Sisters - Subtitled "No, I didn't have a Merry Christmas."

Sorry, didn't mean to be so vague. I don't remember how much of the story I told here about my brother's accident. He had a nasty fall back in April-fell down a flight of steps and suffered an intercranial hematoma. Extensive brain damage was the result. We watched him slip away mentally and physically over the next three months. He went from an erassable, fiesty fellow to a kitten.

In the beginning we thought he was improving. He started to recognize us. Infections and blood clots took their toll and he started losing touch with reality. He would say to me, "I could forget who I am." He wasn't him anymore. He was a person with no personality. The part of the brain where Ed used to live had died.

So my question is-Is the personality the soul? If the soul exists separate from the personality, what good is it? Why would you want to live forever if you weren't you anymore?

Does that make any sense?

Tons.

{{Soz}}

Yes, a lot of sense. Thank you for explaining in more detail. A terribly sad thing for you to live through. If your brother was no longer the brother you knew, it is almost as if he'd "gone" before his death. Even he was losing track of who he was. I understand what you were asking now. <sigh>

That's exactly right, Olga. I could see him strugggling to retain his sense of self. Once that was gone, so was he.

So very sad, Swimpy.

Just got a call that my youngest brother (he's 65) had a heart attack. Appears to have been mild. They put in one stent and are still evaluating to determine is bypass surgery will be needed.

Sorry to hear this Swimpy. Hope he'll be ok.

Hand to Swimpy and brother...

I hope he's recovering as well as could be expected, Swimpy.
Hugs to you.

He was lucky. He had five blockages four at about 80% and one at more than 90%. They were able to fix the 90% one with angioplasty and a stent, but he will need bypass surgery for the others. That will be in about 4 weeks. He's on his way home.

I hope this is the wake up call he needs to start taking better care of his health.

Sorry to see this news, swimpy. Glad it wasn't more serious. Warnings are oftentimes blessings in disguise.

Here's hoping he takes to his recovery like my father has.....

Thanks everybody. Yep, I think he's got a good chance of making a full recovery. He says he feels fine. I wish the surgery was sooner.

lilK, Your dad's doing well?

Swimpy, best to you, and to him. A wakeup call can be a very good thing indeed.

It's almost never too late to start taking better care of one's self. Here's hoping he can recover and do so.

Yes! He checked himself into a hospital on christmas night 1998 with angina. They put in a stent or two. He turned his health around so drastically that when it came time to do a prostate removal 3-5 years later and he had to check that his health was such that the surgery would be worth it, his cardiovascular physician laughed. But of course! He took meds and ate right and built up his exercise routine. By 6 months post-op, he was doing very well and going to the gym 6 days a week. He continues to take meds, exercise and eat well. At times he's injured himself exercising (go figure) and needed to lay off. His heart health declined rapidly. He's had two more stents put in after two injuries - both medicated stents (which he's pissed about, by the way).

He's vigilant and his genetics are sometimes at odds with his plan. He has family who die at 59 and those who die at 90. At 68, his odds are looking good to become an octogentarian. It's not easy for him, but I think it'd be even harder for me to do what he's done for himself. He is a trooper.

Meds alone, Swimpy, seem to go a loooooong way! Diet and exercise are that much better.

I don't expect him to go as far as your dad, K, but I hope he starts doing something, diet and meds at a minimum. He's had chronic back problems, which has led him to be fairly sedentary. I don't expect that to change much. Maybe his cardiologist can help him find an exercise regime that will work for him.

Thanks for the good wishes, Jes and Edgar. He's such a good guy, even though he's a Republican :wink: