2013 will decide my future

Another year has come fast, and honestly I am not prepared for what will happen or may happen in 2013. My health being on the front burners and will be all year. I believe this year will be do or die for me. My disease has come to the fork in the road, will I get my lung transplant or will I become to sick for surgery and potentially slowly fade away in a hospital bed, like many CF patients I have known over the years. The whole process has been grueling to say the least, not only on me physically, and mentally, but on my family, especially my wife. Not enough credit can be given to her, because she is what is my drive to stay alive. She also is the quarterback of the team, making critical decisions though out this part of my life. Pre, during surgery, and post surgery decisions are all made by her. A roll i knew she could handle, i just wish it was later on in our lives, but its not. CF has shown its evil face, and despite 33 yrs of fighting the batlle, it is beginning to show the signs of how it's winning the war on my body. Each new test, shows how slowly and damaging Cystic Fibrosis is, and no matter how compliant and careful I have been, it didn't totally keep the disease from causing a lot of internal problems that may not be able to be repaired. My overall role continues to be very painful, but easy. My wife Michele has the hardest job of managing my post transplant care, which is months long and 24/7. She will still maintain her job, as she is the main bread winner of the family, and she must also play both roles as a parent and homemaker. Again, my job is easy in comparison, and every day I realize more and more how awesome and amazing she is. If this surgery happens and I am given this new lease on life, it will be spent taking care of her as much as I can for the rest of my life. I know what she has to see and what the disease is doing to me physically and mentally. I am changed from this experience but from what i hear about other CF patients going through similar situations. It has been very difficult to see people do well and see people die, because right now, i am one of those people, and it tears me up wondering which statistic will I be when it's done.

There still remains several days at mayo for testing and hopefully in a month or two, I will know more and if I will get listed at the mayo.

As for fishing, it really is on hold. Now I do have a few charters scheduled and will be doing my best to make them happen. Fishing is very hard for me right now, because I am on oxygen full time. Anywhere I go I need my oxygen tanks, even taking a shower takes time and a lot of energy, so you can image the physical strength needed to hook up a boat and launch it into the water. There are days I literally have not energy or desire to even shower, because the poor oxygenation of blood in my body just wears you down. This has been the hardest think to grasp for me. My entire life has been go go go, a infection here and there with a few weeks of being sick...and I would be good to go for months...now I am on iv antibiotics going on 4 months straight. It's frustrating because I love fishing, and I love what I have accomplished with this business. I beat the odds, and took more crap from older local captains over the years, but despite their hate, I prospered and made great friends and memories doing it. Oh, yeah, The business name, website, trademarks...all protected for a very long time, long enough that my son will be able to do with it as he pleases. (sorry this really is to spite my haters)..What I miss, all the people I have met. I am trying my hardest to continue taking out those that have returned to fish with me year after year. It's never been about making big money or having the biggest baddest truck or boat, it's about touching the people that love the sport but love sharing it with a loved one, son, daughter, mother, father, husband, and/or wife. That's what's important, and hopefully God will allow me to continue my work here, so I can show my son the true meaning of life, and what really is important.

So to everyone checking out my site. Email me, tell me when your looking to fish, and I will give you honest answers about the fishing, and my health. As usually I take no deposits, and if something happens that will not allow me to do the charter, I will give you plenty of notice and hopefully guide you to someone that can help you . I will also be giving updates on the transplant as they happen so stay tuned.

Getting back into the action, slowly.

It has been a long 3 weeks of being sick, getting nothing but bad news, and being off the water. However, I am feeling pretty good and I am hoping I can do at least one charter this week. I will never get back to being able to fish everyday with these beat up lungs, but I would feel a lot better being able to fish at least a few days a week. Next week I have several doctor appointments to get things in place to begin the lung transplant evaluation. I will also be setting up appointments with several lung transplant centers in Florida, starting with Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. Then possibly in Gainsville at Shands, and if necessary look out of state like Baltimore or North Carolina. Today is the first full day of fall, and I am excited to start seeing some cooler temps. Cooler water temps will get those bass feeding up for the winter months. Although I haven't been on the water, I can tell you from experience the fish will begin schooling on shad in the morning hours. My years of fishing in October and November have brought many of my clients some big fish with top water baits fishing shallower waters 4-7 ft in areas with hydrilla that does not come up to the surface. I am also going to add some additional fish attractors over the coming weeks. The ones I had placed last year should start seeing some action as I placed them in shallower water. I finished adding all the LED lights from Blue Water LED to the boat, so this baby lights up like a Christmas Tree now. I love it !!! Also Next month I am going to have a small fundraiser for a friend that also has CF and is going through the steps to have a lung transplant. More details to follow. So if your coming to Orlando in the next few weeks and want to go fishing, I am back so feel free to call me.

