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| http://toktokplace.blogspot.co.uk/ |
It was a chilling, upsetting and in some ways a beautiful read.
Johnno has written an honest stark and heartfelt "goodbye" . He is a pragmatic, educated elderly Aussie who lives in a small town a million miles away from the cold, wet green of Trelawnyd.His no nonsense blog is not one of those "emotional romp" affairs you get when you log into Going Gently. Nor is it one of those "lifestyle magazines" or ranting forums or clever word show offs.
No
"Tok Tok Place" is merely one of those chatty blogs that make up the majority of blogs with a demographic that is predominately middle aged and a little ordinary.
It is a series of well researched |"chats" about this, that and the other
Johnno's latest blog entry is the upshot of a short devastating illness
I have cut and pasted it below
It proves just how powerful these Internet diaries can be.
It also proves that , the snippets of our lives, albeit the pieces we choose to share on this odd forum, can be very real.
My thoughts are with John D and his family at this time
Take Care Johnno
"End of days .....
Hi All! Finally feeling well enough to put up a post even if it is not a pleasant one.
I am definitely unwell - Sarcoidosis effecting both lungs has resulted in complete respiratory collapse, congestive cardiac failure, pneumonia and advanced asthma. Just had 3 weeks in Calvary Hospital, Canberra, and now back home on "Home Oxygen" 24/7. Specialist says to sort out my affairs and make an appt. to see him in 3 months (nice way of giving you a 'time-line'!)
Cannot eat - have lost 15kg (over 2 stone) in 3 weeks - Rhonda and I are making 'Life adjustments with a spirit of inevitable denial - we know what is coming. Grandsons coming down Saturday to see "Pa!" - guess that'll be their last Christmas with "Pa"!
Guess you won't see many more posts on here from me but when up to it I'll try to manage a few words. When the day arrives I'll have my daughter, Kat, put up a final message.
I really don't know what else to say this afternoon - we are going to fight this 'thing' for every hour and day we can claw back from it.
Must go for now, too tired to write more today but will post again. Have arranged for our daughter, Kat, to put up the eventual final post! Pain hurting, must go!"
I've also dipped in and out of Tok Tok. This is so very sad. I don't think anyone here would know how to put up that final post.... so you'll be spared.
ReplyDeleteI am also a regular reader at Tok Tok Place. Such a sad post.
ReplyDeleteI too was in tears. I enjoyed John's point of view, very, very sad.
ReplyDeleteGill in Canada
That's sad...and brave of him to post...very moving. I've read too many blogs where the writer is facing the inevitable - you feel you know them as friends, so hard to bear. The "final post" must be hard for the relative or friend to put up...but I wonder if it helps in the grieving process?
ReplyDeleteThat puts some perspective on things for all of us I think. Certainly for me.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know about Tok Tok. But I still feel sad.
Directly corresponding with John of Tok Tok place for over the past year now, to learn of this took a piece of my heart. I fortunately have contact with a young man in his hometown so I can keep quicker contact now through him with John. Funny how we not meet a person but still get to know them and become so close in the sense of missing each other when a post goes missing in a day or two, is it not. Warm caring post, John Gray you always have my upmost respect. xx
ReplyDeleteI have another blogging buddy whose husband is in a very bad way with lung cancer. I know writing on her blog allows her to vent - to say things there that she can not speak aloud to friends and family. I think it helps her a lot and in our way we blogging buddies give what support we can.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad I've found this fantastic medium. It has enriched my life in many different ways.
How do you respond to a post like that...it certainly makes this very big world seem smaller. Do you tell him to fight the good fight? Easy when it is half way round the world...my heart aches for him and his family.
ReplyDeleteWe lay our lives out here in blogger land...our hopes and dreams, our opinions and worries, and eventually....our end, for all to read. May we all have someone loving to write our 'last post'.
ReplyDeleteThat man has guts.Admirable indeed.
