Back when I was running the gun stores I had a good customer who collected guns, I sold him 15 over the years, many special orders that took some time to get. Right after covid hit, his wife called me to let me know he had passed away, not from covid, just from the assorted effects from getting old. She asked me then if I would be willing to help her get rid of his gun collection and I told her I would. It lead to me helping her to get her FOID so her having them in the house wouldn't be a problem. And I helped her out in various ways, mowing the grass at her house. She had moved into an apartment when her husband's health had started to fail but still had the house. It was just to keep the city off her back, not a full fledged landscaping job, just short enough the city didn't send her letters about the grass being too high. And she paid me for that. And she was never ready to sell the guns. About a year ago I checked on her at the apartment and she was no longer there and she was no longer answering her phone. I figured she either shuffled off to be with her husband or had moved in with family.
And then a couple of months ago I ran into her at the grocery store. She had lost her phone and my number and hadn't been able to keep the same phone number for some reason. She moved out of the apartment because she bought a house closer to the grocery store and bank. Apparently, her husband left her very well off with some investments he had made over the years. So we got back in touch and I told her if she needed anything she could call.
Well, Tueday night I got a call. Not from her, but from her sister in North Carolina. She hadn't been able to get in touch with her sister for a couple of days and asked if I could go by the house and check on her. Well, shit, I kind of figured where this was headed. So, I drove over to her house. Checked the mailbox, it was packed full. Double shit. Knocked on the door, no answer. Knocked hard on the door, still nothing. Went around to the back door and knocked there. No answer but I could see inside the kitchen and a light was on. Went back to the front door, knocked some more. Called her cell phone and put my ear to the door. Nothing. Went to the back door, called her phone again and I could hear it ringing. Shit.
So, I called 911 for a well being check. Cops showed up, repeated the knocking thing, had me call her phone to listen to it ring. And then they started looking for a way to get in. Place was locked up tight. They ended up forcing the front door and going in. I waited on the porch as they called her name and then said, "Are you OK?" Whew! Then they asked me to come in and she recognized me as the cop was asking her if she needed an ambulance. She said no and I gave her a quick head to toe visual assessment and decided she definitely needed an ambulance. She was skin and bones and both of her calves were open wounds with definite infections and oozing. I went over to her and the smell hit me. And on closer inspection I realized she had developed gangrene. In EMS class they always talked about gangrene and the smell and how once you smell it you will never forget it. I hadn't smelled or seen it before, but I have now.
The ambulance took her to the ER and I had to go get the kids from the track meet I had left them at and take them home before I could get to the ER. Her sister said she had booked a flight and would be there the next day but other than me she doesn't have anyone to be there. So I stuck around while the doctor looked her over. Doctor said she needed the legs amputated but she absolutely refused that and so did her sister when the doctor called her in North Carolina. They started her on IV antibiotics and sent her up to the floor. They are going to see if they can get the infections under control but failing that she will be on "comfort care". She is feeling a lot better but I think it is pretty clear she won't ever be going home again. Going to meet the sister at the house tomorrow and pick up the guns that are there and maybe go to the other house and see if we can find any other guns he may have had. The guns I sold him over the years weren't collectibles but I have no idea how many or what kinds of other guns he had collected. So the plan will be to list them on gun broker. When I do I will let everyone know here. Plan is to get as much for them as possible but I will give you guys a chance to participate.
And then a couple of months ago I ran into her at the grocery store. She had lost her phone and my number and hadn't been able to keep the same phone number for some reason. She moved out of the apartment because she bought a house closer to the grocery store and bank. Apparently, her husband left her very well off with some investments he had made over the years. So we got back in touch and I told her if she needed anything she could call.
Well, Tueday night I got a call. Not from her, but from her sister in North Carolina. She hadn't been able to get in touch with her sister for a couple of days and asked if I could go by the house and check on her. Well, shit, I kind of figured where this was headed. So, I drove over to her house. Checked the mailbox, it was packed full. Double shit. Knocked on the door, no answer. Knocked hard on the door, still nothing. Went around to the back door and knocked there. No answer but I could see inside the kitchen and a light was on. Went back to the front door, knocked some more. Called her cell phone and put my ear to the door. Nothing. Went to the back door, called her phone again and I could hear it ringing. Shit.
So, I called 911 for a well being check. Cops showed up, repeated the knocking thing, had me call her phone to listen to it ring. And then they started looking for a way to get in. Place was locked up tight. They ended up forcing the front door and going in. I waited on the porch as they called her name and then said, "Are you OK?" Whew! Then they asked me to come in and she recognized me as the cop was asking her if she needed an ambulance. She said no and I gave her a quick head to toe visual assessment and decided she definitely needed an ambulance. She was skin and bones and both of her calves were open wounds with definite infections and oozing. I went over to her and the smell hit me. And on closer inspection I realized she had developed gangrene. In EMS class they always talked about gangrene and the smell and how once you smell it you will never forget it. I hadn't smelled or seen it before, but I have now.
The ambulance took her to the ER and I had to go get the kids from the track meet I had left them at and take them home before I could get to the ER. Her sister said she had booked a flight and would be there the next day but other than me she doesn't have anyone to be there. So I stuck around while the doctor looked her over. Doctor said she needed the legs amputated but she absolutely refused that and so did her sister when the doctor called her in North Carolina. They started her on IV antibiotics and sent her up to the floor. They are going to see if they can get the infections under control but failing that she will be on "comfort care". She is feeling a lot better but I think it is pretty clear she won't ever be going home again. Going to meet the sister at the house tomorrow and pick up the guns that are there and maybe go to the other house and see if we can find any other guns he may have had. The guns I sold him over the years weren't collectibles but I have no idea how many or what kinds of other guns he had collected. So the plan will be to list them on gun broker. When I do I will let everyone know here. Plan is to get as much for them as possible but I will give you guys a chance to participate.
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