the end is nigh...
Well it's been an interesting period of weeks. I've started my own unemployment (read stress, work and worry - but happier for sure) and have been reminded heavily of mortality. A reminder that has helped make me feel how much my decision to try and make it on my own is an important one.
The start of these lessons was, funnily enough a Scrub's episode. The Episode has Brendan Fraser back as Dr. Cox's best friend and semi-brother-in-law. The espisode ends with his funeral which brought a tear (awesome acting by John C. McGinley as usual). The scene plays out with a track of music called Winterwhich I tracked down and bought. The Artist's name is Joshua Radin and the enitre album We Were Here is amazing. I'm not a huge singer-songwriter fan but it is an amazing cd, made more so by the fact that he's not signed to any major label. Again, Zach Braff's great feeling and knowledge of music has brought this sartist to a wider audience.
Anyways, the deeper lesson happened merely weeks later when one of my best friend's father died. From thinking he had an inner ear infection to death - 19 days. Too fast for anyone to really understand what was happening. He died from Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease which has come to wider public awareness thanks to the latest varient Mad Cow's disease (who wouldd have thought that feeding cow meat to cow's would have gone awry huh...). The odds of getting one of the four strands of CJD is about one in two-million (the fifth is Mad Cow's and that's a different kettle of bad news). Peter Crook (R.I.P.) was 62 and in perfect health. He was in better shape than I've ever been in. If he was in poor shape he wouldn't have lasted the 19 days. When diagnosed they actually gave a maximum of 8 months but nobody was ready for a 19 day decline. It is such a sad event forr the entire family. The only thing I can think is that at least (the very least) it was over quickly. Having been around a drawn out terminal case (both my mother's parents) shows how hard it is for all concerned when the end is definite and the road there is tragic, lacking in peace or anything resembling personal dignity.
Along the same time my mother had her hip replaced which compared to death is a much less important thing but certainly makes you aware of the frailty of this vessel we truck around in during our brief stint on this mortal coil. Incredibly, it's a week in hospital and a 6 week reahbilitation (tough rehab but quick all the same). Amazing compared to medical technology even 5o years ago.
Finally, the most recent. Myra's father has been diagnosed with mouth cancer. He goes in for a biopsy today and an MRI next week. No idea on it's extent nor threat but it's a shadow hanging over the whole family. Not much to say about it at this stage really but I firmly believe that positivity is the only way through and a strong support. Fingers and toes crossed.
quote for the day:
"May you live as long as you wish and love as long as you live."
- Robert A. Heinlein (1907 - 1988)
The start of these lessons was, funnily enough a Scrub's episode. The Episode has Brendan Fraser back as Dr. Cox's best friend and semi-brother-in-law. The espisode ends with his funeral which brought a tear (awesome acting by John C. McGinley as usual). The scene plays out with a track of music called Winterwhich I tracked down and bought. The Artist's name is Joshua Radin and the enitre album We Were Here is amazing. I'm not a huge singer-songwriter fan but it is an amazing cd, made more so by the fact that he's not signed to any major label. Again, Zach Braff's great feeling and knowledge of music has brought this sartist to a wider audience. Anyways, the deeper lesson happened merely weeks later when one of my best friend's father died. From thinking he had an inner ear infection to death - 19 days. Too fast for anyone to really understand what was happening. He died from Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease which has come to wider public awareness thanks to the latest varient Mad Cow's disease (who wouldd have thought that feeding cow meat to cow's would have gone awry huh...). The odds of getting one of the four strands of CJD is about one in two-million (the fifth is Mad Cow's and that's a different kettle of bad news). Peter Crook (R.I.P.) was 62 and in perfect health. He was in better shape than I've ever been in. If he was in poor shape he wouldn't have lasted the 19 days. When diagnosed they actually gave a maximum of 8 months but nobody was ready for a 19 day decline. It is such a sad event forr the entire family. The only thing I can think is that at least (the very least) it was over quickly. Having been around a drawn out terminal case (both my mother's parents) shows how hard it is for all concerned when the end is definite and the road there is tragic, lacking in peace or anything resembling personal dignity.
Along the same time my mother had her hip replaced which compared to death is a much less important thing but certainly makes you aware of the frailty of this vessel we truck around in during our brief stint on this mortal coil. Incredibly, it's a week in hospital and a 6 week reahbilitation (tough rehab but quick all the same). Amazing compared to medical technology even 5o years ago.
Finally, the most recent. Myra's father has been diagnosed with mouth cancer. He goes in for a biopsy today and an MRI next week. No idea on it's extent nor threat but it's a shadow hanging over the whole family. Not much to say about it at this stage really but I firmly believe that positivity is the only way through and a strong support. Fingers and toes crossed.
quote for the day:
"May you live as long as you wish and love as long as you live."
- Robert A. Heinlein (1907 - 1988)
posted by brent c. airey at 11:21 AM
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