Goodby Howie

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Don’t know how to start this. Don’t know if I’ll be able to finish it.

My Cousin in law and friend. My Cousin’s Husband died at my Mom’s house at Thanksgiving. They had been together for 22 years.

He was 48. He had health problems. Alchololic.

He just went blank, fell out of his chair and died. No pulse, no breathing. My brother and I preformed CPR untill paramedics arrived. We think he may have started breathing again for about 20 seconds. Then nothing.

He was the funniest, most sensitive man I think I have ever known.

My cousin D is very special to me. My dear Wife. What a trooper. She and I went to the hospital to find out what was gonig on while D went to get some things from her house, and find the medications that Howie was on. My bro and I knew he was gone, but… well … you never really know… and you have to hope. Through bad timing and … well it was my Wife and I that told his parents that he was gone. I love my Wife so much.

We knew… but… when we got to the emergency room they took us to what I guess is a gieving room. They kicked the other people out. I tried to keep them from doing that. I don’t know why they where there. Then we where. And knew for sure.

The people at Rose Hospital in Denver where wonderful. I need to tell them that. Dr. Z something. The nurse.

My brother and I went to Mom’s today to clean up the house. Steam clean the carpet. Never thought about that before… but it needed to be done. Howie would probably find that quite funny. A last ‘impression’. That one is for you Howie.

He was a doner, someone already has his eyes. Amazing. Hope they don’t mind wearing glasses. Gotcha again Howie. You even get me to laugh in the saddest of times.

Three years worth of emotion in 3 hours. We where alltogether at Mom’s. Dosn’t happen that often.

Gonna miss ya bud. We’ll take care of little D.

…

I don’t know. I just need to write this down. My bro is asleep now. My Wife had to return home. And I also wanted to say that everyone needs to learn CPR. Did it make a difference. Not this time. But we where able to try. We could try. And we did.

2

My condolences to you. How very sad.
I commend you and your brother for jumping into action with the CPR. Not eveyrone would have the presence of mind to do that.
Most of the time when someone is so sick that they go into cardiac arrest there is nothing that can be done to save them, but there are definitely cases where CPR makes the critical difference so it’s good to know it and be ready to use it.

3

You all sound like you were a close family. That’s good to hear about. I’m sorry for your loss. I don’t know what else to say except this is a GOOD reason for me to refresh my CPR. I’ve never had to use it, but one never knows.

Take care of yourselves, I’ll say a prayer for you all tonight.

4

Thank you both.

My brother and I have always made a good team. We went to advanced first aid training together. We used to be on a mountain rescue team.

We just did it, not a thought about it. We don’t really need words. We are very close.

We knew Howie was not in good health, I think perhaps is was an anurism. No pain, nothing. No clue. Just gone.

5

My sincere condolances. That is a very painful thing to have lived through.

Sending supporting thoughts your way.

6

Sorry, pal. Hang on to Ms. D.

7

I am very sorry for your loss, and to be in not only a front row seat but right there in the center ring.

Howie went surrounded by those that cared. And, it seems, he died painlessly and quickly. Very few are so lucky.

You are right. Everyone needs to learn CPR or brush up their skills.

To stand by in horror and not know what to do is a terrible feeling.