Message from Colt45

[El Presidente]

I had a long conversation yesterday with Christine Bodnar, Ross's wife of 30 years. 

Of course we knew Ross as "Colt45", forum mod,all around beautiful bloke and  FOH legend.  

Christine would like me to give a little detail. 

Ross loved this community. 

Ross passed away at the age of 57 from a massive heart attack in his sleep. 

Ross was supremely fit and had always been. He loved his exercise regime and like everything else he took on (guitar/wine/cigars) he became an expert. In terms of vices, Ross lived a life of moderation. 

However Ross kept a few things to himself. He hated going to the doctor and concealed the fact that he suffered from high blood pressure and high cholesterol. He was reluctant to take any treatment. 

Ross was a great provider although had work stress for a long period of time. 

Ross had no warning signs of an imminent heart attack. Christine and Ross chatted and watched TV together before retiring to bed. Christine found him passed away in the morning. 

 

Now if Ross was here today he would want to pass this on to you. 

 

• HAVE REGULAR MEDICAL CHECKUPS
• Research for sure but take medical advice. 
• Don't kick issues down the road. Deal with them now. 
• If you are stressed at work....make it a project to find other work. 

 

I was lucky in that I got a wake up call with my health issues. Ross wasn't as lucky. With a different approach, it probably didn't have to be that way. Take the lesson. 

 

Over the next few months, I will be giving Christine  a hand reviewing Ross's cigar collection. He would have wanted them to go to good homes. I will work out the logistics/value's and then will provide Christine her options. I let her know that she has the full support of the FOH community.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[rckymtn22]

Totally agree with you Rob about what Ross would say as I have been telling my friends and colleagues same thing.

I have been a regular in the medical system after having my first bout with cancer 5 years ago after ignoring/ putting off going to a doctor until it was almost to late. Due the monitoring of the CEA counts at my regular 3 month blood test in September I am now going through round 2. The cancer had metastasized into my liver, but without that regular blood testing the cancer would have never been discovered in time. No symptoms and no pain, felt fine. Had a chunk of liver removed in February and chemo is up coming this summer

GO TO THE DOCTOR

[El Presidente]

10 minutes ago, rckymtn22 said:

Totally agree with you Rob about what Ross would say as I have been telling my friends and colleagues same thing.

I have been a regular in the medical system after having my first bout with cancer 5 years ago after ignoring/ putting off going to a doctor until it was almost to late. Due the monitoring of the CEA counts at my regular 3 month blood test in September I am now going through round 2. The cancer had metastasized into my liver, but without that regular blood testing the cancer would have never been discovered in time. No symptoms and no pain, felt fine. Had a chunk of liver removed in February and chemo is up coming this summer

GO TO THE DOCTOR

Mate, prayers for a full and speedy recovery 

[Islandboy]

2 hours ago, El Presidente said:

However Ross kept a few things to himself. He hated going to the doctor and concealed the fact that he suffered from high blood pressure and high cholesterol. He was reluctant to take any treatment. 

Damn, this is me, at 60. Maybe not so much hating going to the doctor - after all, I did request a check up with a dermatologist a few years ago, knowing the lifetime of sun exposure I’ve foolishly subjected myself to, and with his sharp eye, he’s successfully identified 2 spots of stage zero melanoma on my back that have since been removed. Needless to say, he’s not just a dermatologist to me anymore, he’s now my dermatologist and a helluva guy, and he has me come in every 6 months for a full-blown exam.

But I do have high cholesterol and moderately high blood pressure (although the latter drops pretty quickly with exercise), and my doctor has suggested I be on statins. But I just can’t bring myself to accept being on a medication like that for the rest of my life. I assured him 3 years ago I would bring it under control with diet and exercise....easier said than done, as confirmed with follow-up bloodwork. But turning 60 in less than stellar shape at the end of last year has been a bit of a wake up call so far, and thanks in part to the extra motivation provided by the Fat Bastid Competition, I’ve at least started the process of seriously establishing some much needed changes in diet and exercise. And it helps tremendously that after just 5 weeks, I can already feel some of the positive effects of my efforts. But I do recognize, after reading stories like Ross’, that I need to make it stick this time.

I’m grateful that Christine (and you, Rob) wanted to share this information with the FoH community.

[benfica_77]

Thanks for the reminder......i avoid the doctor like the plague. Will setup a check up and bloodwork. 

[Lomey]

I believe in routine checkups.  I've had high blood pressure since I was a teenager due to genetics and have been on meds since my 20's.  I'm an exercise physiologist so I understand the importance of staying healthy with diet and exercise, but it's an uphill battle.  During a checkup a few years ago they found some kidney issues caused by battling blood pressure most of my life.  Luckily my Doctor caught it and hopefully I can keep it in check.  Sadly, after having the same Dr for over 15 years he is moving on to another job in the medical field so now I'm looking for another one that I can have a good rapport with.  It was surprisingly a bigger blow than I thought it would be. 

