Hi, this is BHD’s twin brother J.

As you have been reading between the lines on this blog, my brother’s husband has taken a serious turn for the worse. On Saturday morning while my brother was involved in a community event that he could not cancel, our sister was staying with his husband “just in case.” We are very glad she was there, because by noon, she couldn’t rouse him, then when he finally came to, he could not move. Literally paralyzed.

Our sister called for an ambulance and then called my brother. My brother immediately drove home and met the ambulance as it was arriving. The medics who knew my brother strongly recommended that his husband go to the hospital, because his condition was more than symptoms of his persistent illness. They were worried that it would affect his ability to keep breathing.

With my brother and sister behind them, lights and sirens blaring, they went to their closest hospital. As my sister was driving, my brother called me and broke down, literally. I could hear him yelling at traffic, “we’re with that ambulance! Get out of the way!”

I was glad our sister was there to drive him, because he was not in shape to drive himself. The call ended quickly. I asked him to call me back once he knew what was going on.

I hugged my wife and said, “you know [BHD] would be here if you were in that serious condition, so I am going back home to be with him and try to help out. Allow my brother to get some rest and even go to work, since he can’t take too much time off or risk losing a job that he loves.”

As you read this, I am on a plane somewhere between Rome and Dulles Airport. I was lucky to grab the last seat on a non-stop flight. Another sister will meet me and take me wherever I need to be — either at the hospital or at my brother’s house provided his husband is stable and back at home.

Man, it’s been so rough for my brother-in-law and his very worried, yet patient caregiver husband, my brother. Pray for peaceful recovery.

As my brother would say, “life is short — show those you love how you love them. Be there!”