bertram31.com

RIP my freind

One of the only watchable fishing shows. Seemed like a guy I wouldn't mind being on the boat with.

I attended his memorial service Sunday at The IGFA. It looked like close to 1,000 people were there. It was a great service, lots of tears as well as lots of funny stories and remembrances of good times gone by. He touched a lot of people.

I met him, and you, John Brownlee, when I was on the national board of CCA -- both first class guys that make you feel like a friend immediately.

How is the knee feeling? I've managed to delay mine for a while and have lost enough weight that I should be able to go for a few more years -- I hope!

Tom

Tom,

The knee is getting better fast. Pain is subsiding and I'm weaning myself off painkillers. Rehab is a bitch, but I know it's for my own good!

At Jose's service, Capt. Steve Huff had a great line about Jose. He said, "Just seeing him walking down the dock toward you was always enough to lift your spirits."

JB

John,
Just got my May copy of SWS and see nothing about Jose's passing. I should assume there will be some mention in the June edition?

Mark

Mark,

May had shipped before the accident occurred. We will likely do something in the June magazine, but we've primarily covered things related to it on our website:

http://www.saltwatersportsman.com/blogs ... ewell-jose

JB

John:

I spent a significant part of the past 18 months in rehab -- not the Lindsay Lohen rehab, lol! Do anything and everything your PT says -- the things I can do now, that I couldn't do a year ago are astounding! Amazing what a tiny little movement in the very beginning translated to in the end.

"Pain is weakness leaving the body."

Tom

Tom:

I know it's true. I'm ahead of schedule on rehab, but some days are better than others. Yesterday's session kicked my ass so it was back on full doses of pain meds last night. But I feel stronger every day.

Ironically, that's another thing Jose advised me on. He had both hips replaced four or five years ago and was always encouraging about getting my knee done as soon as possible.

I should have listened to him and others telling me the same thing and done it a year or two ago. The final straw came in February when I fished my wife and a couple of her buddies in the Islamorada Ladies Sailfish Tournament. Day two was rough as hell and I sat up there all day rolling around on the bridge of the Bertram, and of course, I had neglected to wear my knee brace.

The next day, my knee looked like a volleyball and I could barely walk, and that was one week before the Miami Boat Show. I did the show with a brace and a cane this year and barely got through it. Next year should be a cake walk!

Nothing in the May-June Fly fishing in Salt Waters either.
John-I had two hip replacements in four months and I wish I had done them sooner. Obviously rehab is important, but from all I have heard, knees are tougher. Do whatever they say and don't rush things and you too will be glad you did it, as uncomfortable as it may seem now. All the best!

Watching the Saturday morning fishing line up and there was Flip and Jose selling Yeti coolers.

All I can say is hug the ones you love.

John,
Sorry to hear about Jose, he was a great guy, a great fisherman and wonderful ambassador for saltwater fishing.
On the subject of knee replacement be careful, don't push yourself and do the PT. Take it from someone that knows, 16 surgeries and 3 replacements, all the replacemnts from 1999 to 2010. I just found out that the plastic (polyethelene spacers and resurfaced knee cap) is breaking down, causing scar tissue and severe swelling, and joint loosing. After the 2nd replacement I pushed and I was back playing golf in 6 weeks(just nine holes). I have not been able to do anymore tournement fishing because of the rocking motion even with a heavey duty leg brace. That's why I'm trying to sell my 31 express. Anyway, glad to heard your doing OK and sorry about Jose.
Pete

Pete,

I have been keeping up with your posts here and I feel for you, you've had perhaps the worst experience with replacement that I've heard of. I sincerely hope they eventually sort it out for you. Like everything else, when you start talking about getting a joint replaced, you find out that a whole slew of people have either done it already, or are contemplating it themselves. Of those who had done it, the vast majority had good experiences, but there are a significant number of problems out there too. I put this off a long time and wish there was a better alternative, but there's not. I appreciate your input and I'll let you know how it goes.

JB