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Posted: 9/5/2024 12:15:46 AM EST
[Last Edit: NorthPolar]
Edit: Mike passed around 11:30 this morning with his girlfriend by the bed.
Mike is probably one of my oldest friends, probably around 15 years at this point. Hell, the first time I met him, he asked if I'd ever shot a MP5SD and put one in my hands with instructions on how to shoot it. Locally, he's always been known as one of the 'cool guys' that was always encouraging people to learn to shoot, even if it was with his own ammo. He's always been a generous guy, even to a fault sometimes.  Last fall, he was diagnosed with Stage IV gastrointestinal cancer. He's been fighting the good fight, but it's been slowly kicking his butt. About two weeks ago, I got a text around 1am that he was going into emergency surgery and he wasn't sure if he was going to make it. They kept him intubated and sedated in the ICU through two surgeries to essentially remove a massive chunk of his GI tract and drain fluid from both lungs. As of tonight he's back in the hospital and his last text before trying to get some rest was, "Honestly buddy, I don't think I'm going to make it through this one." It's already after visiting hours so I can't even get in to check on him. I work in a hospital across the street, so I'll be walking over on my lunch tomorrow at minimum.Money is so tight he's looking at selling everything that's not tied down, but (to be blunt) between the pain meds and everything else going on, he's a little fuzzy mentally at times. But two massive back to back surgeries take a huge toll on you. I know this is a big ask, but anything helps. Should the worst come and I can't get Mike to set up the beneficiary info, GFM will refund everything. https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-michael-simmons-cancer-battle Memorial Thread  
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Posted: 9/5/2024 12:22:25 AM EST
[Last Edit: NorthPolar]
[#1]
Reserving this post for updates on Mike.
Mike requested I post a recent photo of him in the thread.  Attached File |
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Posted: 9/5/2024 12:27:25 AM EST
[#2]
Sent a donation.
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Posted: 9/5/2024 12:35:10 AM EST
[#3]
Am pretty poor but sent what I could afford..hope it helps NP....tell him to hang tough...
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Posted: 9/5/2024 12:37:54 AM EST
[Last Edit: NorthPolar]
[#4]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By APBullet: Sent a donation. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By APBullet: Sent a donation. Thank you. Originally Posted By AKSnowRider: Am pretty poor but sent what I could afford..hope it helps NP....tell him to hang tough... I'll pass it on when I see him tomorrow. I'm broke as a joke since I started a new job 2 weeks ago. I've got a few of my firearms listed for sale so I can get Mike some cash, but nothing is moving right now.  He better get feeling well enough to get out of the hospital on his own. Just bought him some smoked salmon the other day and I hadn't gotten it to him yet. |
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Posted: 9/5/2024 1:13:49 AM EST
[#5]
Just hit it!
Sharing with friends and praying. |
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Posted: 9/5/2024 2:01:59 AM EST
[#6]
Prayers sent. About all I can give right now. |
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Posted: 9/5/2024 2:48:19 AM EST
[#7]
Money sent.
Think the mods will let you link the EE sales as well? I'm assuming Anchorage since I don't know other town with 2 hospitals? Was there last summer, kids loved the trip. |
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Posted: 9/5/2024 3:01:53 AM EST
[#8]
Donated and bump
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Posted: 9/5/2024 5:40:36 AM EST
[#9]
Sent, F#ck cancer
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Posted: 9/5/2024 9:51:27 AM EST
[#10]
Thank you, guys. I’ll be going to visit Mike on my lunch today. Will keep you all posted.
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Posted: 9/5/2024 9:57:34 AM EST
[#11]
OP I hate gofundme. Can you pm me an address to send money? If he has Apple Pay even better. I will be praying for him.
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Posted: 9/5/2024 10:05:26 AM EST
[#12]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By QueenDeNile: OP I hate gofundme. Can you pm me an address to send money? If he has Apple Pay even better. I will be praying for him. I’ll try to get a mailing address out of him today. He was mid move when the emergency surgeries happened, so I’m not sure what’s good or not. Will ask on Apple Pay too. Thank you |
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Posted: 9/5/2024 10:07:32 AM EST
[Last Edit: Atropian_Defector]
[#13]
I’ll be donating when I get paid tomorrow
Bump for Mike who let me shoot his FNC numerous times, blew up my 9mm upper bump firing it, and sold me lots of powder |
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Posted: 9/5/2024 10:14:03 AM EST
[#14]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By NorthPolar: I’ll try to get a mailing address out of him today. He was mid move when the emergency surgeries happened, so I’m not sure what’s good or not. Will ask on Apple Pay too. Thank you Please add me to this as well. I’d like to get the Info to avoid go fund me if possible. |
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Posted: 9/5/2024 10:57:23 AM EST
[#15]
subbed & bump.
will donate when i get home from work. prayers for him & family, you as well. |
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Posted: 9/5/2024 11:54:49 AM EST
[#16]
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Posted: 9/5/2024 12:10:25 PM EST
[#17]
Donation and Prayers sent.
