The Sun's Not Shining As Bright Today....

You know how you have those people in your life who are always there, always cheerful, hysterically funny, and know you and all your warts and still love you? That's my buddy John. I heard yesterday that John died 2 weeks ago. I knew it was coming, I just didn't want to ever believe it would happen. John and I got together when we both worked in the open heart ICU in a very small hospital in Florida. We worked the night shift and we usually spent the night laughing hysterically at something or another. It didn't take much to set us off. This was a work environment that neither one of us thrived in and we were like a big irritant to them. After I had parted company (mine was face to face) I got a call from John who told me he'd just been fired......by voice mail!!!!! He then came to work in the same hospital I did in Fort Myers. We both worked nights again in the same unit. John eventually became an evening shift house supervisor, I went on to be a clinical educator.....he went to work for the large health system physician group, I went to work in the central education department........he came back to the hospital as Director of the Emergency Department, I came back as Director of the ICU's. We were buddies. John decided to move to Jacksonville for a new job and just before going, a routine diagnostic showed he had polyps that turned out to be malignant. Surgery, chemo, radiation and still a move later, John continued to do well. He eventually became the Director of Nursing at the hospital in Jacksonville. John's cancer eventually metastasized to his liver. He went on experimental protocols. In December he decided no more chemo. He died on January 19th. I know for me, the sun just won't be quite as bright today and maybe for a few days......I will miss him.