#1 · May 17, 2009 05:36 UTC
I am sad t o say that I've not had time to be here recently, and that it is not a good thing that brings me back.
I had an email from a lady in the state of Delaware asking me questions about Brian Johnson (our BCLionking) which were termed in the past tense.
Fearing the worst, I asked her a straight question....and got a straight answer......
Dear Andy,
I am very sorry I have worried you by the words I used and I appreciate your genuine concern as well as the members of the forum.
After communicating with Brian for three months, I flew out to Montana to visit him and Sarah on December 29. We had a wonderful three days, even talked about starting a future together. We spent Jan 1 at Yellowstone National Park. He enjoyed showing me the sites, including the mountains and we took some awesome photos and had a wonderful time. Later that night he said he wasn't feeling that well and had gotten up out of bed and I thought he was going to the bathroom to take advil or something. I had gone back to sleep.
At 5:30 something woke me up and I noticed he was not next to me and I could not find him anywhere in the house. I went out to the garage and found him on the floor, passenger side next to his jeep. He was unconscious. He was somewhat cold. I thought he had hit his head.... there was no blood. I drug him close to the door and proceeded to do CPR and screamed his name several times. I did not want to wake Sarah...I thought I could help him. I tried and tried to get a response. I then ran to wake Sarah to call 9-1-1. She did not come out to the garage. Meanwhile I continued the CPR...I thought at one point he was responding, so I thought the Paramedics would revive him. It felt like eternity before they got there. They could not revive him. It was obviously the most traumatic experience of my life, but I was so thankful Sarah did not find him.
I stayed with Sarah for 3 days until her family got there and then left after the funeral. He was with us during that time (in spirit), so that was a comfort. We definitely felt him. He ALWAYS said things happen for a reason. He was too young to die, but I was there for a reason...to help his daughter and be the mediator with his family. We had to wait 24 hrs. for the autopsy. That was agony. I wondered if I could have saved him, if there was something else I should have done. The coroner said he died of severe acute arteriosclerosis (heart disease). He had 100% blockage on his left side and 80% on his right side. He may have died when I was with him or just prior to my finding him. Not a day goes by that I don't think of him or experience a flashback of some sort.. I miss him so much.
I planned his funeral service. I compiled a cd of his favorite music, including Iron Ballad. Did he ever share that with you? Did you talk about music and photography? He was so looking forward to buying new camera equipment this spring.
Time is starting to heal the hurt...I have two daughters and my life is extremely busy.
Sarah's mom had turned her against me, so I not only lost Brian but Sarah too. I do now talk to her on-line about once a week. I was there for Sarah....she will realize this as she gets older and that is what I focus on. Sometimes it just feels like a really bad dream.
I'm sorry to had to tell you this Andy.
Take care.. It would be nice to hear from you again.
Kathy
Some of you may or may not know that through the WH, Brian and I had become quite close friends, swapping emails regularly and sharing music and photo's on a weekly or so basis. Because I hadn't heard from Brian for some months I had assumed he had taken Sarah on another road trip as he had talked about this with me. How sadly wrong can I have been.
RIP Brian...The gentlest gentleman I ever had the privalidge of knowing.
I had an email from a lady in the state of Delaware asking me questions about Brian Johnson (our BCLionking) which were termed in the past tense.
Fearing the worst, I asked her a straight question....and got a straight answer......
Dear Andy,
I am very sorry I have worried you by the words I used and I appreciate your genuine concern as well as the members of the forum.
After communicating with Brian for three months, I flew out to Montana to visit him and Sarah on December 29. We had a wonderful three days, even talked about starting a future together. We spent Jan 1 at Yellowstone National Park. He enjoyed showing me the sites, including the mountains and we took some awesome photos and had a wonderful time. Later that night he said he wasn't feeling that well and had gotten up out of bed and I thought he was going to the bathroom to take advil or something. I had gone back to sleep.
At 5:30 something woke me up and I noticed he was not next to me and I could not find him anywhere in the house. I went out to the garage and found him on the floor, passenger side next to his jeep. He was unconscious. He was somewhat cold. I thought he had hit his head.... there was no blood. I drug him close to the door and proceeded to do CPR and screamed his name several times. I did not want to wake Sarah...I thought I could help him. I tried and tried to get a response. I then ran to wake Sarah to call 9-1-1. She did not come out to the garage. Meanwhile I continued the CPR...I thought at one point he was responding, so I thought the Paramedics would revive him. It felt like eternity before they got there. They could not revive him. It was obviously the most traumatic experience of my life, but I was so thankful Sarah did not find him.
I stayed with Sarah for 3 days until her family got there and then left after the funeral. He was with us during that time (in spirit), so that was a comfort. We definitely felt him. He ALWAYS said things happen for a reason. He was too young to die, but I was there for a reason...to help his daughter and be the mediator with his family. We had to wait 24 hrs. for the autopsy. That was agony. I wondered if I could have saved him, if there was something else I should have done. The coroner said he died of severe acute arteriosclerosis (heart disease). He had 100% blockage on his left side and 80% on his right side. He may have died when I was with him or just prior to my finding him. Not a day goes by that I don't think of him or experience a flashback of some sort.. I miss him so much.
I planned his funeral service. I compiled a cd of his favorite music, including Iron Ballad. Did he ever share that with you? Did you talk about music and photography? He was so looking forward to buying new camera equipment this spring.
Time is starting to heal the hurt...I have two daughters and my life is extremely busy.
Sarah's mom had turned her against me, so I not only lost Brian but Sarah too. I do now talk to her on-line about once a week. I was there for Sarah....she will realize this as she gets older and that is what I focus on. Sometimes it just feels like a really bad dream.
I'm sorry to had to tell you this Andy.
Take care.. It would be nice to hear from you again.
Kathy
Some of you may or may not know that through the WH, Brian and I had become quite close friends, swapping emails regularly and sharing music and photo's on a weekly or so basis. Because I hadn't heard from Brian for some months I had assumed he had taken Sarah on another road trip as he had talked about this with me. How sadly wrong can I have been.
RIP Brian...The gentlest gentleman I ever had the privalidge of knowing.
