Almost nine years ago I was confined to St. Luke’s hospital for 13 days. It started with the worst kind of stomach pain. For a week, doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me, until I begged for a CT scan—I know right!
Initial scan results showed something unusual in my intestines. When one of my doctors made his rounds at night, I asked him confidentially if he thought I might have the big C.
“It’s possible,” he said. The only way they would know for sure was to open me up in surgery.
And so the night before my surgery I used the PC in my hospital room and deleted a blog that was more like a diary.
In 2003 not too many people knew about blogs, so you could really say anything you wanted.
I was afraid I might die and didn’t want to leave the legacy of that blog.
The operation was a success. No cancer and almost nine years later I’m still here. I haven’t been confined to the hospital since then. For that I am very grateful to God!
Through the years my blog has evolved many times, changing hosts and platforms. I’ve had to adjust due to the readership’s concerns, requests, and reactions. Now it’s a very public blog and I can’t write everything I want, especially anything that’s not PC (politically correct).
Now imagine you’re a blogger with a death sentence. What would your last entry be?
David Rose who was born with severe athetoid cerebral palsy and profound deafness.
He lived in a residential home for disabled people in Orange County Californa, a stone’s throw from Disneyland.
His family consists of his mom, sister, and a handful of aunts, uncles and cousins who live nearby.
It should be noted that Dave is very intelligent, despite not being able to speak.
Unfortunately people who first meet him assume he is mentally challenged because he is deaf and non-verbal, but that’s not the case with him.
Dave communicates with a Tobii eye-gaze computer that tracks his eye-movement, which he used to post to Facebook and Twitter, and message his sister. (Source)
On October 8, 2012, Dave found out he had pneumonia.
Having seen his friends die from pneumonia, he knew there was a huge possibility he wouldn’t make it, and took the opportunity to write a farewell blog post before his health turned to worse.
Following is his last blog entry posted on October 11th, after he left instructions to his sister to publish only upon his death.
Dave was 24.
what i am saying is hospital sucks but my life does not. if i die tomorrow i die happy! thank you all! <3 twitter.com/daveonwheels/s…
— David Rose (@daveonwheels) October 8, 2012
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Three Friends And A Whole Lot More
Written on Monday, October 8th, 2012..
today I found out i have pneumonia.
it not the nice kind either, where you cough for few days then go home and have ice cream.
it the bad kind where you probably donot go home.
it kick ass on able bodied people who go gym and can lift cars! so i do not know what going happen to me, i have never been to a gym and have been in 2 comas. although second one was very nice because i had silly dreams, mostly about my best friend kate.
but in my life i have 3 friends have severe cp like me and got this kind pneumonia. they went to hospital because they have it and never came home. first was girl name tabitha we only 10 year old she was same class as me in special school. that was hard because i did not understand why she never came back i was too young and growing up deaf it hard for teachers explain things like that. i did not understand what happen to her until a few years later.
when i 17 have friend name john in my rec group. he had bad cough one day and they took him to hospital. i never saw him again. he used to run his motor chair into me and we both laugh. no one do that since john.
Last was a nice lady name ellen few years ago. she was older than me about 35 and live in place i live and had bad cough one day so they take her to hospital. i miss ellen, she had a nice smile.
so i am write this today and ask nichole that if everything be fine in a week then trash this and i will write a funny new post with lot of boob jokes in it. but if i not be around in a week then publish this. so if you read this now it because i am not around anymore so there are people i want to thank and few things want to say.
first of all want to ask if there is sound in heaven. i guess there is but not sure if i want it! here on earth i been happy to be deaf and nobody seem to be very good at describe what is sound, so i have not miss it. but i guess if that part of the deal then i have to take what i get! say a message for me and maybe i will hear it! or maybe angels know asl i bet they do they are pretty smart lol
i have message for a few other people now.
mom i love you. best mom ever! nichole you know i love you. best sister ever! thank both you for put your lives on hold so many times for me.
nichole please be happy. you will not find it in a guy or in alcohol. you find it in yourself and need learn love yourself again. you can do that without my help now. what happen to you is old news and it time for fresh new life! please do what you been wanting do for long time. you know what is that! i will be watching and make sure you do it and be happy!
dad i forgive you and i love you. thank you for come to see me.
thank you aides and teachers. don ursula paul samuel tim douglas nady chloe anthony jennifer robyn cassie and hal. lot of people also who i cannot even think names right now. you are wonderful people who make lives better. i would have been in trouble without help from you!
i have some good friends name robbie kenny lucinda david (another one haha!) geri bruce maxwell karen chris thomas drew william rose and lot more. you all are awesome people and make me smile. kenny i hope someday you get to see a pretty face. i want you have all my taylor swift music on the dvd and listen to her. i already watch it hundred times so maybe it need someone hear it! robbie can have taylor posters. someone tell him it not really her it just a picture of her. silly robbie.
thank you amy brie taylor katie spencer and husband aaron camille and kennerly (harp angels!) dylan bowser brason ve sidsi pedersen vai song amanda. samantha jane meghan melunatic (haha). zoph renne charisse hogan tegan melissa misty and sommer. you have flung love and hope at me for long time using internet! some of you on other side of a big ocean i do not know if you have to fling harder but you did great job lol.
i have recent friends dont know very well but they awesome. thank you erin willett and samson! erin your broken heart will heal but not until you let it. i hope angels look like you, i bet they do! sarah hill you are crazy silly i love you! please stay silly, stay strong, and always love. go bears! kylie thank you for give sarah kisses for me lol i wish i could myself omg. thank you miss sara dani jessica shyli elizabetta matt jess h kathleen kyle kimber travis nicole krook kyla savanna nurse jennifer! you make the world awesome.sorry if leave anyone out. am try not to but hard remember names.
thank you kate vickery. you are special. you are loved by me. i will miss you. keep looking for what make you happy do not give up ever. ever. ever! you and me meet up later tell me how it went. ok? but not for very long time lol! you are very young. punk.
i learn in a short life that what make the world special are good people like all you. otherwise it just be boring blue rock zipping around the sun looking for trouble. you are all special. all of you unique! love each other and make each other smile. a good joke is good medicine! make sure everyone around you have a smile ok? always do what is right. always! but forgive yourself if you forget sometimes
i have to go now. i love you all. i really do. you are amazing. i will never forget you!
Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.