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Posted: 9/5/2024 12:41:24 PM EST
[#18]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By AKFF: Donated and bump |
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Posted: 9/5/2024 1:02:43 PM EST
[#19]
So Mike is allowed visitors. I’m going to walk over there on my lunch to visit him. Will hopefully get the financial side of the GFM set up with him if he’s up to it.
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Posted: 9/5/2024 1:04:30 PM EST
[#20]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By NorthPolar: So Mike is allowed visitors. I’m going to walk over there on my lunch to visit him. Will hopefully get the financial side of the GFM set up with him if he’s up to it. He’s lucky to have a great friend |
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Posted: 9/5/2024 1:08:00 PM EST
[#21]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By NorthPolar: I'll try to get a mailing address out of him today. He was mid move when the emergency surgeries happened, so I'm not sure what's good or not. Will ask on Apple Pay too. Thank you Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By NorthPolar: Originally Posted By QueenDeNile: OP I hate gofundme. Can you pm me an address to send money? If he has Apple Pay even better. I will be praying for him. I'll try to get a mailing address out of him today. He was mid move when the emergency surgeries happened, so I'm not sure what's good or not. Will ask on Apple Pay too. Thank you |
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Posted: 9/5/2024 1:13:54 PM EST
[#22]
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Posted: 9/5/2024 1:18:38 PM EST
[#23]
[snark] don't worry guys.. our medical professionals are working day and night to save junkies, in the meantime [/snark]
Absolutely fuck cancer and donated. Too many intelligent, brave, helpful, absolute bomb ass individuals have been lost to it, in my years. Prayers to you, AKMike. |
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Posted: 9/5/2024 3:14:28 PM EST
[#24]
Afterschool bump
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Posted: 9/5/2024 3:37:57 PM EST
[Last Edit: NorthPolar]
[#25]
At the hospital with Mike. He’s in decent spirits and sounds like he’ll be discharged today hopefully. Doctors started talking end of life care with him.
Wilson approved a raffle so I’ll talk with him on if he’d want to do one later. I only had a little bit of time to chat on my lunch and it was mostly ‘how are you doing’ kind of stuff. I did confirm his mailing address at least. We’ll hopefully get his side of GFM set up tonight if he’s discharged. Thank you everyone. |
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Posted: 9/5/2024 8:10:40 PM EST
[#26]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By AKFF: Donated and bump |
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Posted: 9/5/2024 9:34:44 PM EST
[Last Edit: Mall-Ninja]
[#27]
Donated.
As a fellow cancer patient, all I can say is stay strong - there’s no quit. If it’s my time, I’m going down swinging. |
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Posted: 9/5/2024 9:50:01 PM EST
[#28]
Prayers.
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Posted: 9/5/2024 11:42:22 PM EST
[#29]
Just got Mike home from the hospital. I sent him the beneficiary link for the GFM and he's going to try to get his end filled out tomorrow. He's also going to try to pop in here and comment as he can. PM's going out to those that requested it.
Thank you everyone, seriously. |
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Posted: 9/5/2024 11:46:43 PM EST
[#30]
Dumb moment for forgetting to do this, but @AKMike
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Posted: 9/6/2024 10:07:33 AM EST
[#31]
Morning bump
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Posted: 9/6/2024 3:17:25 PM EST
[#32]
Afternoon crowd
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Posted: 9/6/2024 6:03:38 PM EST
[#33]
@akmike
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Posted: 9/6/2024 11:31:28 PM EST
[#34]
Alrighty, small Mike update. I managed to get him set up for the beneficiary stuff tonight but the few errands and doing that wiped him out.
He’s supposed to log in and post something or text me something to post tomorrow. I’m busy with family stuff tomorrow, so we’ll see how it goes. I’ll hopefully be over at his place Sunday and will bring my laptop just in case. |
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Posted: 9/7/2024 2:54:37 PM EST
[#35]
Bumping for Mike.