Oh, I turned 50 in October and will starting my prep tomorrow for a colonoscopy on Friday.  Wish me luck!  😉

Get those checkups!

[mbrody]

Lost a family member to a widow maker last year. Get checked out. Don’t procrastinate if something doesn’t seam right. Colt’s story is a sad one. But if it helps just one person…

[Odessa]

2 hours ago, rckymtn22 said:

 

I have been a regular in the medical system after having my first bout with cancer 5 years ago.

Speedy recovery. Wishing you all the best.

[Puros Y Vino]

My father passed away at 55.  As did his father.   He was healthy overall.  Italian diet, active, loved to laugh, worked hard, played hard, etc.  He did smoke cigarettes since his mid-teens to his last days.  Though in the last 10'ish years he went to a pack a week or two instead of one every 2 days.  My older brothers have both surpassed 55 and I'm a few years away myself.  My mothers cousin and my cousin's husband also died from a heart attack at roughly the same age.  It's funny how age catches up with us despite our best efforts to stave it off. 

So, Ross' passing away just reminds me of how fleeting life can be.  Please thank his wife for passing along these thoughts.  I personally never met the man but I've enjoyed our personal exchanges and his contributions to this forum over the years. 

 

[Habanos2000]

I sadly missed the original post of his passing.

I never knew Ross, but I knew him. I've been around here for a while too and felt some strange, inexplicable, connection with his posts, thoughts, humor, etc. I always thought I'd meet him one day. One day I will.

RIP @Colt45

[dicko]

Thanks for sharing this Rob and I wish comfort on Christine

Sent from my SM-G986B using Tapatalk

[jonnyfromiranny]

I, too, sadly missed the original post of his passing. RIP, Ross. Thoughts and prayers to Christine and her family.

[PigFish]

This is exactly the way my father died. He passed at 66.

Most of you who know me through my participation here know that I have been extremely vocal about health issues. I am a bad bet for the insurance industry!

In 08 I had the ‘widow-maker’ heart attack. What saved me…? A good doctor, and perhaps a little gift of additional life from my maker. That fateful Wednesday in December very well could have been my last day… It just was not my day to die.

If you are in your fifties and you have a history of heart disease in your family, get a referral to a cardiologist. They have means to investigate your heart and arteries prior to disaster. Heart disease is still a major cause of death to males, and many never know it is brewing.

Whether smoking good cigars while they are good, or a few good tests now and again to protect your heath, I have always tried to be forthright about my experiences that others can learn from, on this board and off. Learn from some of us that have done it the wrong.

About ‘white coat syndrome,’ I was the king. My BP would spike 50 points just seeing a doctor’s office. I have since acquired an advanced degree in ‘in patient experience.’ Western medicine has kept this little Piggy smoking his cigars and above ground. There is nothing more wrong than the adage “what you don’t know won’t hurt you.” The fact is… what you don’t know can and may kill you! A little advanced notice can be the difference between being a fond memory, or an active member, loving husband, father and Friend of Habanos.

Find a doctor you like and trust. That doctor, in my case, saved my life. He saved my life because I made the decision to council him over drawing the conclusion about my condition myself. Frankly… I just got lucky. Don’t trust to luck.

Cheers! -Ray

PS- Miss you Ross. Godspeed.

[tuff]

That is sad news. I've been around this forum for a long time and remember "Colt45" well. Always on point and very levelheaded and wise for someone that I now know was relatively young when he started his moderator duties. Very sorry to hear of his passing. Thoughts and prayers to Christine and family for the loss of this fine man.

John

  

[SCgarman]

Life is fragile. If heart disease/high blood pressure and high cholesterol are in your families DNA, by all means develop a relationship with a doctor whom you trust. Get on meds if necessary! I am 55 and take a blood pressure pill and cholesterol pill every day. This medication is cheap with insurance and can keep you above ground. Only took one heart attack to kill my father at 52, and his father passed of a stroke at 51. Neither sought the proper meds and a regular relationship with a doctor. In fact my father didn't believe in doctors and refused to see one for no other reason than he didn't care enough to take care of his health. My father never lived to see me get married, meet my wife, nor meet my daughter who would have been his one and only grandchild. My 16 year old daughter never got to meet and know her grandfather (my father). It is tragic, and if only a relationship with a doctor and a daily regimen of meds, he might have still been above ground, even today. 'Nuff said.

[aavkk]

Wow, I've been away from the forums for a long time and have been traveling with my family for the past year.  Just checking in and seeing this makes me really recall all the great interactions I had with Ross here over the years.  I hope his family is doing well and that many here are enjoying the cigars that he took so much time and care curating.  Be well all!