Hello all,
I am new to rod building (made 4 so far) and brand new to this website. First let me say that so far I have found tons of information on here that will no doubt be more than helpful. Thanks to everyone for helping out the rookies. Now, I have just found out that my grandmother has stage four breast cancer and I would like to build a rod to be @#$%& off at a fundraiser for her. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas for this rod (or mulitple rods). I am thinking a good all around 6 1/2-7' rod with recoil guides and exposed blank reel seat for the hardware. Any ideas for wraps or anything else will be greatly appreciated. Thank to everyone.-John

John Hailey
Galveston,TX
I catch as many fish in my $1500 boat as you do in your $50,000 boat.

Mudhole (sponsor on the left) carries some pink blanks that have made some really nice rods.
I'm sure somebody, but I don't know who, carries or can get you some of the cancer ribbon decals. Or maybe a weave. As far as color goes, I've found it's hard to beat silver and a deep purple wraps.
I wish your Grandmother and your family the best and will keep you in my prayers.

Thank you very much Matthew. That means a lot.

John; Your E-Mail address is hidden or I would have sent you private E-Mail. However you might try getting hold of a chapter of Casting for Recovery. They are a great outfit and take recovering cancer patients out and teach them to fly fish. So you might want to think about a fly rod for her.

Jim,
Did you mean "Cast for the Cure" or are they a different group?

John,
Mark Griffin at @#$%& (link on the left) may have or be able to point you the breast cancer awareness pink ribbon decals. @#$%& has been supplying blanks & components for donation fly rods for the "Cast for the Cure" group.
Here is a link to Cast for the Cure [www.castforthecure.org]

Wishing your family all the best during this time John. My step-mom is a survivor of which there are many so keep your hopes up high.

As to your question about the rod project. That would depend a lot on the type of fisherman the @#$%& would be targeting or advertizing too I guess.

If you un-hide your email address (control panel) I bet you get a few emails from guys who have done this type of project.

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

Not sure why it is hidden but justin case my email is johnwhailey@hotmail.com or john.hailey@canrig.com Thanks everyone for all the help and support.

John Hailey
Galveston,TX
I catch as many fish in my $1500 boat as you do in your $50,000 boat.

Email addresses are hidden by default by this forums settings. One can go to the "Control Center" (see link) and change the settings that
suite the user.

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

Does anyone know where I can get pink colored winding checks and trim bands for my handle setup that will match (closely) to the breast cancer pink?

Ray; Different groups.

Ah, Thanks Jim

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

John;

I made a weave pattern of the breast cancer ribbon for a person last year. I thought it turned out good. You may not be up to weaving yet but this one is pretty easy. I'll send it to you if you like.

I bought one of Mudhole's pink blanks and put the ribbon weave on it. Then I made a butt wrap with hearts using white thread as the background. The finished rod sure turned a lot of heads.

Keith

Keith,
Do you have any pictures of the rod. I would like to see how it turned out. Thanks again for the pattern.

John Hailey
Galveston,TX
I catch as many fish in my $1500 boat as you do in your $50,000 boat.

Let me second that Mudhole has some great pink blanks. For spinning and casting, they are graphite. They also have some e-glass blanks in pink for making boat rods.

You might want to take a look at their rod-building kits for the spinning rods. They provide the blank, cork handle, holographic guides, holographic reel seat...and the last I knew, they were including a free spinning reel with the kit. That would make an attractive package for an @#$%&: custom pink rod with the reel.

The best to your grandmother and your family. Sending good thoughts your way.

You would not have to necessairly have to have a pink winding check. However there are many ways to create a winding check. You don't have to just buy one. Find a ball point pen in pink, or maybe in the color that matches the thread wraps, cut it to fit, polish it and there you go.

I want to relate our story as my wife didn't make it through the breast cancer after a four year battle. This is not about me. It is about getting proper treatment. Surgery was done, radical masectomy of the right breast and all twelve lymph nodes removed under the right arm. No radiation needed. Chemo for 6 months. All that went ok. The problem I have is with the follow up monitoring. Her onconlogist was only monitoring three things. Lab work.....ie the blood to see if all organs were putting out properly, which they were. Mammograms of which there is only one left to mammo. And physically checking for lumps....of which there is only one left to check for lumps. THAT IS ALL HE MONITORED.

Here's the rub. She had a port in her chest they told her to keep for two years and have it flushed out every 6 weeks. Did that. Her primary doc said you have reached age 65 you should have a pneumonia shot. So she got that. Then she began coughing....and complaining of very low stomach pain. I would say "honey, don't you think it is time you told your doc" and she would say no, it's par for the course. I have a scheduled checkup coming in another 2.5 months. I had back surgery because she could drive. 3.5 hour drive one way to our docs. Anyway she took me down for my first check up and she went to son's bedroom and laid down as it is a long drive. I got on the phone and started calling stomach specialists till I found one with a 2pm cancellation. I couldn't drive. But took the appointment and called daughter to take her. Since she is new patient and complaining the stomach doc did all proper testing. He said your blood work is all good. But, your liver looks horrible under pet scan.
Straight to the onconlogist. She now had multiple lesions of the liver, both lungs, and the brain. Brain radiation for 21 straight days. Looked horrible in that darth vader netted casted mask. Anyway she didn't make it. I now know she had that cancer in her for 8 months at least before I forced the issue. I think she would be alive today had she gotten P.E.T. scans in her monitoring treatment. They had taken the port out (which was a T they put in her vein so each chemo treatment they didn't have to find a new vein) and then couldn't get one to work again. After 5 tries it got infected and they stopped her cancer treatment to fight the 3 bacterial infections she had which she must have gotten from the hospital she was in. I now know that did not metastisize in all those places at once. It grew in her a long time before she got treatment again. If she had gotten PET scans and it was discovered earlier she could have been receiving treatments 8-10 months earlier thru the good port that they had just removed. If nothing else they should have done PET scans before taking the port out just to be sure.

Sorry for the long post not about fly rods. My concern is that you and others know that not all oncologists are the same and I think the lack of PET scans cost my wife her life. So DEMAND sometime during the treatments that she get PET scans. I relate this because it has become obvious to me that not all people are aware of this issue. Please don't learn the hard way. Sitting up all night watching your wife curled up in an arm chair, bald, and not being able to do anything for her. Suddenly realizing the sun is coming up. Oh, sorry about that.

Point is make sure PET scans are in the picture. That is all I want to get across. DEMAND them. They would have shown early on what our doc missed because he didn't do them.

Sorry again for long post. Just want to help. It is tough duty.

Seriously sincerely,

Jim

Jim,

I am so sorry to hear about your loss. I for one am 24 with a new fiance and could not see my life without her. I have spent many hours pouring over forumns, articles and other documents and I cannot agree with you more. It seems like 4 out of 5 cases ended fatally due to lack of tests and improper doctors. I have taken it upon myself to make sure that my grandmother has had everything that can be done and is going to a place that specializes in these matters instead of a "general" doctor. She had her PET scan a week before last and fortunately the cancer has not spread to any organs however it is in her bones. They are currently treating her with radiation her for an enlarged lymphnode on the pelvic region and she should start chemo in a few weeks if not sooner. We will be having a fund-raiser for her at the Sam Houston Race Park in Houston,TX. I will keep this forumn updated and let anyone who might be interested know exaclty when it will be. Thank you very much for yours and everyone else's support on here. It makes all the difference in the world. God Bless.
John.