Thursday, December 6, 2007
I had the honor and privilege of teaching Dick how to manage his ileostomy years ago. We became good friends and I loved him and Joan very much. They were members of my ostomy support group in Austin. The article in the national Ostomy Quarterly was the story of my teaching and his recovery from this traumatic surgery. It was called "Ostomy in the Silent Dark". His inspirational story helped many people accept their own surgery and was presented at the National Ostomy Conference in Dallas, TX in 1978. People from all over the U.S. and Canada were touched by his courage and still ask me about him. I was not aware that they had left Austin, but wondered why I had not heard from them in awhile. I did not know Joan died, and so tragically. My heart is broken to learn of their deaths. I would like to talk with a family member sometime if possible. Tonight I will tell our ostomy group about Dick's death. May God bless and keep Dick and Joan and comfort all their family.
