On Monday, the baby who did not make it into the land of the living was cremated. It was a private family service at the local crematorium. James, the grieving father, held the small wooden casket that contained his lifeless daughter. Such a tragedy. What does a celebrant or a presiding priest find to say about a life that was snuffed out before it began? Heartbreaking.
On Sunday, I heard about another death. On an organised five kilometre park run, Robert, the father of one of our Frances's best friends dropped dead. He was fifty eight years old. It was just last Saturday.
This man was an obsessive runner, recently competing in several marathons and even long distance ultra-runs. That fatal park run should have been next to nothing to him - just a gentle loosener. He was very fit. He even participated in a few triathlons during this decade.
In May, Robert went to The Himalyas, undertaking at least two long mountain runs in Nepal as well as visiting Everest base camp. For him it was a dream come true but in the end this journey was what probably killed him.
Let me explain. When he returned from Nepal, he noticed a stinging pain in one of his legs but put the thought of it to the back of his mind. With hindsight, it is easy to draw the conclusion that he had acquired a bloodclot from what is known as DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis). That clot probably travelled to his lungs or his heart and when it got there it killed him in an instant.
Blood clots are most likely to occur in the legs of older long distance air travellers. This is why we are encouraged to wear compression stockings. The squeezing effect encourages healthy blood flow and discourages DVT's from forming. If you are over fifty it is very wise to don these stockings before boarding any long distance flight.
One good thing could emerge from Robert's preventable death - older people taking heed and putting on compression socks before long flights. It could save your life. Please remember this if you have a long flight coming up.
Robert had much to live for. Two beautiful daughters and five grandchildren and a new woman in his life following a painful divorce from his first wife. I don't mind saying that his death shocked me. A fellow like that, why - you expect him to live forever.
from Yorkshire Pudding https://ift.tt/qU3KBnP