At Least One
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 7:48AM David had a cold.
It seemed to linger on and on for about a month. He would start feeling like he was getting over it but than it would get worse. You know those colds that have that cough that lasts forever?
He had a cold.
A few Sundays back he decided enough is enough and heading into urgent care to get this checked out.
Long story short, he never came home. It turns out that David had internal bleeding and both his kidneys and liver were failing. He died that Friday.
David was a very close friend of our family and someone my son especially looked up to. In a way, he was like a brother in law to me. He was one of those guys who had done it all! A scuba instructor, barber, therapist, voice actor, drummer in a rock band, an actor, and those are just the ones I know about.
Losing him was such a shock.
On the night before he died Jasmine and I were coming home from the hospital after a visit and a weird thought popped into my head.
“Thank God I have diabetes.”
“Why do you say that honey?”
“Because I am in the doctors all the time. They are constantly checking my out. David was a fit guy. Why would he have to go to the doctor all the time to get checked out? He wouldn’t. How many colds have we ignored? How many times have I just ignored pains and stuff? But with diabetes I have to go. He shouldn’t have died. I just cannot make sense of this at all.”
She put her hand on my knee and we drove in silence while a flood of questions were shouted out in my head.
How could this happen?
Why!?
What could have been done?
So many questions with no answers.
It makes me wonder, does chronic illness make us more aware of our bodies? Are we better off not being better off? It's a weird way to look at it I know but my brain was scrambled.
The thing is, I am not one to say “well he should have” or “he could have” since what is done is done. I know he is home and is still with us all at the same time. For that I am thankful.
It’s just that sometimes it takes death to make us really think about life.
The blessings that having diabetes or any chronic condition may be hard to see but there are some.
Or at the very least, one.
Rest in peace David.
Reader Comments (12)
So sorry for your loss George.
I struggle so much with the issue of death, worrying about it all the time. Your thoughts about it give me something to think about. I'm so sorry for your family's loss, George. Love and peace to all of you, my friend.
Love Ya / Mean It
I'm so sorry about David, G. You words make me think about so much & I'm sending you & yours lots of HUGS & LOVE.
I am sorry for your loss George.
So sad. I'm so sorry. I think you're right that those of us with a chronic illness are more aware of our health, or lack thereof, but even then we never know. Losing someone so quickly and unexpectedly is very hard, I know. My first husband died of a massive heart attack at 42. Still, nearly 15 years later, I don't understand. It's not fair. It sucks. <hugs>
I'm sorry you've lost such a great friend.
So very sorry for your loss George. My prayers are with your family and David's as well. Hugs.
I'm so sorry for your loss, George. I just wanted to stop by and say that. Much love to you!
I've been praying for you and David's family. I'm so sorry for your loss. Losing a friend is always hard. I lost one of my best friends when I was 19, and it changed the way I saw everything. I read Psalm 31 over and over again, and listened to a lot of music.
lots of love to you, my friend.
Again, I'm very sorry for your loss and I too have been praying for you and David's family, G. Your post gives us so much to think about, and in just the way you describe I do think we're blessed in a sense because we are more in tune with our bodies. Being real-person sick for us isn't just a matter of being sick, and if it goes on we do find ourselves needing to get in for a check up. We just have appreciate what we have and the people in our lives, no matter how much time we may be together at least on this playing field... it's all part of a bigger picture that we just can't see ourselves, but have to trust in. Best your way, to your family, and to David's family, my friend.
i am so so sorry for your loss. thanks for sharing a bit of david with us here.