Mortinta

 

On Friday, when my work was nearing completion for the day, I was thinking and gearing up to write out some of my thoughts here.  On my mind, though, was a need my wife and I had to attend a visitation later in the evening that was being held for the father of a family friend of ours.  He was a very nice fellow that we had met a several times over the years during birthday celebrations and camping trips we had that included our friend and his family.  Our friend's father was also involved in "reenactments" especially of the French-Canadian fur trappers and traders.  I enjoyed hearing his stories about these reenactments, and have sometimes contemplated pursuing  such a hobby myself.  I think I would enjoy it.  

Unfortunately, while my wife and I were dressing and preparing to go to the funeral home for the visitation, we received some very tragic news.  A different close friend of mine (not the fellow in the above paragraph).... a fellow in the Music Department that I have known for nearly 30 years at the U, passed away suddenly.  This was extremely disheartening news, and it was made even more so because of the situation from which it transpired.  

My friend, this fellow who suddenly passed away, had only one week before his passing, gone into the hospital and had surgery and received three stents in his heart.  Because of the way health care is these days, he was summarily discharged 48 hours after this surgery.  

I personally do not think stent surgery is safe.  Just slightly over 14 years ago, my mother went into the hospital, and they founds she had some narrowing of some coronary vessels, so she had "preventative" surgery to have two stents put in.  Two days later, she died due to a blood clot that formed and broke free, resulting in a massive myocardial infarction in the hospital, the morning before she was going to be discharged from the hospital.  Her blood clot most likely formed at the sight of one of the stents because of the turbulence that occurs in blood flow in and near stent placements.... even though she was and had been on anti-coagulant (blood thinning) agents. 

From all accounts, it appears the same damn thing happened to my friend from the Music Department.  About three days following his release, he apparently died, alone, at home from a loose clot that caused a massive heart attack.  

I shall greatly miss my friend.  He was jovial, kind, and very passionate about life and especially about music.  It saddens me greatly, and brings back a lot of harsh memories also about my Mom.  

PipeTobacco