A difficult day indeed.

[Rex Tyus]

I just completed my most challenging day since I have been in business. I received a phone call from a long time client. She wanted to know if I would clean just a closet at her sister's house. My immediate reaction was, of course but that is going to be an expensive closet. She then explained her sister's husband had committed suicide. Without going into the details I will just say this is NOT the type of service I typically provide, but I didn't have the heart to say no.

I don't want to bring anyone down, simply remind everyone to cherish life LOVE YOUR FAMILIES, give them hugs and kisses every night.


Respectfully,

Rex Tyus

 

[hogjowl]

I did a couple of suicide jobs years ago. Back before Aids and the blood born pathogen concerns.

Just not my type of work.

Although, if I could get really into it big-time, where I could afford the proper training, space suits and all ... I'd probably do it.

 

[Chris Muetterties]

Can you share what you did ? I.E. HWE or Pad ?

 

[Rex Tyus]

Without going into the details I will just say this is NOT the type of service I typically provide, but I didn't have the heart to say no.

I don't even own a cotton pad.

But please don't miss the point of my post.



Rex

 

[Guest]

Rex, same thing happened to me a year or so ago. I was working on a job and the neighbor came down and asked me to clean up a room. His wife had killed herself....not what you want to hear.

 

[Frank P.]

suicides

Many years ago, I'd say 1979 I got a call from an apartment complex we cleaned regularly. A guy shot himself while sitting on the floor with his back against a bedroom wall. The bullet killed him and went up into the apartment above while people were partying. Luckily no one was hurt upstairs. The pool of blood was about 3 ft in diameter.

As I was cleaning the blood stain I happened to look out the bedroom window to see red water running out of my discharge hose. You see, I owned a Steamway Turbo Matic 1200 with the continuous pump out system. Aids etc... was almost unheard of so my concern was not that but how neighbors would feel about the red river coming out of my machine. All was well that ended well and the blood stain on the yarn and the backing was gone. At least they don't make TM's with continuous pumping anymore but that was one great TM. Too complex but powerful.

Frank P.

 

[Jim Pemberton]

I didn't miss the point Rex.

When I was barely 20, our cleaning company got a suicide by gunshot call. None of the cleaning staff would do it, and even though at the time I was involved solely in the equipments sales side of the business, I cajoled our head mechanic to join me to help. I figured "we'd show those guys" who's toughest.

I was able to deal with the odor (it was a few days "old") and the "visual aspect" of everything. What brought me down was seeing blood splashed on pictures of his children, cleaning and storing his personal effects, etc.

It reminded me of the people who are truly hurt when such things occur. I spent a very quiet weekend after that by myself. I grew up decades that weekend.

One never knows what tomorrow brings, and times like these remind us to keep our loved ones close and to remember to tell them we love them.

Don't apologize Rex. Thank you.

 

[Greenie]

Good point about the pump out, never even thought about that scenario, kind of a concern for Fox guys.

Rex, I feel for ya man, Lisa has worse stories than me, but we cleaned for a lot of folks around here after a death in the family.

 

[Rex Tyus]

What brought me down was seeing blood splashed on pictures of his children, cleaning and storing his personal effects, etc.

Thanks Jim. You understand exactly.

Rex

 

[Guest]

Thank you!!!


Chad

 

[Desk Jockey]

Rex thanks for the reminder about family, it's easy to get caught up in work and forget about them when building a business.

You did a good thing for your client, I'm sure it was and is still difficult for you.

I think the mental aspect of this type of work is much harder than the physical cleaning.

Take care
Richard

 

[-JB-]

Been there done that.
Jim P. told me of the stages that you will likely go through after doing a job like that, if I recall correctly,

1st) Sadness over the loss of life
2nd) Sadness to for the loss for the family
3rd)Anger towards the person that could take their life in such a violent fashion
4th)Acceptance.

The good news- All stages pass very fast.

The bad news - They don't pass fast enough.

Stay strong.
Have faith.
God bless.

 

[The Preacher]

that's a tough job for sure.

my children can bug the crap outta me at bedtime, but i try to sing to them every night. my teenage daughter hates it when my wife and i leave her in charge at bed time when we work at night, she can read a hundred books to em, but she said she's never seen kids calm down so fast as when i sing to them. i made up a song 10 years ago that they just have to have sung. after a post like this it makes it more important to do every night.

 

[Tom Mock]

I was a cop for 4yrs in a smallish town. I have been on several calls that ended up being suicides and just old people dying.

The one event that sent me to the Shrink was a call to a cop's (former) home that ended up being a suicide attempt. At the time of arrival I didn't realize that I was going to a cop's house. The guy used a blade and cut his neck near the jugular. He was in the bath tub. I realized that he was a former comrade when I rounded the corner and saw him in the tub. I grabbed a towel and applied pressure till the medics came a moment later.

I ended up driving the ambulance to the hospital too.

I still haven't totally gotten over that. I haven't really shared that with many people outside of my circle.

We cops dealt with death in many ways. Many times we would joke about it when we were alone or at the station. It it just a coping mechanism I guess.

I don't what is like to be on the cleanup end yet. I imagine I will someday.

By the way, the cop did live. He was undergoing a trial for sex assault.

Sorry if this wasn't appropriate... Thanks for listening though.

 

[Jim Hadley]

Difficult day

Rex.

Several years ago I got a call to clean an apartment in my area. When I arrived they told me that it would take alot of effort to get it cleaned. When I walked in there was blood everywhere. Apparently the man had committed suicide with a shotgun. I did the best I could do under the circumstances. The sad part for me was hearing the phone message machine(which was stuck or broken) play over and over. It was his daughters calling every 15 min wondering why he would not answer his phone. A hard depressing day. Not just for me, but for the family who obviously cared for this man. The violent way in which he took his life was so devastating to the family. Some days life is very hard. I hope you feel better.
Jim Hadley

 

[brocksdad]

I have a customer who's 12 year old son found his own father on the floor of his office after he had shot him self. I lost my dad at a young age but he had cancer I can't imagine the load that poor kid will carry for the rest of his life.

 

[brocksdad]

I just got a call just now saying my single biggest source of work, a new construction cleanup company. Her son O D ed on cocaine last night he did survive but she sounded obviously so of course very shaken. She just kept saying how he had been clean and of drugs for over 4 years. Then last night he bumped into some of his old so called buddies and that was all it took to pull him back to that terrible part of society.