My brother · 1:31am Nov 29th, 2013
I'd like to talk about my brother.
My brother is an artist. He's dedicated his entire life to his craft, and it shows in his work. He has an incredible working knowledge of all the foundation skills.... of proportion, shading, coloring, style, composition, anatomy... than anyone I've met personally. Probably his least favorite thing in the world is people who draw ultra-simple cartoony pictures that obviously took no real effort, exhibit no real technical knowledge, and required no personal growth on behalf of the artist... the sort of pictures that are popular purely because they have "clean lines," which is shorthand for "it was done in flash and has no other redeeming qualities." He'd much prefer a sketchy, scratchy pencil drawing any day of the week, as long as there's some sign of talent or effort.
My brother is a world builder. He's spent untold months trying to plan out several grand and epic webcomics, but never came close to starting any of them... so many brilliant ideas and creative twists, but they never seemed to get fully off the ground. I always assumed he was just sort of a perfectionist, and that was simply the way of things: whenever he got close to starting something he'd tear it to shreds and claim it was garbage . I could only look at it in awe and envy. I'd give anything to be half as talented as he is.
My brother is a critic. No... that's not the right word at all. He could look at your work, go "hmm," and then tell you absolutely everything that was wrong with it, but he did it in such a way that it really drew you in. He wasn't just spouting pretentious nonsense: he'd actually get invested in your product and have a two-way dialogue with you. He gave you good advice because he was genuinely interested in what you were trying to do. And when he saw something he liked, he knew EXACTLY how to describe it: I love the way you've drawn this character's hands! I love the expression on that character's face! I love the lighting here, and the coloring there... to him, the worst words in the world are simply "it's nice." No matter what your level of artistic skill, he'll always give you advice worth having, and he can always find the good and the bad. He's always been my number one pre-reader, and I couldn't have gotten as far as I did (with pony fanfic and my own original novels) without him by my side. Ultimately, writers write for an audience of one. I often wonder whether my audience is myself or him.
My brother is in the hospital after a complete stranger found him collapsed on the sidewalk outside our apartment. He had his bookbag with him, filled with sketchbooks and art supplies, and was probably on the way to the local McDonalds to draw, like he does every day. He's had a heart attack at age thirty.
We'll know in the morning.
Update: It's noon the day after and I just got a call form my mother. Apparently, my brother actually woke up during the night and started trying to move around: the nurse held his hand and asked him to squeeze her fingers, and he did. His survival is still far from a sure thing, but the doctors are saying even this tiny improvement is extraordinary. Parents are picking me up now: will talk more later.
I'm sorry to hear that, i pray that he gets better
hope he gets better
Oh, sweet Celestia, that's horrible! I will be praying for you and your family, and especially your brother. He sounds like he's quite a guy. *hugs*
And I know what you're going through. My late mom was older than that when she had her first MAJOR heart-attack, but it still scared the bejeezus out of my sibs, myself and the rest of our family. And double-especially so her two sisters who were still with us at the time. (One of whom left this life six years before her, and in all likelihood, welcomed her Home on November 16th of last year.)
Stay safe, friend. *double cyber-hugs*
;_;
Best of luck to you and yours.
Not much I can say other than good luck and stay strong.
Damn, that's... Damn. Good luck, man. For everyone involved.
Christ.
Good luck to him.
Best of luck. It really sucks to hear that.
I wish I could do more than simply offer my support. For now this must suffice. Hope in all things friend.
I'm so sorry to hear that. I hope he makes a full recovery.
I'm hoping for a full recovery with the rest of us. When my mother had her heart attack and went into the hospital, 24 hours later they had a full plan of just exactly what had happened, what they did to fix it, what pills and medications she was going to be on for the next several months, and had an exit day scheduled. It was a little like having the doctor say, "Oh, she has a 114B dash 79. We get two of those a day. Here's your schedule, your prescriptions, the follow-up visit appointments, a list of things to call us about if she experiences any symptoms, and please sign here." It's been darned close to 30 years now, and she's just celebrated her 91st birthday, and still drives. Hopefully he has an experience much like that. With pony pictures. (I'd draw him a get well card, but we're trying to lower his stress level.)
Oh hell. It's devastating when it comes so unexpectedly. My wife recently lost her father with a similar lack of warning, so I know how intense everything must be for you and your family right now. My best thoughts go with you for his recovery.
I'm not too interested in Cardiology, as Molecular Biology and Imunology are my favorite subjects (followed closely by Pneumology). Still, 30 years old is a very young age for one to have a heart attack, making me feel compelled to ask if your family has a history of heart attacks even on young ages (40 or less). Or, does your family has a history of high cholesterol?
There is a saying those pesky, pesky Cardiologists like a lot: "Time is myocardium!" (which Neurologists stole and coined "Time is brain!" (on strokes), which also kind of applies).
It can be interpreted both as "the quicker he gets medical attention, the better his chances" and "the younger the fellow, the more chances he has". I have no clue of the former, but your brother is still relatively young, so methinks he will be alright. One thing your brother will have to do--as having a previous heart attack is a risk factor for new heart attacks--will be to lose weight, have a proper diet and exercise regularly (and all of this under constant medical supervision).
This may do nothing, but I just wanted to make you more at ease. I can do nothing but hope.