Just had to get it off my chest.

FinsnFur · July 24, 2012, 07:30:42 PM

Our plant production manager at work was complaining of pains in his side a couple days before our annual 4th of July shut down.
He decided to have his wife make a doctors appointment over our shut down (June 29th to July 8th) so he could deal with it during shut down, whatever it might be.

We fired the plant back up on the July 9th and he came back saying that they were running some tests, and decided to put him on some heavy duty pain killers. He said despite their presence he was still in unbearable pain.
But this guy would not give up. He had been running this manufactured housing plant for well over 20 years. It was his baby literally. He went about the day/s just as hard as ever. Yelling at people for defects, shoddy work. He was driving around the tractors, and moving houses.

Rumors began to rapidly spread around the plant that he had some kind of cancer. But those in the know weren't really talking.
Early last week he didnt show up and open the plant. The mentioned at our 9'o clock meeting was that he was in such pain they admitted him in the hospital to put him on a pain killer IV.
And actually he never came back to work. Last Thursday a friend of his wifes called the plant and wondered if he could come out and talk to all the supervisors. Most of us thought he was coming to say our boss had passed away from some freak illness.

And as it turned out, he came to say that the boss is requesting their presence at his house...the next day..so he could say good bye.

All the supervisors showed up out at his house this past Saturday. Hospice had set a bed up out in the living room for him. He seemed in good spirits. Wore an oxygen mask and chuckled about his swollen genitalia from the fluids. And made other wise cracks.

He bought a 67 Mustang from one of the employees a while back, put a pile of money into it and kept it in the shed except for very special occasions.
He asked one of the visitors that day to pull the Mustang out of the shed and park it outside of the window so he could see it.
He then says I got pancreatic cancer and my guts are filling with blood as fast as they pump new blood in. It's a viscous and useless cycle. I can push this button every so often to dump in more pain medicine when I think need it.
They are going to stop pumping in blood, and this button is going to stop working. Which means I'm going to go to sleep and never wake up.

He did just that. Pronounced dead the following morning. (This Sunday)

Someone tell me how a person goes from, "oh man I got an ache in my side" to 6ft under in less then 30 days. I dont get it. He must have been hiding a LOT of pain for a LONG time.

And the other thing I dont understand, is how do you as the victim come to peace with something like this? To lay in bed knowing your done in a matter of hours and crack jokes bout your nutbag, request to see your car etc?
He even asked his wife to get the oil changed in his truck.
I dont get it.

Rest in peace Joe

riverboss · July 24, 2012, 07:52:47 PM

Jim im sorry for your loss. Ive been there and saw this myself with my brother, Cancer is the devil. my brother took it better than i ever could time heals all! hang in there, its all you can do.

coyote101 · July 24, 2012, 09:14:28 PM

Sorry for the loss of your friend Jim. Pancreatic cancer is the most aggressive form and our first female astronaut, Sally Ride died from it just yesterday. All cancer sucks, I lost my oldest sister to a rare form of it several years ago.

Pat

Hawks Feather · July 24, 2012, 10:26:59 PM

Jim,

Sorry to read of the loss for you, the rest of the employees, and your workplace. Like has been said, pancreatic cancer is painful and there is little that can be done for someone who gets it. I only wish that a cure can be found for cancer.

Jerry

Frogman · July 25, 2012, 12:25:20 AM

Jim,

That's a tough one to read about, even tougher to experience.

A few years ago we had a local doctor take our scuba class. He became very excited about diving and soon had his wife two sons and his daughter taking classes and going diving. They were all just great people and a wonderful family. They all came to our last scuba shop Christmas party just before we closed the shop. Not long after the party I heard that he had cancer. Then I saw an add in the paper for all his patients to come and get their records that he would be closing his practice. Two days later he was gone. Pancreatic cancer.

Thoughts and prayers for your friend and all who cared for him!

Jim

Okanagan · July 25, 2012, 01:00:22 AM

Jim, thank you for the story. Makes a man think. He sounds like a good man who died well.

KySongDog · July 25, 2012, 03:23:34 AM

Sorry for your loss, Jim.

Carolina Coyote · July 25, 2012, 06:11:55 AM

Very Sad and very true, it seems every day more and more people are getting cancer, you have to admire the courage of your friend as it sounds like you lost a true friend, really sorry to hear of your lost. CC

Ladobe · July 25, 2012, 09:28:02 AM

Quote from: Okanagan on July 25, 2012, 01:00:22 AM
Jim, thank you for the story. Makes a man think. He sounds like a good man who died well.

Very well said. He was a good man. Family and friends are the ones I am very sorry for. He's at peace now, but they have to go on without him.