ReplyDeleteJane x
Mmm. I wish my mate Bob had had someone like Kate to put up a final post at Kyangardarup. Good on him for organising it.
ReplyDeleteYou are right John, the blogosphere is a community and people can care for each other in that place.
Thank you, John, for sharing with us. It is an important story to tell and read.
ReplyDeleteNitty Gritty Momma
I have visited Tok Tok from time to time, and am sad to hear of this. This is a virtual community, but the concern and caring i have for many of the wonderful bloggers i have never met in real life is nevertheless real.
ReplyDeleteAmazingly upbeat. I hope I can look upon my own immediate passing with the same equanamity. Doubt it, though!
ReplyDeleteJohn, it's hard to know what to say, what a brave man he is and my thoughts and prayers are sent his way. I have two very close friends with the same illness and it is terrible to see what they have to go through.
ReplyDeleteMarie
Very humbling.
ReplyDeleteI spent some time with my mother yesterday as she was making a new will so she doesn't leave me a mess to sort out Practical & thoughtful of her.
JohnD has always been a fountain of information and always a kind word to his fellow bloggers, I am hoping that with all our wishes and prayers that our friend will win this fight.
ReplyDeleteI love the feeling of community that can come from blogland people. I have never 'found' this man, but still my heart reaches out to him. Will put him on my absent healing list, and hope that he remains uplifted for whatever time he has left here, whether it be days, weeks, or years. zw3
ReplyDelete'zw3'? Don't know where that came from! Must have pressed the wrong keys somehow!
DeleteBless John D and his family. My thoughts and prayers go out to them. John, you're so right. Like Vera says,the blog land community of friends is something I've never experienced before and so special to me too.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Doc. Hopefully all our prayers and wishes will bring a little comfort, and maybe bring some relief.
ReplyDelete♥
A tragic post. We are all interlinked somehow, aren't we?
ReplyDeleteThanks for this John....many thanks!
ReplyDeleteR
I've visited John D's site too from time to time. What a brave post. You are so right about this virtual community, it has become such a real and important community of friends to me. One of my blogging friends passed away a short while ago http://www.oldfool.org/ - he wrote his last post on the morning of the day he died.
ReplyDeletejudith
DeleteI read your friend's last post
dreadfully moving
thanks to all that have commented
Puts things in perspective John, doesn;t it? I have lost another dear friend today - three in three weeks. It is times like this that make you realise what really matters in life.
ReplyDeleteI thank these bloggers for being honest and sharing - it makes death so much more of a journey then an end - and that somehow makes it seem so less scary. theres a lot of blogger people who i will meet when i get there :)
ReplyDeleteWhen i went through the fire literally this summer, it wasnt "Christian" friends from our past that helped us get through all of it (they called for details, tsked tsked and then said it was God's will..WTF?) - it was what "they" would call the heathen neighbors ;) and blogger friends (both heathen and Christian and other religions lol) who were there for us, emotionally, spiritually and physically.
I couldnt bear thinking what a horrible world it would be if we didnt have blogger friends that we cared about, and they us...even if we never meet in this world, theres still a journey to be had that may bring us together later...
John, thanks for this tribute to a gentle man I have gotten to 'know' the past few years. John D is an intelligent man who has a love for his family and country (Australia). I am not surprised, but am saddened, that John could write about his illness the way he has.
ReplyDeleteThe sadness of this post is very touching.....I do not know him and have never read his blog but that real sense of a blogging community caring for someone and his family is very evident by all the lovely comments and thoughts from so many people.
ReplyDeleteIn the four years I've had my blog, I have lost several blogger friends. I'm always saddened by the loss and surprised at how often I still think of them. We all impact each others lives in unexpected ways.
ReplyDeleteWith blogger, our communities are expanded and we touch and are touched by people we will never physically meet, but who become important to us. So sad when we read a post like this.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I could be that brave. My heart goes out to him and his family.
ReplyDelete