Stories from RhyDin & The Rings

Just found out my grandfather is going downhill fast, health wise.

Doctor's are giving him a couple of months. Lung Cancer, plus two more growth's outside of kidneys

=/

Right now he's hanging on. The vascular surgery is scheduling him for a below the knee amputation next week.

Diabetes and a bump of his foot into a wall is all it took for gangrene to set in.

About three years ago my buddy who I was roommates with for over half a decade died from diabetes and the complication deriving from a minor foot cut. His general practioner was an old guy on the verge of retirement and really didn't treat properly to begin with. Within 6 months he was in a wheelchair, within a bout 4 years he died. He had 4 toes left between two feet and so many scars from failed operations to try to save what they could. He just ate bad and got overweight while being a smoker. He wouldn't give up the cigarettes because they were all he had left to maintain his sanity because he knew he was probably going to die soon.

It was the hardest thing to live thru and witness. I basically became a live in nurse maid for the guy in his last couple of years because his health insurance basically cast him away.

We can't help what genetics might bring us for health problems, but obesity if not the cause of issues definitely complicates them. No one has to try and be an athlete in fitness, but it doesn't take a lot to keep your weight from being a detriment to your health. I contstantly battle weight issues. Every five years or so like right now I have to work hard to knock off 40 lbs that eventually works back on 5 to 10 lbs a year.

Watching how my roommate die is enough of a motivator for me to do what I can to stay reasonably healthy. I feel for the woman who started this thread.

My grandfather was Physically active up until the last three years when he was forced to begin using a wheelchair. Fishing, Hunting, Shooting.

Weight was never really an issue for him. Even after he was in the wheelchair, he tried to stay active as much as possible, going with my youngest brother (29 next month) to the shooting range and teaching him how to handle guns.

I moved out of a bad situation with his help. SO now I do what I can to be there.

My buddy/roommate helped me out a lot when I was going through a bad transition myself as well. He wasn't blood family, but he might as well have been. Neither of us have/had much family ties left in the world. Taking care of him till the end was the least I could do. I miss Odin, we was a cool dude, but like I said it was one of the hardest periods of my life to go thru watching the decline till the end.

An update::

We just received that call...

He's at the end. Mom and Grandma are heading to the Rehab now but it's grim...

We're losing him.

Be strong. Thoughts are with you and your family.

My prayers are with you, sweetie.

It's over...

HE passed 7am this morning.

::hugs and holds::