Post by jazznoise on Apr 14, 2017 3:14:44 GMT -6
Hey guys,
I've been off and on here for a while, and with everything for a while, for the last few weeks and I felt it might be good to explain. 6 weeks + 1 day ago my brother went to Manchester Royal Infirmary over a suspected kidney infection. 2 weeks later they found cancer cells in his lymph nodes, 3 weeks later he was diagnosed with a Neuroendocrine Tumor (very rare form of cancer) and told he had 6 weeks to live. Unfortunately as the cancer progressed it began to shut off vital functions such as bile duct, causing an infection in his liver. The cancer was extremely aggressive so, unfortunately, there was nothing we could do and even catching the tumor early would have just lead to a messy and most probably unsuccessful chemo battle.
My brother was an electronic engineer, but before that he had been a DJ and electronic music fanatic. When I went to his man cave to get some documents it had all his stuff - his Moog synths, his MS-20, his 3D Printer, his soldering station and his Eurorack modular kits..walls of CD's, textbooks etc.. He had first started a sound engineering course in Manchester and then dropped out due to partying and having too much fun to be bothered with college. He was 10 years older than me, but young at heart, and when he moved home to do an electronics degree in our local college a few years later we got time to bond that I'm forever grateful for.
My brother bought me my first electric guitar, he bought me the amp I still gig today, he told me to do the course I went on and helped me assemble my first PC + recording rig. He thought me how to shave, how to tie a tie, how to put on a shirt, we went out to parties together, I would help him load his van for gigs, I went alone to his first recital after my Mom got him keyboard lessons for Christmas that year. We traveled to Liverpool, Berlin and rural Poland together. We went to family things if the other one went and he'd always fly home from Manchester if there was something fun going on at home (recently we'd thrown a 2nd Christmas Dinner for my girlfriend who had been away and he invited himself along!).
For his last few days his requests were simple: Marriage, Home, Dog. He finally got married, in the hospital, and I played a battered guitar at the ceremony. We managed to get him airlifted back to Ireland on humanitarian grounds and then ambulanced to our rural family home. My Uncle and I drove home with his dog on the ferry, and they were reunited the next day. Rob passed away peacefully yesterday afternoon with the sun shining in on him, and I live in hope that what we did brought him the last bit of happiness he most certainly deserved.
Guys, hold on to your family tight. Get checked.
I've been off and on here for a while, and with everything for a while, for the last few weeks and I felt it might be good to explain. 6 weeks + 1 day ago my brother went to Manchester Royal Infirmary over a suspected kidney infection. 2 weeks later they found cancer cells in his lymph nodes, 3 weeks later he was diagnosed with a Neuroendocrine Tumor (very rare form of cancer) and told he had 6 weeks to live. Unfortunately as the cancer progressed it began to shut off vital functions such as bile duct, causing an infection in his liver. The cancer was extremely aggressive so, unfortunately, there was nothing we could do and even catching the tumor early would have just lead to a messy and most probably unsuccessful chemo battle.
My brother was an electronic engineer, but before that he had been a DJ and electronic music fanatic. When I went to his man cave to get some documents it had all his stuff - his Moog synths, his MS-20, his 3D Printer, his soldering station and his Eurorack modular kits..walls of CD's, textbooks etc.. He had first started a sound engineering course in Manchester and then dropped out due to partying and having too much fun to be bothered with college. He was 10 years older than me, but young at heart, and when he moved home to do an electronics degree in our local college a few years later we got time to bond that I'm forever grateful for.
My brother bought me my first electric guitar, he bought me the amp I still gig today, he told me to do the course I went on and helped me assemble my first PC + recording rig. He thought me how to shave, how to tie a tie, how to put on a shirt, we went out to parties together, I would help him load his van for gigs, I went alone to his first recital after my Mom got him keyboard lessons for Christmas that year. We traveled to Liverpool, Berlin and rural Poland together. We went to family things if the other one went and he'd always fly home from Manchester if there was something fun going on at home (recently we'd thrown a 2nd Christmas Dinner for my girlfriend who had been away and he invited himself along!).
For his last few days his requests were simple: Marriage, Home, Dog. He finally got married, in the hospital, and I played a battered guitar at the ceremony. We managed to get him airlifted back to Ireland on humanitarian grounds and then ambulanced to our rural family home. My Uncle and I drove home with his dog on the ferry, and they were reunited the next day. Rob passed away peacefully yesterday afternoon with the sun shining in on him, and I live in hope that what we did brought him the last bit of happiness he most certainly deserved.
Guys, hold on to your family tight. Get checked.
. It sounds a life well lived , yet sadly cut short.
