Background: my doctor is a heckuva nice guy. Young fella. Went to college with my nephew (although he was just a freshman when my nephew was a senior). Very into hunting, fishing, and all things outdoor. We'd spend as much time talking about travelling as we would about health concerns. And he was just WONDERFUL when John was so sick. He made sure that we knew we could check with him for advice, explanations, whatever we needed. And we did. Just an all around great person.

I think I'd mentioned that he was concerned about my blood pressure. He'd had me tracking it several times a day & before I headed out Wednesday, I sent him the log sicne I was going to be out of town. As I was driving, my phone went off & I saw it was a message from him but I didn't read it since ya know, whatever it was, there was nothing I could do until I got back to town.

The next morning (the 4th), my phone started going crazy with messages from friends around town. Dr. Hamilton was dead. He'd collapsed at home & was gone before the paramedics could even get there. Only 47 years old & one of the healthiest people I knew.

The entire community is still in shock. None of us know what we're going to do for a doctor now. I'm lucky that I have 3 months worth of meds which gives me a littel leeway but lots of folks don't.

Someone set up a memorial in his parking spot at work. I drove by yesterday to drop off a card & a silk plant. It was a mass of cards, stuffed animals, plants, etc.

Dr. Tom is going to be missed by many people....

(The next part, the "interesting", will have to wait. Contractor will be here soon to give me numbers for what it'll cost to stabilize my house. See y'all later!)