Bling, because I can

Life is short, so I have to say what made me laugh last night....every once in a great while, I look to see what the competition is doing. I really do not worry what other freshwater guides do, especially since I fish on a private lake, and I never see anyone. I have to say, I got a good chuckle from some of what I saw. Since I started, I have been harrassed by several guides over my low prices, and how I do things. I get harrassed, because I am young, and that I am from the North (as they put it). I havent received any calls or emails in a while. But when I get something, I take it as a badge of honor. I must be doing something right since I am still in business 8 yrs later. Anyway it made me laugh seeing them try and copy what I have been doing since day one.I used that positive energy to help me get through what I expected to be a bad day. I can't express this enough, I share my story about Cystic Fibrosis to educate and make awareness to a horrible uncurable disease, not to get pitty. Just this past month we lost a friend and young man that my foundation was helping to this awful disease, Eric was only 13 yrs old. Today I had to face the music and have lung function tests done to see where I stand. Like I figured my lungs have become worse, very bad actually. In March 2011 my lungs functioned at 35%, today it was 21%. I inhale with both my lungs, less then 1 liter of oxygen. A normal person or even a smoker of 30 yrs takes in 3-4 liters each breath. This would normally set off major alarms with the doctors, it sure did with me. This should have led to hospital admission, 24 hrs a day on oxygen, and a emergent appointment with the lung transplant team. However my doctor came into my room, without seeing the results, and said "you look really good". I chuckled and said you didnt see the tests yet, he then looked and reassured me that yes this is a serious infection, but there is no permanent scaring on the lungs from xrays back in 2011. He believes that with the aggressive treatment plan I am on, I should gain all this lost lung function back. I took this as a sign; I have dedicated most of my life to helping others, today I realized I need to dedicate my time towards my treatments, so I can continue to take care of the two most important people in my life; my wife and son. With this being said, I will take another few weeks to focus on my health, not fishing. I am hopeful I can join my friend this Sunday to fish a tournament, but I am not going to push my recovery.I haven't totally eliminated fishing from daily schedule. These past few weeks I added some Bling to my boat. I didn't get anything free from these guys, and I don't promote businesses unless I think they provide good customer service and a good product. That said, if you are looking for some boat bling then check out the LED kits from Blue Water LED. The kit included lighting for all my cabinets, livewells, deck lights, and even trailer. It will help in the early mornings and when I fish night tournaments, but honestly I did it because they look really cool. There are several photos below, and please check their website www.BlueWaterLED.com Thats the update for now, hopefully I can get back on my feet here soon.

