Greetings, Legion Worlders!
I know there are quite a few of you who don't know either of my personas... Personae? I dunno. The important thing is i know that some of you WILL remember me as the doofus who tanked Exnihil's Survivor game a few years back. A month after that happened i went into a coma for 10 days, and while i'm mostly recovered from that one ( we shan't bother with the gory medical details) one thing that got lost during my recovry was my multiple times a day obsession with checking into LW. I trolled a few times that first year, but never really got back iinto the habit.
Well last summer I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. It's a bone marrow cancer that flows with the blood, so it can show up anywhere. Anyway, more gory details, so we'll move along. I have spent most of this summer in the hospitaldealing with side effects, and had ny heart overwhelmed ( in a GOOD way when Thomas, sorry, Exnihil, actually came and visitedd me in the hospital. I live about 25 miles west of downtown Chicago. He made the trip the weekend he came to check out accomodations for the 2013 meet-up and i'll admit my gob was smacked.
Thomas is pretty much the only person I'm still in touch w.ith from way back when, but i know that he has mentioned my situation to some of you who might have known me back then Ex says some of you have been praying for me, or sending healing vibes, or happy energy or whatever YOU call it, and I just wanted to say "Thanks! i appreciate it" i've had a turn around these past 2 weeks that has me out of the hospital and in a rehab facility, but less than 2 weeks ago i was literally supposed to die, like call in my Pastor supposed to die. I know i would never have gotten past that night without all the people praying for me, and if you were one of them, God bless you. Sorry, this isn't a fun MMB post, but it see,ed the best way to hit everyone i needed to.
Thanks again
dave Gustafson (Language Arts Dave, davey Fairplay)
Welcome back, Dave! It's so good to hear that you are doing better!
Hey, brother!
It really fills my heart with joy to know you're on the mend. It's wonderful seeing another Davey post after all these years (back from your "mission in deep space".
)
You joke about tanking that game, but if these past couple months have proved anything, it's that you are the ultimate survivor in my book.
Peace and love to you, brother, and all my wishes for a fast recovery.
Really glad to see you back on LW, Dave, and even more, to see that you're feeling better! We were definitely pulling for you once Ex let us know.
Looking forward to seeing your presence all over LW!
Good to hear you're doing better, LAD!
It is good to hear that you are doing so much better.
Hang in there Dave.
Glad to hear you're doing better.
Welcome back! Glad you are on the mend!
Welcome back, Dave. Glad you've taken a turn for the better.
Thanks, everyone! And if I'm still here next summer, i'll definitely show up for at least part of the Meet-up!
I prayed for you then, and I'll continue to pray for your continued recovery, Dave. It is SO good to see you back!
Davey Fairplay... not to be confused with his evil horny cousin twice removed, Cobie Foreplay!
Welcome back!
Oh, wow, Dave. Best wishes and you are certainly in my prayers.
It's wonderful to hear from you, Dave! It's a fun MMB post to know you're doing better. We'll keep praying for your continued recovery.
Hey, doesn't the MMB have an IOU for haiku from that LA Dave guy?
Maybe it was limericks. Yeah? OK, fella, space-fork it over. Remember, space-poetic license allows "bologna" to rhyme with "coma". (Especially on Orando.)
Dave, it hasn't been a fun post for you, but look at it from out perspective...
A longtime member has gone through hell and even it it was just "good vibes", we get to think that maybe the good vibes we were sending you helped to bring you back to us.
to me, that makes it a freakin' phenomenal post. Here's to an even better recovery. I haven't mentioned this here before except to one person, but my dad is fighting stage 3b lung cancer right now. Just yesterday he had his second massive chemo dose before paring back to one a days and radi, so while I may not have cancer, I've seen what it does and think you are one heaven of a fighter.
Good Vibes! God Bless! Whatever makes you happy.
I always remembered your cute avatar around here and we were all very upset to hear you were doing poorly! And I am very happy and rejoycing to hear you are doing so much better!!
Just a quick "hope the battle goes well" note.
As some of you may already know, it's my sad duty to report that earlier tonight, after a long illness, Dave Gustafson passed on.
He was a wonderful man of strong faith and values, and I'm very privileged to have met him, although I wish it had been under happier circumstances.
He is survived by his wife Tonia, and his nine year old boy, David Anton. Please keep them both in your thoughts in this difficult time.
This is really heart breaking news. If especially comes as shock after hearing some good updates on how Dave was doing recently.
I'm a bit teary eyed and stung by the news. I with I knew him better and my thoughts and prayers go out to his family. Legion World lost another of its own tonight--but we'll remember and honor him.
RIP
Well done, good and faithful servant.
Rest in peace.
Man oh man, 2012 has not been great for LSH fans. I wish I had known him better. Rest in peace, L.A.D.
Now he gets to read all those comics he never got to in life. Rest well, Dave. You put up one helluva fight and you will be missed.
So sad. Rest in peace, Dave. Thank you for blessing LW with your presence.
Sad news, indeed. Warm thoughts for his wife and son.
Sorry to hear about this
Rest in peace Dave Gustafson, prayers to his wife and son.
Damn...
Rest in peace Dave.
So sorry to read this. My condolences to Dave's friends and family.
That's <strike>two</strike> three LMBers gone in one year. I hope it's the end of departures for a long time.
RIP, my thoughts are with the family.
I, too, wish I'd known him better.
His wife and son are in my thoughts and prayers.
Rest in peace.
I hate seeing things like this. This has been a very sad year for the LMB.
Wish I had known him better...and I cannot help but feel for his family.
Rest in Peace...
Very, very sad to hear about this. I was pulling for him in a big way since I heard about his crisis. I loved his spirit in the face of his illness and was hoping he'd turned a corner.
I played Survivor: Marzal with him as one of my two major allies. he was faithful and loyal to the alliance thru the end, even as it turned out I had a closer alliance with the other guy.
As close a friendship as I built with the other guy, I can't help feel regret that I wasn't true to Dave so that he would have had a chance to win that copy of Adventure 247. If I had known then what I know now....
We should all take solace in the fact that Dave had a family who loved him all the way through to the end and that he's no longer suffering from his terrible illness.
Rest in peace, Dave. You will most definitely be missed.
This is very sad. A big hug to Dave wherever he is.
I'm very sorry to hear about this, I had hoped he was doing better.
Rest in peace.
At least his suffering has ended. Rest in Peace Legion Worlder
May his family cherish all the good memories they have of him and forget the not so good.
I was shocked to see this. Very sad news. My thoughts are with his family.
Dave will be missed.
I just love the fact that his username abbreviated as LAD. I mean... how more appropriate can you get on this board?
So sad... my thoughts and prayers are with his family...
Just relaying the following info about Dave's memorial:
"A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Sept. 29th. Memorial Visitation at 10AM, Service 11AM and Pot Luck Lunch at noon.
Service and Visitation will be held at:
St Paul Lutheran Church
515 S. Wheaton Avenue - Wheaton, Illinois - 60187
630 668-5953 Fax: 630 668-0020
In lieu of flowers, Dave requested that donations be made in his name to St. Paul Lutheran Church General Fund in Wheaton, IL or LOMC (Lutheran Outdoors Ministry Center) in Oregon, IL"
Thank you for the update, Ex. I may not be able to attend, but I'll be sending my prayers on the day of the service.
Thinking about my friend Dave as the weather begins changing into autumn on today, the year anniversary of when he was laid to rest.
I still miss you, brother, and think of you often. I want to sincerely thank you for all the things you taught me about facing life with grace. It was a privilege to have known you, my friend, and may you rest in peace always.