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Post by Russell Letson on May 4, 2021 19:28:46 GMT -5
My youngest brother, Tim, died of Covid this afternoon in Florida. Two weeks ago he felt sick and went to the hospital, where he tested positive but was sent him home after getting some IV fluids and meds. Two days later he returned, hardly able to walk. He went right into the ICU, where he got various treatments (including antibodies) but progressed from a full-face oxygen mask to a ventilator and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Last night he was transported to a hospital that had an ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) machine to take the load off his heart and lungs, but his heart gave out before they could get him connected and he was too damaged to revive.
He was 56 55 54* and had been a cop and a military contractor (running a bomb dog in Afghanistan) and was generally fit for a middle-aged guy. He thought that he'd already had Covid, because he got really sick when he returned from a job in Jordan last year. In our last conversation before the mask made talk impossible, he said that Covid was terrible and that he wanted to tell all his friends (who are inclined to be macho guys) to take it very seriously.
* Apparently I've lost the ability to do arithmetic or operate a calendar. Tim was born in August 1966, on the day I left for grad school.
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Post by billhammond on May 4, 2021 19:35:26 GMT -5
My youngest brother, Tim, died of Covid this afternoon in Florida. Two weeks ago he felt sick and went to the hospital, where he tested positive but was sent him home after getting some IV fluids and meds. Two days later he returned, hardly able to walk. He went right into the ICU, where he got various treatments (including antibodies) but progressed from a full-face oxygen mask to a ventilator and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Last night he was transported to a hospital that had an ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) machine to take the load off his heart and lungs, but his heart gave out before they could get him connected and he was too damaged to revive. He was 56 and had been a cop and a military contractor (running a bomb dog in Afghanistan) and was generally fit for a middle-aged guy. He thought that he'd already had Covid, because he got really sick when he returned from a job in Jordan last year. In our last conversation before the mask made talk impossible, he said that Covid was terrible and that he wanted to tell all his friends (who are inclined to be macho guys) to take it very seriously. OMG, Russ, I am so, so sorry. That is just awful on so many levels. |
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Dub
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Post by Dub on May 4, 2021 19:40:37 GMT -5
Oh, NO!
Russell, Joy and I are so sorry. This makes us wish we could be in St. Cloud.
You have our deepest condolences.
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Post by Don Clark on May 4, 2021 19:44:19 GMT -5
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Post by John B on May 4, 2021 19:59:39 GMT -5
I'm so sorry for your family's loss, Russell.
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Post by Village Idiot on May 4, 2021 20:09:26 GMT -5
That is very sad news, Russell, and I'm very sorry to hear it. Covid can't come to an end soon enough.
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Post by Shannon on May 4, 2021 20:11:31 GMT -5
Russell, please know that you and your family have my sincere sympathies. That has to feel awful. I’m sorry you are going through it. My prayers are with you.
Shannon
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Post by Cornflake on May 4, 2021 20:13:53 GMT -5
Words fail me, Russell. My prayers are with you too, whether you want them or not.
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Post by drlj on May 4, 2021 20:22:54 GMT -5
Russ, my deepest sympathies. This news saddens me greatly.
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Post by coachdoc on May 4, 2021 20:24:45 GMT -5
Russ you have my heartfelt sympathy. Can't imagine losing any of my sibs. That is a dagger deep in the heart. So sorry.
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Post by Marshall on May 4, 2021 20:38:54 GMT -5
**sigh** Very sorry, Russell.
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Post by TKennedy on May 4, 2021 20:51:12 GMT -5
Russ I am so very sorry. That is a real kick in the gut. Did he get in in spite of being vaccinated?
Pat and I send our deepest condolences.
Terry
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Post by james on May 4, 2021 21:11:20 GMT -5
My condolences Russell.
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Post by epaul on May 4, 2021 21:22:53 GMT -5
Oh, man. That is a hammer blow. There is a horrific capriciousness to Covid. What a sad rotten deal.
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Post by paleo on May 4, 2021 21:26:35 GMT -5
Sorry to hear this Russell, you have my deepest sympathy.
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Post by david on May 4, 2021 21:36:54 GMT -5
Russell, I am so very sorry. My condolences to you and your family.
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Post by Rob Hanesworth on May 4, 2021 22:00:14 GMT -5
Russell so sorry for the loss of your brother.
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Tamarack
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Post by Tamarack on May 4, 2021 22:42:13 GMT -5
My condolences to you and all who were touched by Tim's life.
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Post by Russell Letson on May 4, 2021 23:02:29 GMT -5
Terry: Tim hadn't been vaccinated but thought that he'd already caught it early on after the job in Jordan. It might have been some other exotic crud, or he might have had the bad luck to run into one of the new strains, which seem to be able to punch through acquired immunity. I plan to ask the hospital whether they determined which strain he had--information that certainly ought to go into the epidemiological data stream.
I'd talked to him recently about other health matters (he was planning on taking another foreign-security job, which required extensive physical exams), but vaccination didn't come up. Right now I'm a bit angry at Florida, which is not entirely reasonable, especially since it was Florida doctors and nurses and hospital staff clearly working their butts off trying to save him. (Florida politicians and assorted yahoos, on the other hand. . . .)
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Post by TKennedy on May 4, 2021 23:20:24 GMT -5
So sad Russ, really sad.
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