Re: What Next?

[ssokoly <alarmdude01@xxxxxxxxx>]

JoeRaisin wrote:
> My older brother (Mid 50's) was flown to a hospital downstate (Michigan)
>  on Monday.  He was in a coma and unresponsive following an early
> morning trip to the emergency room with a severe headache.
>
> The doctors told my sister-in-law that there is a baseball sized area of
> bleeding putting pressure on his brain.  The damage has been significant.
>
> They did another CAT Scan today which (according to the phone call I
> just received) shows that the damaged area is expanding.  Apparently if
> he does wake up his right side will be paralyzed, he will have lost his
> verbal function and most of his cognitive reasoning.  But his waking up
> is not likely.  They meet with the neurosurgeon tomorrow morning.
>
> He is 53 years old.  He married his high school sweetheart and she is by
> his side as he struggles.  They have three daughters and a son.  Two of
> the girls were international adoptions from Korea.
>
> He teaches science at a Catholic middle school and has a reputation as a
> fun teacher but a hard grader.  He loved the Bill Nye the Science Guy
> show.  Every once in a while, in the course of my job I meet families
> who have had kids who had him for a teacher.  invariably, when they find
> out who my brother is their faces brighten up and they can't say enough
> nice things.  Heck, even the staff at the local AM radio station (I test
> their fire alarms) have nothing but nice things to say about him.  They
> know him because he is a frequent winner of trivia and word quiz contests.
>
> His dream was to some day appear on Jeopardy and he used to watch the
> show with an oversize retractable pen in his hand and practice.  Two
> weeks ago he attended the tryouts in Chicago.  He wore a specially
> ordered shirt that matched one he wears in class but without the logo.
> He was careful to avoid any foods that might make his throat 'scratchy'
> and agonized over the decision on whether to keep his beard or shave it
> (he kept it).  His biggest concern was that his neck looks lopsided ever
> since his cancer surgery over a decade ago.
>
> He carefully planned everything so if he didn't make it he wouldn't look
> back and 'what if' himself to death.  He would know that he gave it his
> best shot and no excuses.  He was relaxed and even got a few laughs.
>
> When it was over he had done well enough to be placed in the pool for
> this season and next.
>
> It just isn't fair.
>
> I'm sad and I am angry.
Joe I think everyone here including myself will have you and your family
in our thoughts and prayers. It has been a rough time for you this past
year. You can never know how these things will turn out..... some times
what looks hopeless can turn around.