So Houston was hot; nearing 100 degrees each day I visited. Amazingly, however, I didn't really mind it, but that's because I was in air conditioned homes, cars, restaurants, and bars almost the entire time.
The trip was good... my family is doing well. The kids that were there got to know each other a bit better. My brother Bill took me on the New England Catamaran that I/we helped build. It was one of our father's unfinished hobbies/projects. The boat was built from scratch. Bill helped build it the most out of all the kids, but I definitely recall helping to sand and shellac the boat and getting fiberglass stuck in my skin, and coughing from the fumes. Anyway, it is a 20ft sea-worthy vessel, a fine achievement for him.
I especially liked hanging out with my nieces and nephews who are around my age. They are fun, funny, loud, snarky, sarcastic, and fabulous. I had a really good time.
My brother's death has affected me to an extent that I really hadn't expected. We weren't close emotionally because of the spread in our ages (he was 60 - that's 26 years older than me); but perhaps that's part of why it is affecting me so much. That, and all the other stuff related to the circumstances of his death. Suffice it to say that this situation really has me thinking about how I want to live my life, what I need to do to turn that out, and how I do and don't want to die. Then I start contemplating meaning... I mean, really What is the meaning of life? It's all very unsettling. :(
In a few hours, I'll be en route to Houston for the family memorial service. I'm looking forward to the celebration part... but my big family gatherings are always exhausting events. Our mom, plus at least 7 of the kids, their spouses, and probably 8 - 10 grandkids, along with a few of the greatgrandkids will be in attendance, at least. Despite the fact that I'm a gregarious and outspoken person, I can be easily overwhelmed within a room full of my kinsfolk. Really, I'm relatively tame & staid in comparison!
Labels: family
Labels: family
My brother is on the mend. He's out of the coma, and is somewhat responsive, though apparently the effects of the malady and coma are somewhat akin to a stroke. Turns out that the main culprit was his low thyroid... a lack of sufficient medication so much so that his body started shutting down vital functions. Specifically, in his case, his body stopped converting ammonia into urea and pushed him into a coma. Anyway, things are a bit better now. He's definitely got a long recovery, and he may never fully recover to the point that he can go back to work.
The early symptoms of low thyroid disorder include a general sense of lethargy (which I refer to as "brain fog"), memory problems, and sensitivity to cold. Thyroid disorders are also closely correlated to high cholesterol.
Update: 6:45 pm: He's back in ICU. His condition is worsening again.
Update: He developed a rare blood complication, and they are going to try to treat it with chemotherapy.
Labels: family
I received word today that my oldest brother is in a coma. It's serious.
I don't have a lot of details, but it may have been precipitated from the lack of quality control and regulation on prescription drugs in Mexico. You see, he is down in Arizona near the border and was crossing the border to fill prescriptions at a lower cost.
I don't know what will happen. I come from a big family, I'm number 11 of 11. This brother is 26 years older than me (60). Keep your fingers crossed.
Labels: family