More on my uncle
My uncle Bernard died today just after noon. My mother and I found out about it around two, but one of my aunts had called my mother this morning at 10 to tell her that his doctor had suggested "gathering the family." Since we both have colds, however, they wouldn't have let us in the hospital to visit him anyway, so we didn't start up there. (Respiratory infections + pulmonary ICU != good idea.) Given that he died two hours later, we would have only been halfway there when he died.
Although he had two heart attacks, he actually died of a pulmonary embolism. Yes, the same thing my other uncle, his brother, was in the hospital with at the same time Bernard had his first heart attack. There is apparently a genetic predisposition for such things. Of the seven siblings, two have had pulmonary embolisms, one has had blood clots during/after surgery, and another has had a Transient Ischemic Attack. I think genetic testing is in the cards.
Bernard was...a character is probably the best description. Cantankerous, often funny, frequently annoying, never conventional. He was a farmer, but mostly he just "got by" with this and that and the other thing. He was married and divorced--sometimes I think the smartest thing he ever did was marrying Kathy, and the smartest thing she ever did was divorcing him. He had one son, John, who was with him when he died. Ironically, it's his ex-wife who is doing most of the organizing and dealing with things. She also took care of him between his being released from the hospital the first time and his being readmitted this last time. Still a lot of affection and even love, she just couldn't live with him.
Although he had two heart attacks, he actually died of a pulmonary embolism. Yes, the same thing my other uncle, his brother, was in the hospital with at the same time Bernard had his first heart attack. There is apparently a genetic predisposition for such things. Of the seven siblings, two have had pulmonary embolisms, one has had blood clots during/after surgery, and another has had a Transient Ischemic Attack. I think genetic testing is in the cards.
Bernard was...a character is probably the best description. Cantankerous, often funny, frequently annoying, never conventional. He was a farmer, but mostly he just "got by" with this and that and the other thing. He was married and divorced--sometimes I think the smartest thing he ever did was marrying Kathy, and the smartest thing she ever did was divorcing him. He had one son, John, who was with him when he died. Ironically, it's his ex-wife who is doing most of the organizing and dealing with things. She also took care of him between his being released from the hospital the first time and his being readmitted this last time. Still a lot of affection and even love, she just couldn't live with him.