The summer truth

For the past two month I have been battling a lung infection, plus tough fishing conditions. As for my lung infection; I have to take all my normal daily meds (12 different ones multiple times during the day) plus a IV medication 3x a day. Normally these infections wipe me out physically to the point that I get tire just by being awake, i have had a few of those days during this infection but I have been forcing myself to do something physical, usually working on or outside the house with various projects. I am also doing as many charters as I physically can do. This activity is helping me physically but more so mentally. I have several friends that are going through the painful evaluation to be added to the lung transplant list. It is a long, painful 2 week evaluation to become a canidate to receive a transplant, it is also tough mentally plus add the incredible financial burden pre and post transplant. Seeing my friends go through has really brought be down mentally. It has made me push harder to keep my lung function from becoming lower then 29%. Hopefully I will finish this run of antibiotics this week and start doing some serious excersing, like swimming and biking. Poor health has kept me from being able to do a lot of things, and I want to get back some lung function so I can do more with my wife and son. Something I haven't done for over 4 years because of health reason is fish a bass tournament, but this week I a night tournament. It starts at 5pm and ends at 9 pm. It's team style tournament, so my friend, a former guide with me at disney, asked me to fish it. My friend Mike is an amazing angler, I consider myself to be very good, but Mike has this special ability to make things happen. After the first 30 mins of fishing, Mike hit the jackpot spot. In five casts he landed 4 fish. The rules are 3 fish limit, no smaller then 14 inches, and only 2 can be over 21 inches. Top weight from 3 fish win. In those casts, Mike landed one that was just short, then one about 2 lbs, then a massive 8 lbs 9oz lunker, and immediatly after that fish, he lands another one about a pound and a half. It happened so fast, I had to catch my breath, and was just blown away by what he had done. We were unable to get a single bite after that, and came in 2nd losing by 5 oz, in a competition against 30 other teams. This has pumped me up so much. Now the tough news about my charters. I tell everyone this time of the year the truth about how my lake fishes. You will catch fish first and for most, but getting fish with size is hit and miss. Currently my lake temp is 87 degress, these temps are usually common mid to late August not early July. These hot temps make the fish sluggish. It doesn't mean they won't bite, but the big fish focus on moving very little and when they do, its for something big, so they don't have to feed as often. Now all my clients have different levels of experience, but I start their charters with me, all the same. I use weightless flukes and sinkos. These baits will allow the angler to get a feel for all the under water hydrilla (grass), and the suddle way the fish bite. Once they get a few fish in the boat, I will change to what baits and techniques they are familiar with, and focus on getting those trophy bass to hit. That has been the tough part of the job this summer. Latley more charters havent been getting that big bite and it really frustrates me. I expect to give my clients the best, that is why I am on this private lake, no one else fishes it. I assure you the lake has plenty of trophies, but the intense water temps plus the unusually strong winds out of the south have made all the fish so sluggish. Even when a big fish bites they are not holding on to the bait long enough for my clients to set the hook, or we get then near the boat and they spit out the tail of the bait. Again it has been frustrating me more then probably most anglers would be.This report might turn away potential clients and I understand that. I am very up front with how the fishing is, because as much as I want you to fish with me; It's more important to me that you have a good time, and that those that fish with me come back again. We have a long way to go before we see cooler temps, but I will continue to make all my booked charters fun for my clients.

Trying to live to fish another day

This day has been one of my worst in many days. Those that know me, know I don't bitch about having CF.i get frustrated at times or just don't have the physical strenghth to get work done but I never say I want to die. In fact it's the opposite I fight harder then anyone just to get another second with my son and wife. This week have brought good news, our federal tax return will pay off our finally large student loan, making us one of Dave Ramsey's debt free followers. We eliminatiated nearly $500k of debt in 18 months with major sacrifices, overtime, selling personal belongings,and eating at home and cupooning at home. Today we only have our house payment, and we are saying up for a second beater car. Life is amazing when you have cash in the bank, and no credit cards or loans. Then I find the rest of the week fighting to stay alive, fighting a pharmaceutical comapany over a medication I need but is short supply. They say I am noncompliant because I ordered it two weeks late. This can cause serious harm to my lungs with out it. I have been compliant on all my meds for over 5 yrs now, my life is too important to lose, and a drug company isn't going to deny me when they clearly have stock. Hopefully they caught the underlined message I said Fishing has been rough. High winds with mix of sun and clouds have these fish all messed up. My spots are holding some fish but not many. Hoping tomorrow will be better day. We will try 16 inch worms and some pesky perch. I continue to take iv antibiotic until next week but may have to upgrade to two different meds totaling 15 medications per day just to be exhausted. If that happens i be spending a few days in the hospital. My quality of life is much poorer then it was 5 yrs ago, but I keep fighting, because I love guiding and I want to leave something for my family when my time comes. I have very limited days left in February and March so if you interested book soon. Price at the pumps goes up and up but mine will not change, and my charter quality is improving after each adventure,,more to come on that special treat. Thanks for following me, please share with you friends Kevin Przybyl Owner Www.orlandotrophybass.com "Live,Fish,Breathe"