- Jul 20, 2014
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I have a friend. We met in 1979. He was a UF grad like me and loved basketball. We became close friends because we shared a small office and taught PE in a small school together. We taught together for five years. We had tons of fun with those kids. Many of whom I still communicate with and have been very successful. The school was grades k-7 so we had tiny kids and middle school kids. It was a very special part of our lives and we discuss it on occasion. Things happened and I ended up finishing my career at a smaller school and he worked for the state and retired about 7 yrs before me.
He has always been like an older brother to me. We are equals in most ways but he sees the world through much different eyes than most people I know. He challenges me and my ideas at times. His wife is an absolute saint and wonderful cook which is perfect because he is an ace gardener. They have been married about 10 years now. Maybe longer. She has multiple grandchildren and R treats them like his own. He married a whole family when he found Linda. This is all background but what bothers me is watching my friend die.
It is nor formally announced that he is terminal or with just months to live but It is plain to me and probably Linda. R has smoked his whole adult life. He is now about 72. About 5 yrs ago he gained a lot of weight and felt like shttt all the time. No energy. He went to the doctor and found he had Afib. He was so relieved knowing what it was he got off the couch and lost over 100lbs by diet and moving much more. Still had afib but used some meds for it. Then they discovered spots on his lungs and said probably cancer so he was ready to die for a year. FInally, they tested and said its some bizarre infection BUT NOT cancer. So he was relieved I guess. Then the afib was driving him nuts so he did this ablation thing recently. AFib is gone but he has breathing problems all the time now. This has him really depressed. I asked if he thought putting those fcknnn cigarettes down for a few weeks might help his breathing? He said maybe it would. But he cannot do it. Last few times I have visited and called I can tell he is really down. His wife has health problems too. I hate losing a best friend like this. We have great talks about the world and history and our careers. He is funny profane and crazy. I finally convinced him to drive us to his old neighborhood in Jax where he grew up and told me hundreds of stories about last year. It was a great day. We were gonna do the opposite and I would take him around where I grew up and do some stuff. Doesnt look like we may make it. I recently lost another old friend to cancer and we had planned a camping trip to the Ocala National Forest that never had a chance.............I shoulda picked younger friends I guess.
He has always been like an older brother to me. We are equals in most ways but he sees the world through much different eyes than most people I know. He challenges me and my ideas at times. His wife is an absolute saint and wonderful cook which is perfect because he is an ace gardener. They have been married about 10 years now. Maybe longer. She has multiple grandchildren and R treats them like his own. He married a whole family when he found Linda. This is all background but what bothers me is watching my friend die.
It is nor formally announced that he is terminal or with just months to live but It is plain to me and probably Linda. R has smoked his whole adult life. He is now about 72. About 5 yrs ago he gained a lot of weight and felt like shttt all the time. No energy. He went to the doctor and found he had Afib. He was so relieved knowing what it was he got off the couch and lost over 100lbs by diet and moving much more. Still had afib but used some meds for it. Then they discovered spots on his lungs and said probably cancer so he was ready to die for a year. FInally, they tested and said its some bizarre infection BUT NOT cancer. So he was relieved I guess. Then the afib was driving him nuts so he did this ablation thing recently. AFib is gone but he has breathing problems all the time now. This has him really depressed. I asked if he thought putting those fcknnn cigarettes down for a few weeks might help his breathing? He said maybe it would. But he cannot do it. Last few times I have visited and called I can tell he is really down. His wife has health problems too. I hate losing a best friend like this. We have great talks about the world and history and our careers. He is funny profane and crazy. I finally convinced him to drive us to his old neighborhood in Jax where he grew up and told me hundreds of stories about last year. It was a great day. We were gonna do the opposite and I would take him around where I grew up and do some stuff. Doesnt look like we may make it. I recently lost another old friend to cancer and we had planned a camping trip to the Ocala National Forest that never had a chance.............I shoulda picked younger friends I guess.
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