Post by ralphsnart on Mar 21, 2005 16:25:45 GMT -5
Yes, I know big Swede passed away some time ago, but I was looking at an old program that I have of Swede vs. the Super Destroyer which bought back memories. I use to live in Columbia, SC and worked at one of the hospitals as a registered nurse (Swede lived in nearby Lexingon, SC). Swede had a long history of heart problems, his last years complicated with bouts of congested heart failure and alheimers. It still warms my heart that when he'd be admitted, he had a hard time remembering the doctors and nurses, but since he had seen me for over 25 years at matches at the Township Auditorium, he would remember not only me, but my name and other tidbits. He would 'rat me out' to my fellow co-workers about how I'd try to sneak into the dressing rooms and get autographs (hey, I was a kid!), or how Gene Anderson scared me s***less one night for being in the heels lockeroom, and of how Big Swede came to my defense. Of course some of the tales got larger as time went by, but I didn't care: We played kayfabe to the end, I always called him 'Swede' instead of his listed name. Big Swede had given me a lot of entertainment when I was a kid, so I was glad to return some of the entertainment.
The last time that I saw him was in 2001, another bout of CHF and coumadin toxicity (a 'blood thinner' - sometimes difficult to maintain a theraputic level); it was a sad time for me - Big Swede didn't recognize me; he kept asking me 'Do I know you?'
One night I saw a lady leaving his room; she looked very sad (I didn't get a good look at her, but I thought that it may have been Penny Banner). Even though I was not his nurse that night, I went by to say hello to him. He had good days and bad days, but this was a very bad day - he was having trouble breathing and did not recognize me at all; I knew that his time with us on Earth was coming to an end.
I moved from SC to Colorado in late 2001, one night in Feb 2002, one of my friends called me and told me that my friend, 'Big Swede' had passed away. I felt deflated that the world had lost a good person, but also felt good that he was released from his suffering. The heart disease may have slowed him down, but the Alheimers robbed him of who he was.
I had a beer for 'Big Swede' that night, and the B&W autographed picture of him standing next to Tim Woods (this was taken during his 'face' days) stared at me: I was too young to remember when Swede was in his prime, and I felt cheated.
If Penny Banner reads this, and that was not you that I saw that night, I appologize. If it was, I did want to say 'Hello' to you, but you looked so sad, I didn't want to disturb you. Just know that a fan thought very highly of Swede Hanson, and still misses him today.
The last time that I saw him was in 2001, another bout of CHF and coumadin toxicity (a 'blood thinner' - sometimes difficult to maintain a theraputic level); it was a sad time for me - Big Swede didn't recognize me; he kept asking me 'Do I know you?'
One night I saw a lady leaving his room; she looked very sad (I didn't get a good look at her, but I thought that it may have been Penny Banner). Even though I was not his nurse that night, I went by to say hello to him. He had good days and bad days, but this was a very bad day - he was having trouble breathing and did not recognize me at all; I knew that his time with us on Earth was coming to an end.
I moved from SC to Colorado in late 2001, one night in Feb 2002, one of my friends called me and told me that my friend, 'Big Swede' had passed away. I felt deflated that the world had lost a good person, but also felt good that he was released from his suffering. The heart disease may have slowed him down, but the Alheimers robbed him of who he was.
I had a beer for 'Big Swede' that night, and the B&W autographed picture of him standing next to Tim Woods (this was taken during his 'face' days) stared at me: I was too young to remember when Swede was in his prime, and I felt cheated.
If Penny Banner reads this, and that was not you that I saw that night, I appologize. If it was, I did want to say 'Hello' to you, but you looked so sad, I didn't want to disturb you. Just know that a fan thought very highly of Swede Hanson, and still misses him today.