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Posted: 9/7/2024 3:03:22 PM EST
[Last Edit: AK_Mike]
[#36]
Friends, Arf.com friends, and especially those I don't know. I can't thank you all enough for all the support I have received! This is the second time I could have been killed and didn't know severe my condition was each time. From the first time I was diagnosed with stage IV cancer of the colon/stomach to this episode of two perforations of the colon.
Thank you all for your generosity and well wishes. It means everything to me. So I can't thank you all and the shooting community enough. That's why I spend my time at the range, I always meet good people. People who have paid to pass it on and I will be doing so as well with what little time I have left. I don't earn any income while I am not working so it's a double whammy being down, trying to get up, while still trying to pay the bills. It is your help in this phase that is so critical at this time. Still recovering but much has come back. I had to endure two separate major operations along with a dozen or more minor procedures and I up to 15 CT scans. It's always this process of surgery - recovering from it that I hate. First you have to get past the pain, then gain enough strength to stand, finally balance coming back so you don't just fall and die because you are on a blood thinner. I have always been social at the range, passing it down and letting anyone shoot my guns, Tannerite, .50BMG, steel targets. I get to teach people about NFA and straighten out the misconceptions, free ammo. It's better everyone happy than walk away alone. I don't even like to shoot alone. Drugs and hospital situation muddled my brain for a while It very difficult to write anything so my apologies in finally getting something out. This fund started by my friend surprised me, didn't know any one cared, but they do. Thank you all! |
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Posted: 9/7/2024 3:05:56 PM EST
[#37]
BTW, to recognize me, just look at the OP and subtract 100 lbs. I lost a lot of weight causing them to get my first diagnosis.
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Posted: 9/7/2024 3:09:10 PM EST
[#38]
Thank you all for your prayers, truly and those sending funds the blind. I also hate GoFundMe but there is little choice these days
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Posted: 9/7/2024 3:09:46 PM EST
[Last Edit: scuba_steve]
[#39]
Removed by request.
Rest easy, Mike. Save us seats at the bar. |
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Posted: 9/7/2024 3:45:07 PM EST
[#40]
Bump for a brother arfcomer. Take care of yourself Mike. Sent what I could this week. I'll send more next week.
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TX, USA
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Posted: 9/7/2024 4:05:23 PM EST
[#41]
May I ask how it got to stage IV without him knowing it was coming? I am scared of cancer and I'm always on the lookout for signs.
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Posted: 9/7/2024 7:26:14 PM EST
[#42]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Chadnutz: May I ask how it got to stage IV without him knowing it was coming? I am scared of cancer and I'm always on the lookout for signs. I’m not talking for Mike here, but from what he told me he had GI pain. Went to the doc and they said it was his gallbladder needed to come out. Then after a couple months of waiting, ‘oops, it’s cancer.’ Granted we’re literally at the end of the paved road system in North America. Good docs are hard to find. |
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Posted: 9/8/2024 1:18:50 AM EST
[#43]
@UAFGrad in case you didn't see it off site.
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Posted: 9/8/2024 1:30:26 AM EST
[Last Edit: NorthPolar]
[#44]
Just got a text from his SO that Mike is back in the hospital. Texted him to see what's up since it's after visiting hours. Given that it's 10:30 at night, I probably won't hear back until the morning.
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Posted: 9/8/2024 2:23:00 AM EST
[#45]
I have known Mike for several years
Honestly one of the nicest and most sincere men I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Mike, saying a prayer for you. Wish I was still in Alaska to come and visit or lend a hand. Be strong my friend, you're a fighter! |
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Posted: 9/8/2024 11:16:33 AM EST
[#46]
Prayers to Mike
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Posted: 9/8/2024 12:20:15 PM EST
[Last Edit: NorthPolar]
[#47]
Texting Mike right now. It was apparently an error changing in wound dressings. Ended up bleeding everywhere since he’s on blood thinners.
Would have been nice if his SO said that last night. |
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Posted: 9/8/2024 12:38:39 PM EST
[#48]
Had to support a fellow Mike, best of luck dude. Since you live in Alaska you're already HardAF.
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Posted: 9/8/2024 12:38:51 PM EST
[#49]
Hit.
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Posted: 9/8/2024 12:49:20 PM EST
[#50]
Damn- I hate to hear this. Seems like that fucking disease always goes after the good people.
Mike and I shot my .50 Beowulf using his M16 lower at the Cushman range several years ago and we had a ball shooting other FA stuff. GoFundMe hit. @NorthPolar- Give him my best when you see him. |
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