Cancer is something you can't really understand until you have it youself, or how you will react to it. I had a problem back in 2008 that eventually escalated to unbelievable pain and massive hemorrhaging within just a few days, so I finally went to a doctor about it. Yeah I know! In less than a month of just about every test in the book I was diagnosed with 5 cancers, one in particular that required emergency surgery immediately in San Diego to extend my life, and four lessor surgeries before I said enough was enough. Only one is semi permanently cured from the surgeries. Cancer was something I greatly feared at first, got tired of all the hubbub over it later, and eventually learned to ignore it and the pain though the mind over matter I've relied on my entire life. Other than when in a hospital, I took no medications, had no treatments because I didn't want to spend my last days sick all the time from them. I was told I would be dead before mid 2009 from the pancreatic cancer alone. But all my cancers are apparently in recession... I'm still here, and other than checkups and tests a couple of times a year I rarely even think about them anymore. But they did change my attitude about life. I live each day to the fullest I can around my handicaps, have a great attitude and am at peace with the world. I'm not even upset they were all attributed to my Vietnam service 40 odd years ago. So for me anyway, the bull of the woods who never got sick and never backed down to anything, they were probably a good thing. I am lucky with only a son left for family, so nobody counts on me and nobody really needs me. Makes it much easier not to have to worry about those you leave behind.

Maybe the best thing I can leave this with... everybody needs to remember that today may be your last, so live it as if it was.

Hidehunter · July 25, 2012, 10:13:00 AM

Yeah thats rough...hate to hear of your loss. It seems I have dealt alot with death this year and seen similar circumstances. I often wonder myself how a person can deal with these things.

KySongDog · July 25, 2012, 04:50:20 PM

Quote from: Ladobe on July 25, 2012, 09:28:02 AM

I'm not even upset they were all attributed to my Vietnam service 40 odd years ago.

Let me guess........Agent Orange.

bambam · July 25, 2012, 05:03:05 PM

Hate to hear that. Prayers sent.

Ladobe · July 25, 2012, 07:23:43 PM

Quote from: Semp on July 25, 2012, 04:50:20 PM
Quote from: Ladobe on July 25, 2012, 09:28:02 AM

I'm not even upset they were all attributed to my Vietnam service 40 odd years ago.

Let me guess........Agent Orange.

Nope. Getting way off track on this thread, but good to know so I'll relate to benefit others. Mostly the ground pounders were exposed to AO, I was an Airedale both on ship and shore duty. But the miltary used all kinds of chemicals that were serious carcinogens in those days, pure lead products in equipment, etc . I was an Aviation Electronics Technician that troubleshot and repaired high security aircraft equipment. I used a very archaic ultrasonic cleaner from daily to many times daily for two of my serive years that is the most suspect because it used full strengh carcenogenic chemicals, Naptha when we could get it probably the least invasive, and Benezine and Acetones used with other methods among the worst. Using the "Beast" meant getting into and breathing the fog constantly, and elbow deep in the chemicals themselves where it was absorbed through the skin, cuts, etc. MSDS's were still many years away in the 60's. Surprisingly, even with that and smoking most of my life I never contracted lung cancer though.

Bopeye · July 25, 2012, 11:29:38 PM

Oh my goodness!! I wish I had the words Jimbo, but all I can convey has pretty much been said. I sure do hate it for you and all the other family and friends. It sounds like he was a man that touched many lives which isn't too bad of a legacy to leave behind.
Like I said though, I don't have the words but "sorry".

WldWldWest · July 26, 2012, 10:13:58 AM

Sorry for your loss Jim, Sounds like he was a fine man and went out with style and class not to mention bravery, thats a feat most of us will never accomplish.

Doug

iahntr · July 26, 2012, 04:21:16 PM

Sorry to hear this Jim. It's crazy stuff. I just visited a buddy back home last week. He lost his mom 5 years ago to cancer, and his dad went to the Dr. about 6 or 7 weeks ago because he wasn't feeling well, he past away about 10 days ago.
Ya never know.

FOsteology · July 26, 2012, 05:39:04 PM

My condolences.

A good friend of mine's father passed away from pancreatic cancer when we were in HS. Extremely tough on the family, and school district (as he was the Elementary School Principle). Shocking as he always appeared to be healthy and robust. Within 30 days of diagnosis he passed...

HaMeR · July 27, 2012, 04:30:29 AM

Sorry to hear this Jim.

It's tough for sure. Best wishes & prayers to you & all of his Family, Friends, & co-workers. Tis a sad day for sure.

It's good that he was able to accept things as they were also. It takes a special breed to understand, admit ti, & accept all of that in such a short time. It shows the mans character & strength & courage. I think a lot of folks can learn from people like that.

Take care Jim!!