"I found on another site that Bob Munden had passed on,he was the best shootest ever,I will miss him"
• How is your health, Bob? August, 2011
Okay, okay, I didn’t know the crew from Shooting USA’s Impossible Shots was going to tape me talking about my health. Well they had a camera crew recording my interview, but I was somehow surprised that they aired the part when I talked about my health problems. Go figure. Camera crew not do their job? Unlikely.
Well, I’ve never been shy about talking about what’s going on. Yes, my kidneys are not happy right now. I have never had a drink or puff off a cigarette, but other things can cause problems too, like growing up poor and liking to have lots of food when I could get it. In fact, as a kid, hunting for my family with guns, a bow, sling-shots and rowboat paddles that my brothers and I used to finish off wounded ducks in the lake, those activities filled the big pot of soup my mom always had ready at our house in Big Bear, Calif.
Oh yes, then an extremely busy professional Fast-Draw competition schedule followed by a very demanding contract to entertain at school assemblies – then traveling for all the other performances Becky and I have done for 42 years across the country and overseas – we got hooked on fast, fast-food from the as the then advertised “wholesome” foods from new restaurants like McDonalds that popped up and made our lives easier, and later, not so healthy.
Okay, I wore out my knees with hard-core athletics. When I was in my 40s I tried to get my knees replaced because I have zero cartilage, but I was told I was too young. Should have maybe kept looking for a surgeon, but our schedule didn’t allow that and I basically had to stop exercising regularly and ended up with what so many other people have these days, Type II diabetes. Wonderful.
Did I really know what was going to happen with diabetes? Nope. I was at the range, on stage, in the shop and on the road.
Now I know for sure that you can’t go on ignoring diabetes and eating what you want when you want – or skip breakfast. And you have to find a way to keep exercising.
I still have 20/10 vision in both eyes, don’t take cholesterol medication, my heart is good and I lost a bunch of weight, but as of now I need to start on dialysis and my liver isn’t too happy either. Oh, Man. But I’m going to do it and then move forward with trying to get my body back to reasonable shape as I continue to work in the shop, go to the range, ride my Harley with Becky and enjoy my family.
So, I am doing pretty good for the shape I’m in. Thanks for all your good wishes. The crew from SUSA’s Impossible Shots is coming back up to Montana in October to film for another season. Do I have good ideas lined up?
Of course! – Bob Munden
