognosis, and hooked to what they call "salvage" chemo. It doesn't look good. Basically if this chemo does not shrink the tumor I am going to die. If it does shrink the tumor, then I have to have a bone marrow transfusion immediately to help fight the cancer. There will be a small window of opportunity and we have to find a donor match. I"ve gone from a 32 inch waist to almost a 44". I know what a pregnant woman feels now.......you cannot get comfortable no matter what position you lie in. My back is killing me, I'm tired, exhausted, I can't eat without throwing iit back up and I have not pooped in three days because the tumor is wrapped around my intestines. I'm only 45 years old and not ready to die. But here I lay wondering wtf happened and how did this happened. For the first time in my life I'm actually afraid. 9 years in the Army I served. I'm proud of that. I went to college and got a degree.........I have a beautiful family........I guess I've had a good life., I've shot more deer than most people have seen over the years.......hell I have killed lots of animals over the years. Shit loads of doves....... I can't even think about the number of bullets I've fired over the years. It would be funny to see that mountain of brass. We would all smile and be proud and say "damn Jeff, you have a trigger finger left?" The mountain of brass would shade my two story house. I can be proud of that. I have an 8 year old son I have not taught much too. I've been pretty sick all year. He has a chipmunk rifle ready to go......Dad just needs to get better......and there are days I can barely get off the couch I'm so sick. Will somebody teach him when I'm gone? I sure hope so.....he's a good kid and if he's got some of his Dad in him he's gonna be a damn good shot. Yes....these are the words of a truly dying man. I don't think I'll have any regrets.........I've always wanted to work on a project car.....you know......rebuild an old classic. 65 mustang or 72 Chevy pickup... If I get better that's what I want to do. Chances are small and slim though and I think I finally realized that tonight. The nurses act different around me. They look sad.......they must have read my chart and seen my prognosis. It's in their eyes and faces. They won't look me in the eye......and I've been coming here for months for treatment. Things feel different......they know. They just are not saying. I don't know whether to laugh or cry. I'm scared..........I do know that. I guess if I had a shoulder to cry on right now I would. Well I'll just dump this here in GD and let the ball roll. I'm in room 700 if you got a shoulder.7th floor Harris tower... |
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Posted: 12/11/2013 1:15:06 PM EDT
[#1]
Reta wanted to make sure the original thread was part of The Memorial thread. It should be set so it doesn't get archived.
Jeff's original thread |
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Posted: 12/11/2013 1:18:37 PM EDT
[#2]
RIP Jeff
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Posted: 12/11/2013 1:52:34 PM EDT
[#3]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Eric802:
Reta wanted to make sure the original thread was part of The Memorial thread. It should be set so it doesn't get archived. Jeff's original thread Speaking of which, at some point the thread is going to die out. Wonder if someone has ability to print the whole thread including pics, which could be sent to Reta as a memorial book. |
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Posted: 12/11/2013 1:58:41 PM EDT
[#4]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By usjet:
Speaking of which, at some point the thread is going to die out. Wonder if someone has ability to print the whole thread including pics, which could be sent to Reta as a memorial book. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By usjet:
Originally Posted By Eric802:
Reta wanted to make sure the original thread was part of The Memorial thread. It should be set so it doesn't get archived. Jeff's original thread Speaking of which, at some point the thread is going to die out. Wonder if someone has ability to print the whole thread including pics, which could be sent to Reta as a memorial book. Or..... a Moderator could move the thread from GD to the Memorial and I would happily nuke this thread. That way the Original Thread will live on forever. Just a thought. |
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Posted: 12/11/2013 2:47:28 PM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By SleeperShooter:
Or..... a Moderator could move the thread from GD to the Memorial and I would happily nuke this thread. That way the Original Thread will live on forever. Just a thought. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By SleeperShooter:
Originally Posted By usjet:
Originally Posted By Eric802:
Reta wanted to make sure the original thread was part of The Memorial thread. It should be set so it doesn't get archived. Jeff's original thread Speaking of which, at some point the thread is going to die out. Wonder if someone has ability to print the whole thread including pics, which could be sent to Reta as a memorial book. Or..... a Moderator could move the thread from GD to the Memorial and I would happily nuke this thread. That way the Original Thread will live on forever. Just a thought. I was actually working on that after texting with Reta last night. |
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Posted: 12/11/2013 4:10:32 PM EDT
[#6]
I never knew you Jeff but my heart ached when I learned that you passed.
I do not know what awaits us on the other side, but if there is something I hope I can fish with you on some eternal river. your story moved me and gave me reflection that is sometimes hard to experience, I thank you for that. |
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IA, USA
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Posted: 12/11/2013 4:30:53 PM EDT
[#7]
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Posted: 12/11/2013 6:08:03 PM EDT
[#8]
God Bless the Reed family!
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Posted: 12/11/2013 7:38:57 PM EDT
[#9]
God Speed, Jeff.
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Posted: 12/11/2013 8:42:59 PM EDT
[#10]
SYOTOS
For those not familiar with it: See You On The Other Side. I first recall Jeff's avatar as the Trayvon-hooded BHO, It made me grin. Cancer takes too many good people, too soon. Thanks, Jeff, for the inspiration and example of dignity. Reta & family, may you feel His comforting hand in your life. |
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Posted: 12/12/2013 10:28:44 AM EDT
[#11]
I posted this in the GD thread. I tried to think of something to say here for Jeff, but it kept coming out pretty much the same as what I'd already said. Suffice to say I'm glad I was able to see Jeff a couple times; I hope it did some good for him, but I know it did more for me.
I got to visit with Jeff a couple times over the last few weeks. The first time, it was just the two of us. He was coughing a lot but he could communicate pretty well. We talked about the site a lot, and he was...worried isn't the right word, concerned maybe?...that his initial post in this thread came across as whining. That's the word he used. He didn't want people to think he was a whiner. I assured him that it certainly didn't come across that way (I honestly don't think it sounds whiny at all) and I told him that through that one post, he had a greater effect on this website than anything I've seen since 1999. I told him about all the people who had said they'd become better husbands or fathers. The people who had found or come back to God, or had their faith strengthened by his example. I told him that just the financial outpouring that we saw through the gofundme drive provided proof that people here had come together like never before. I don't know what it was about Jeff's post that triggered such things around here. The best I can come up with is that it was just honest; he wasn't blustering, or putting up pretenses, or anything else. It was just a lonely, scared guy at 4:00 a.m. reaching out to people he saw as friends because he needed a shoulder. People saw that and responded to it. The response that he got was, in my opinion, this place's finest hour. I can't imagine what Reta, Travis, and the rest of his family are going through right now. My heart breaks for Travis, losing his father so young. I hope it provides some measure of comfort to Reta, that she can hopefully pass on to Travis some day, to know what effect Jeff had on so many people here. At the end of the day, when we're gone all we leave behind is our legacy. Jeff and his family can be proud of what he did here through his honesty and his example of faith. |
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Posted: 12/13/2013 9:46:06 PM EDT
[#12]
Close your eyes and sleep peacefully forever. May you dine in the hall of heros and look down on us proudly as we do battle in your honor.
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Posted: 12/16/2013 10:53:42 PM EDT
[#13]
OP request
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