posted
I last heard from him almost 3 weeks ago. He was having worse acid reflux and was planning on going to the doctor.
When I didn't hear from him by Wed of that week, I knew he was gone but kept hoping he was just in hospital having surgery
We need universal health care, not insurance. I'm sure the reason he didn't go months ago was due to lack of money.
Just talked with the apartment manager. She said Greatcod's brother is taking care of things. For the past 2.5 weeks I've been searching for obituary but found none.
She did not know the cause of death.
Posts: 3 | From MA | Registered: Jul 2008
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tdtid
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 10276
posted
I am soo so sorry. This is always so hard to hear. Thank you for informing us and if you do run across an obituary, please let us know.
My heart goes out to you and the family.
Cathy
-------------------- "To Dream The Impossible Dream" Man of La Mancha Posts: 2638 | From New Hampshire | Registered: Oct 2006
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bettyg
Unregistered
posted
what a GREAT LOSS!!
REST IN PEACE GREAT COD!! NO MORE PAIN! ***************************************
i so enjoyed his posts!! what was his real name, and when anyone does find an obituary, please show it in SUPPORT in LYME OBITUARIES ....thanks so much!
hica, thanks for posting; we would not have known otherwise.
just looked this up....
this is greatcod's LAST POST HERE!! ***********************************
subject; do only NICE people get lyme? *****************************************
Greatcod Frequent Contributor Member # 7002 posted 03-07-2008 03:59 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I'm not very nice, and I got it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posts: 1125 | Registered: Mar 2005 |
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bettyg
Unregistered
posted
hica or to anyone who knew GREATCOD REALLY WELL!!
just had an idea; to anyone really close to great cod, how about calling this washington dc no. OPINION LINE where you can talk up to 2 MIN. MAX on any subject.
i call there 5 days a week plus 3 other numbers giving my full name, mailing address, and i'm calling about our lyme disease bill S 1708 THAT WE WANT IT ON THE AGENDA.
then i talk about anything on my mind i want to educate them about....last week i mentioned iowa's 14 yr. old girl, alex hermstad, who was DENIED BEING APPROVED BY NIH FOR THEIR DISEASE PATIENT PROGRAM SINCE SHE IS ON A VENTILATOR.
no one is helping this family; alex is dying!
anyway, my idea was after you identify yourself with above info, and your calling to ask that our lyme disease bill be PLACED ON THEIR AGENDA NOW...
then tell them about greatcod; what he went thru; how long he had lyme, etc. i see he was a member for 3 years here.
did he have a spouse and kids, etc. tell about that too!
it's just a suggestion ... but we need to get in their face to let them know how many of us are dying from chronic lyme and/or CO-INFECTIONS of this god awful disease!!
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bejoy
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 11129
posted
I enjoyed his tongue in cheek comments, intended to keep us thinking. (When I put my tongue in my cheek, I usually have to bite it and then eat my words.) I will miss his posts and his presence here.
-------------------- bejoy!
"Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." -Ralph Waldo Emerson Posts: 1918 | From Alive and Well! | Registered: Feb 2007
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feelfit
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 12770
posted
Farewell Greatcod may you know a peace that passes understanding.
Feelfit
Posts: 3975 | From usa | Registered: Aug 2007
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lymie_in_md
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 14197
posted
Very sorry to hear of Greatcod's passing, my condolences to his family and to there loss and ours.
-------------------- Bob Posts: 2150 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
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posted
This is such sad news. I loved Greatcod's posts. I wish his family and friends my deepest sympathy on their loss.
Posts: 217 | From New Jersey | Registered: Apr 2007
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Tracy9
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7521
posted
OMG, that is awful. How sad. He was one of the funniest and wittiest there was.
Do you know how old he was? Was he elderly?
Hoping you can find obituary information, or have his apt mgr pass on your info to his brother.
13 years Lyme & Co.; Small Fiber Neuropathy; Myasthenia Gravis, Adrenal Insufficiency. On chemo for 2 1/2 years as experimental treatment for MG. Posts: 4480 | From Northeastern Connecticut | Registered: Jun 2005
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Melanie Reber
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 3707
posted
Please except my most sincere condolences for his family and friends.
Posts: 7052 | From Colorado | Registered: Mar 2003
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Boomerang
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7979
posted
I am so sorry to hear this. He was so funny...always made me laugh. I hope someone can find the obituary.
This is just too sad.
Posts: 1366 | From Southeast | Registered: Sep 2005
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Geneal
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10375
posted
I'm stunned.
Please extend my heartfelt condolences to his family.
