Grognardia shares the sad news that Dave Arneson’s cancer battle took a turn for the worse late last week, and now the Dungeons & Dragons co-creator has been moved to a facility to “maintain his comfort and his dignity”. A letter from the family was posted this evening:
[quote]As of this writing, Dave is still with us. We have moved him into a facility where we can focus on keeping him comfortable. We have been and will continue to watch the forums and blogs and are passing along everyone’s thoughts and prayers. Right now our focus is on getting Dave into the best possible position to maintain his comfort and his dignity. We will update the community as we can. We want to thank everyone for your thoughts and prayers and ask that you continue to send Dave your support in whatever form that means to you.
[/quote]
For D&D nerds everywhere, sad news indeed. I didn’t realize he had any other health problems other than that stroke he had.
(I’m getting off topic to the original thread, sorry…)
In this case that 2 weeks statement ended up prophetic, however, I might encourage folks to not put any such limitations on hospice (also referred to as ‘palliative care’ here in Canada a fair bit).
As I’m sure you found out in your counceling, Victoriah, Palliative care can be such a strange, scary, but also, in its way, beautiful place.
Mom got admitted to one in the city in '03, only to virtually completely recover from an infection and be sent home; two years later she went back and spent a few months before the end came.
I was really struck by the freedoms they allowed there; it was on the top floor of a hospital. There were dogs sleeping in beds with their dying owners; in a soundproofed common room, a brother played (relatively quietly, but loud in there!) on a Strat through a (very short) Marshall amp stack for his band-member younger brother; and the most utterly astounding nurses I’ve met in my life. This isn’t even some private, elite place… just one of several in the city attached to hospitals. Dad paid nothing extra for it (yeah, universal health care rules).
Mom volunteered in the paliative care system for decades, probably similar kind of thing to what you were doing, Victoriah… not sure. Not the kind of place anyone wants to think of, but heres’ to everyone and anyone who works in one. It’s gotta take more strength than most of us have.
Sorry… the thread just made me think about that place.
… I did, at least, stay on topic, using it as a launch pad to discuss the death of my own favorite idol.
You called me passive-agressive in a recent post, an epithet I’ve never had directed at me before; may I state, without any passivity at all, that your defensivness is starting to piss me off.
… I did, at least, stay on topic, using it as a launch pad to discuss the death of my own favorite idol.
You called me passive-agressive in a recent post, an epithet I’ve never had directed at me before; may I state, without any passivity at all, that your defensivness is starting to piss me off.[/quote]
Ok, may I state that not talking about Dave Arneson or D&D in a thread dedicated to Dave Arneson and D&D is pissing me off?
I’m an old school D&D fan own all of the 1st edition 1st edition advanced 2nd edition and 2nd edition advanced books. I still play every sunday with friends after work.
It is saddening that the co-creator of a game that brings much joy to people is so close to his passing.