Reflections on a Good Man

Aunt Gloria & Uncle Ken

It's been over a week since Uncle Ken died and I can't say that it has gotten any easier.  I cried for over two straight hours after I received the phone call that I didn't want to answer but knew was inevitable.  I was at work late when my Dad called to notify me that he had passed away in the hospice room and was with Gloria when he died.  I was happy to know that my brother, Erik, and his family made it down there to see him before he died. 

The whole suddenness of things and how it has transpired still has not fully hit me and I find myself trying to vet things out.  He had surgery on his amputated leg the week of February 21st and eight days later suffered a pulmonary embolism that was diagnosed by his primary care physician who had him admitted to the hospital on Thursday, March 3rd.  They monitored him and felt that the next day he could be dismissed.  On Friday, March 4th, my aunt received the call from the nurse that he was going to be dismissed and that she could pick him up.  She was planning to finish the laundry  and go pick him up so that he would not have to worry about it over the weekend.  During that phone call and the time she arrived, he was preparing to take a shower, suffered a stroke, and was admitted into the ICU.  He suffered brain damage as well as  paralysis on one side of his body and was never the same again.

He died on Thursday, March 10th at night and then later that night, we found out that the 8.9 earthquake in Japan occurred and was followed by the subsequent tsunami.  This will be a memorable date to tie to his death as both were unfortunate events.  Ken will truly be missed as Ashley and I are still crying and remembering fond memories of him together.  My heart also goes  to those in Japan who have also lost their loved ones and are trying to rebuild their lives now.  Makes me really wonder why things like this have to happen when it is so hard on those left behind.