Something shocking happened this morning:
This guy Brett that works for me (for a long time, we're close friends too) comes in to the office around 8:30 with the phone in his ear, breathing very fast, shaking, and looking literally light green in the face. I pull him into my office and shut the door and ask him what happened and he gasps "I don't know what to do! I don't know what to do! My mom just died! My mom just died!!...." So I immediately grab my jacket and keys, and him and say "let's get out of here....." and drove him to his parent's house. It was hard to know what to say during those next 15 minutes, he was very panicked and grief stricken. They were very close. They had just talked the night before, and had a family birthday party 3 nights ago. She watches their kids several times a week, they love their grandma.
His wife took their little girls over the grandma's house for Tuesday babysitting (a weekly thing) and she found Brett's mom dead in her bed. His dad had gotten up earlier and went to the gym so he probably figured she was asleep and not to wake her. More likely, she was already gone.
She was only 60 years old. No known health problems besides obesity (she was big), inactivity (didn't exercise) and a history of thyroid problems (been taking medicine for this decades). OK, so she did have health problems. But no disease or current "illness"... nothing that gave an indication of eminent sudden death.
When we arrived at the house there was a fire truck and an ambulance and all these people milling around. I gave Brett some encouragement (best I could) and then he got out and slowly walked across the yard to where the medical and fire guys were. Made me think about Jacob. I'm sure you've been on plenty of calls like that Jacob. That would be a strange thing to have to deal with as part of your job. Well that and you also work in an ER! I can't imagine what you've seen. I'm sure you've learned to respect life in profound ways.
She was a very kind woman, totally selfless, a great mother, a super nice cheerful lady. I really feel for Brett and his family right now. He's a good dude.
There aren't that many things that can kill you instantly. Heart Attack, stroke, apnea, aneurhysm (sp?).
The one takeaway from this for me is to encourage my parents in their health and to plead with them to have their hearts scanned/examined. If you catch these things before it's too late you can usually do something about it. I had my heart scanned last year (after my boss had a quadruple bypass) just because they reccomend men over 35 and women over 40 to do that... it was only $150 and came out clean as a whistle. Often heart disease starts when you are quite young, especially for those genetically predisposed to it.
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Fletcher, you are a good friend to take Brett home and to support him.
ReplyDeleteLife is precious, take time to enjoy it boys.
My client and I did the squat WOD and I have never sweat so much during a squat workout. We did it a little different than prescribed, we did 2 squats every minute for 20 minutes. Here are my numbers
135,155,175,195,215, 235,245,255,265,270
270,275,275,280,285,285,290,295,300x1,300x1.
Amazing that you can nearly max out and do that much volume.
warmup was: 3 rounds of 1 min of each: Jump rope, plank, rowing, situps.
Have a great day boys!
Fletch, your story is very, very similar to what I'm sure my old boss in The Netherlands would tell of me learning that my father had passed. It's a very tough memory to relive.
ReplyDeleteFuck being unhappy. It just isn't worth it.