I will certainly miss his posts.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posts: 6250 | From Louisiana | Registered: Oct 2006
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Tincup
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5829
posted
Please except my most sincere condolences for Greatcod's family and friends.
posted
when i got the opinion line today; i talked briefly about greatcod's recent passing...
emphasized if we had passed lyme research bills, we could come up with DEFINITE LYME TEST to know for sure and prompt treatment/DIAGNOSIS may have helped for him to live longer and QUALITY of life.
i was so sad today talking about this, i didn't use up my 2 minutes ...
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sizzled
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 1357
posted
My sincerest condolences to his family and friends. You will be greatly missed, Greatcod!
Posts: 4258 | From over there | Registered: Jul 2001
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treepatrol
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 4117
posted
Iam so sorry and so shocked. May God give piece to his family and friends.
-------------------- Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Remember Iam not a Doctor Just someone struggling like you with Tick Borne Diseases.
posted
He was a member our our support group here on Cape Cod. He had a brilliant mind and great wit. He suffered mightily from this disease. From what we know he must have died alone....and there has been NO obituary. I had been trying to reach him for over a week.
We are all feeling very sad. He made many contributions to our community with some excellent articles published in the Cape Cod Times. He always hoped he could get his life back. We are trying to find out if there is an obituary in a Rhode Island newspaper where his brother lived, since we have been told that his brother was taking care of the arrangements.
I know he is at peace, but not to even have some acknowledgement that he lived is so tragic in my opinion and in the opinion of all of us who thought so highly of him.
I will share your condolences with our group and thank you so much.
nan
-------------------- nan Posts: 2135 | From Tick Country | Registered: Oct 2000
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Clarissa
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4715
posted
This is incredibly tragic news. I'm sick to my stomach.
13 years Lyme & Co.; Small Fiber Neuropathy; Myasthenia Gravis, Adrenal Insufficiency. On chemo for 2 1/2 years as experimental treatment for MG. Posts: 4480 | From Northeastern Connecticut | Registered: Jun 2005
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lymeladyinNY
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 10235
posted
I'm SO sorry to read this.
God bless him. Sympathy to his friends and family.
- Lymelady
-------------------- I want to be free Posts: 1170 | From Endicott, NY | Registered: Sep 2006
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lymemomtooo
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5396
posted
To Nan and HICA, please add my condolances to the others listed. He will be missed. lmt
Posts: 2360 | From SE PA | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
I miss him and wish I could have done something, anything, to help.
When I posted yesterday, I was still sort of in shock.
Looking at the calendar, the last time I heard from him was Monday, July 7 when he did his usual daily mail between 2 - 4 pm eastern time.
I called him on Wed, the 9th, highly stressed, and continued hoping he was in hospital. Even if I had called him the morning July 8, it was already too late to get him help.
Looking back over the past 3-4 months, he was slowly becoming worse in all aspects. Then he'd have a good day or just a couple of good hours and again became hopeful of reclaiming some sort of life that was not run by Lyme & Co. Then he would push himself and have a crash. This cycle repeated itself numerous times. As I've done the same cycle, I just told both of us to knock it off and take it easy because Lyme & Co not only radically changes your body but your entire lifestyle.
We humans are dumb stubborn idiots. The so-called lesser creatures know to take it easy when they don't feel good.
I do not know his brother or even his first name. All I know is they live in Rhode Island. Maybe Providence, but I am not sure as we didn't get into specifics on some things. I am guessing interment will be in the family plot in RI. But I could be wrong and probably am wrong.
I believe he turned either 68 or 69 this year. We didn't do birthdays or holiday greetings as he didn't want to go there.
Regarding a memorial of some sort, I have no idea if the brother would be interested in that. I rather doubt it as they don't believe in Lyme.
I will be offline for a few days. If anyone sees the obituary, do post.
I have searched a lot of the funeral homes checking their lists of obituaries and have not found anything. Ditto with the various papers. It is possible that the body has not been released yet. If so, there won't be an obit until it is released.
Posts: 3 | From MA | Registered: Jul 2008
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posted
What a great loss...he sounds like he was a wonderful person and quite a character.
I always enjoyed reading his posts--so funny and informative too. I'm sure he is in a better, lyme-free place and able now to do all the things he missed.
Posts: 345 | From East Coast | Registered: Apr 2008
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bettyg
Unregistered
posted
nan and hica,
what was his 1st name?
what did he do prior to LYME as a occupation?
he sure had a WONDERFUL SENSE OF HUMOR! *****************************************
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posted
I've only been on LymeNet for a few months now.... I didn't know Greatcod...
...I did go back and read some of his posts....
What amazes me is this enormous feeling of sadness that I have of his death for someone that I never even met...
..it doesn't matter our age...our back ground, our career or social status...we all share the same pain and suffering that goes along with this disease...we all know how much he must have suffered.
In telling my Dh...tears filled my eyes...
...Greatcod was one of us...... ........fighting this disease ...a war that we are all in.....
we lost one of our own........ Obituary or not.....Greatcod WILL be remembered....
mtree
-------------------- worrying about tomorrow takes its strength away from today Posts: 970 | From Point PLeasant , NJ | Registered: Jan 2008
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tickled1
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 14257
posted
How very sad. I didn't "know" him either but am extremely saddened by this news as we are all family here. This also dims my hopes of recovery.
Does anyone know how long he had Lyme and why his treatment failed?
Posts: 2541 | From Northeast | Registered: Jan 2008
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lymeloco
Unregistered
posted
I checked the newspapers but it was a woman in her 70's that they thought had Creudfeltz Jacob's disease. It was in the Cape news.
What was Greatcod's real name? This is very sad because he contributed so much. I hope this is just speculation and not fact.
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posted
My condolences to all of his family and friends also. It's so sad to hear that he died alone and that he suffered so.
We all understand about the suffering. I do hope we can get some information on him. I'll miss him too. He kept us in line sometimes!!
I'm back in TX myself for the funeral of my sister in law. So while you guys are praying, please add the family of Valarie to your list!
Greatcod We love you!!
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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Tracy9
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7521
posted
Cape Cod Times Hyannis MA October 9, 2006
New Lyme guidelines ill-serve sufferers
The Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) has issued new guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease. The guidelines are torturously and unnecessarily complex, and unquestioningly will lead to the continuing undertreatment and nontreatment of Lyme.
This, after 25 years of ''a bull's-eye rash and swollen knees'' as the diagnostic standard, when it in fact accounted for less than 10 percent of initial presentations. Coupled with a blood test, the ELISA, shown to be little better than chance, we are left here on the Cape and Islands with hundreds of people with chronic Lyme and other debilitating syndromes of ''mysterious'' origin, such as chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.
The IDSA further eschews long-term antibiotic treatment as useful with chronic Lyme. This is based entirely on one flawed study where antibiotic treatment was over a relatively short term, and the experimental group was biased by a shared genetic profile.
Many of us in the Lyme patient community can testify to the efficacy of long-term antibiotic treatment.
In a Lyme-endemic area, the public deserves far better than what the IDSA has given us.
13 years Lyme & Co.; Small Fiber Neuropathy; Myasthenia Gravis, Adrenal Insufficiency. On chemo for 2 1/2 years as experimental treatment for MG. Posts: 4480 | From Northeastern Connecticut | Registered: Jun 2005
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CaliforniaLyme
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 7136
posted
GreatCOd was my friend. I will miss him. He was a good guy.
-------------------- There is no wealth but life. -John Ruskin
All truth goes through 3 stages: first it is ridiculed: then it is violently opposed: finally it is accepted as self evident. - Schopenhauer Posts: 5639 | From Aptos CA USA | Registered: Apr 2005
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heiwalove
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6467
posted
i am really saddened by this news. my condolences to his family and friends.
has anyone found an obituary yet? i'm assuming he wrote the article posted above in the cape cod times?
Harold's death is true beyond any shadow of a doubt. I talked with the apartment manager. Neither she nor I have any reason to lie. Riddle me this: WHY would she or I spend money on long distance telephone calls to each other?
WHY would I wear myself out by spending HOURS on-line unsuccessfully trying to track down the name of the frigging apartment complex until I had a Duh! Moment and called the post office and asked them what the name of the complex at XXXXXX road is?
I think he was either 68 or 69 this year. He was extremely ticked off ``by them having stolen the past 21 years of my life and they continue to lie and coverup and get away with it''. We also discussed every aspect of Lyme and certain people and what's likely to happen in the foreseeable future. I won't go there, so don't ask for details. .
I just read sci.med. (shrug) Hey, all I can comment about the brother and s-i-l is what Harold said in emails. May be true, may not be true. This is the Intertubes, ya know. And he may well have been going for sympathy due to the fact that he was very very very very lonely. He was also alone. There is a difference between the two. The first is very difficult to contend with, especially when sick. The second is easier but is not for everyone.
I will skip mentions of his work history as it is not pertinent and I don't know his entire history and it matters not a whit on this message board.
Harold LOVED the Boston Red Sox. I don't think he had players' stats memorized but he certainly knew who was pitching or batting well and who was in a slump or physically injured and how long they would be out. He would watch as many games as possible even this year when he was feeling so bad. Some nights he was exhausted and go to bed at 10 and hope for sleep even though the game was still going on. When they were heading toward the World Series, he was soooooo excited; and when they won!!!!!!! In addition to being a Sox fan, he heartily disliked the Yankees
He hoped to regain his strength to the point where he could take his fishing rod and drive to a pier and see what he could catch. He would have liked to go clamming again but recognized there was no way he could do all that walking, plus the digging and then hauling the heavy bucket(s) and clamming fork back to the car and drive home safely.
When I would come across a really good written joke, cartoon or Photoshop, I'd send it to him. He'd respond with either That's dumb funny or That's so dumb funny.
He liked watching nature shows especially those about the Great Apes and we'd discuss it. He concluded that they are more civilized than humans and I agreed. Since y'all don't know what we've discussed the past 9 years, y'all don't understand how we came to that conclusion. Let it be.
He used to read a lot but lost the ability to focus and concentrate and take in what he read. He really missed reading.
He taught himself how to type and acknowledged he'd never be good at it because of big klutzy fingers. I googled various speech recognition programs and copied & pasted a couple of posters' comments who had purchased and tried them out, thinking maybe he could find one cheap on ebay or at one of the thrift stores he visited often. .
He used to fairly regularly lose long emails and would be so frustrated and then write a short mail stating that he lost it and didn't know what he did or where it went and didn't have the energy to re-do it. I also used to do that semi-regularly and sometime earlier this year, I discovered how to get it back and sent him mail describing the process. Don't ask me what it was because I don't remember.
He figured he could live another 10-20 years so he had to make what money he had last that long, or as long as possible. Even last year, he still had hopes he could get to the point where he could take some good photographs and make some money selling them to tourists. I know he did sell off some of his equipment but I don't know if he sold all of it because hope lingers.
Last year he moved into the current apartment because he had to get away from the old one due to the smoking and extremely odiferous cooking smells which made him sick. It was so bad he had to use rugs and towels to seal off the front door and he had to use the back door for entry and exit. I'm the same way, so I know it was hell for him.
He had high hopes for this new apartment but we know how that goes. It is supposed to be a smoke-free environment and the smokers who live there know they are supposed to be off the premises to smoke. But they don't. They stand outside or maybe sit in their cars. He did talk to the manager but you know how that goes. He said when he moved in there, he was the youngest person there.
When he owned a house, he did a lot of the repairs on his car. Apartment living does not lend to that so he was pretty much stuck with paying for repairs.
His car recently passed the state inspection and he was pleased he didn't have to spend money on it and was looking around for something that got better gas mileage. Even though he didn't want to spend the money, it was either get a car in better shape and better mileage or spend a couple of thousands on this one which would not improve the mileage..
Last year I suggested he call the city bus people and ask if they have the same deal we have here - city shuttle bus which will pick you up at your door and take you wherever and then return at the time you request and bring you home. The first time he tried it (because he didn't feel up to driving)......they forgot to come get him. He didn't say anything more about it so I don't know if he ever used it again.
Just to get out and away from the apartment, he would go to the library and work on his writing. A couple of times over the years, I asked what the topic(s) were. He never responded, so I dropped it. I did encourage him to write some combination of a sci fi, horror, crime, murder mystery book using The Evil Ones for his main characters. I don't know if he ever did that.
One time I sent him the Victory at Sea DVD discs which he thoroughly enjoyed because he liked documentaries and history. He later told me he lent them to a 90 year old man who lived there and he also enjoyed them since he was there in WW2. Harold also enjoyed watching/listening to Peter Graves who was an excellent choice for the host.
Harold did try to keep exercising as much as he was able. Yoga and walking. Many times last year he would write he had a good walk today. That slowly decreased over time and eventually even a short walk was sometimes bad. Other times he would say it was short but he felt good. He told me as a child, he loved to walk and walked everywhere for miles.
Once a year he would drive to his parents' graves, usually on or near Memorial Day. I cannot remember if he made it this year or not.
Harold, if you can read this--------I am happy your pain is over, but being selfish, I miss you. I'm glad we were friends outside of Lyme.
See ya later.
Posts: 3 | From MA | Registered: Jul 2008
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bettyg
Unregistered
posted
thank you for telling us more about the harold you got to know and love as a friend and outside of lyme!
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posted
Thx, HICA - very sad news here - he was very intelligent and very funny.
Posts: 13116 | From San Francisco | Registered: May 2006
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posted
HICA, glad to know he had such a good friend.
I too will miss him, have been reading his intelligent comments on various lyme forums for years.
Posts: 8430 | From Not available | Registered: Oct 2000
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Michelle M
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7200
posted
I am just stunned.
I will miss him.
He was without a doubt the king of the excellently-placed one-liner.
Thanks for letting us know.
Michelle
Posts: 3193 | From Northern California | Registered: Apr 2005
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