Is anyone else bothered by the passing of Greg Noonan?

**Beernewb** · 10-15-2009, 01:30 PM

i dunno...i'm a BIG beer drinker, have been since i was in my teens...i love beer...no spirits, minimal wine....but love my beer....sometimes i 'll have the equivalent of a six pack in a day, i work two jobs, one from 5-9 am then a second from 10:30-6:30pm--i might have a beer in between (most of my beers are 16.9 oz 500ml bottles, both commercial for the bottles and homebrew although i do enjoy belgians bt won't drink them all at once) another at dinner and then maybe share 1 or 2 with my wife at night...maybe a bit more on the weekends, but never drink to get drunk. I can't tell you the last time i took tylenol or motrin or any other prescription drug for that matter...in fact, i just got over a cold (rarely ever sick and haven't been to doctor in 3+ years) and took the equivalent of 7 baby aspirin and two benadryl throughout the entire ordeal. I feel that if i'm going to pick my poison, i should be disciplined in other areas. I eat well and used to exercise regularly before separating my shoulder really bad in a snowboarding accident (that I never went to the doctor for btw). i am 15 lbs heavier than my high school soccer playing eight and had really clean bloodwork come back from a life insurance test in February 2008.
Here's my issue....I'm 43...I have a 5 month old that was a total surprise to my wife and I...well, not the birth, but the pregnancy...and i can't help but wonder if Greg's death was the result of pancreatic cancer....from beer. i've known about the "scientific" correlation for years, but never really paid attention to it...i guess now i have TWO reason to pay attention to it that I didn't have 6 moths ago...it comes on fast, and without warning....and it just makes me wonder.....and a bit nervous. his death is really impacting me for some reason and i don't even know if that was truly the cause. And I have to wonder, no matter how good i take care of myself, eat clean, take vitamins, etc, is beer reeking havoc on my pancreas, regardless of the other factors.
here's a pic of the snowboarding injury in April 2009, no doctor, no painkillers, no aspirin, but some beer afterward

you can't tell real well in this picture, but the shoulder joint is pushed up under the clavical, which makes the it appear like my shoulder actually dropped two inches down. I'm deformed for life w/o major surgery. is anyone else bothered at all about his death? it's not that i had nothing to live for in the past, it's just that I felt i was balancing the risks with the pleasures...now i'm not so sure given my new responsibilities.

Glibbidy · 10-15-2009, 01:36 PM

We are talking about his passing here.
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/greg-noonan-brewing-pioneer-rip-141107/

I'm pretty sure he had lung cancer.

**Pappers_** · 10-15-2009, 01:38 PM

Whenever we are struck by someone's death, our own mortality is brought to mind. You are definitely not alone.

I don't have any answers to your thoughts or questions, just affirmation that we are all in this human condition together.

**Beernewb** · 10-15-2009, 01:41 PM

yeah..i read that, thanks.i actually learned about it on this site. The swiftness of it seemed to lead a lot of folks to come to the conclusion it was pancreatic. regardless at this point, i;m not sure lung would make me feel better after all i read late last night by googling beer and pancreatic cancer

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glibbidy

We are talking about his passing here.
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/greg-noonan-brewing-pioneer-rip-141107/

I'm pretty sure he had lung cancer.

**Beernewb** · 10-15-2009, 01:45 PM

you're right...thanks. and i see your tag line, father, husband, brewer...things that are important to you....

my life has changed dramatically in the past six months without me realizing it until yesterday...strange that this was the kick in the nutz, but it was...I love to homebrew and i love being a father....i was happily chugging(no pun intended lol) along before greg's death...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pappers

Whenever we are struck by someone's death, our own mortality is brought to mind. You are definitely not alone.

I don't have any answers to your thoughts or questions, just affirmation that we are all in this human condition together.

**david_42** · 10-15-2009, 03:26 PM

About ten years ago a friend died of intestinal cancer that metastasized and destroyed her liver. 6 weeks from diagnosis to death. 34, vegan, organic gardener, etc. Now that's a shock.

Alcohol is tied to chronic pancreatitis, "But chronic pancreatitis that is due to alcohol doesn't increase risk as much as other types of chronic pancreatitis. So if there is a link with alcohol and pancreatic cancer risk, it is only very slight. " I'm far more willing to believe Mayo Clinic than the typical Intertube site.

**Airborneguy** · 10-15-2009, 04:51 PM

Not to change the subject, but why didn't you get your shoulder looked at? You could be setting yourself up for major problems with that in the future.

And for every person you hear about who bites it early because of some "vice", there's a story about someone who lasts forever drinking/smoking/womanizing/eating red meat every single day. I don't let that stuff bother me at all.

ThreeTaps · 10-15-2009, 05:10 PM

I think a good rule to live by is "everything in moderation". I love a good beer, as well as a good wine, and so does my wife (the wine, not beer). There are definitely ties between alcohol consumption and pancreatic issues, however if you're smart about the volume of associated liquids and foods that you eat, you'll be fine (minus the rare fluke, such as the vegan woman mentioned above).

Eat what you like and drink what you enjoy, but do so in a healthy moderation according to what it is you're consuming.

By the way, very nice bathroom sink. My wife and I love that designer style.

**TexLaw** · 10-15-2009, 05:24 PM

I don't think we know or will know the whole story on Greg Noonan. Not that I believe there is anything sinister there, but it solely the business of those close to him, and we ain't that.

I have lost friends, relatives, and other people important to me when they died in their thirties, forties, fifties, or even twenties from some disease that may or may not have been fruits of their lifestyle. I also have many friends and family living with diseases of the same nature (cancer, diabeties, hypertension, heart disease). Sometimes, that prompts a change in my behavior, sometimes not. I know my drinking certainly isn't helping me, and I've cut back on that over the last 10 years or so. Having children most certainly does cause you to reevaluate your priorities.

You do what you can with what you can. You can live by the odds or die by them. Sometimes, though, the dice just come up craps.

And, I also wonder why you haven't had that shoulder properly cared for. Part of being a father is getting to play with your kids and help them with certain activities. As your child grows, and as you continue to age (knock on wood), that shoulder will become more and more of an issue.

TL

T-Noonz · 03-21-2011, 08:06 PM

Hi guys,
My name is Thomas E. Noonan. I am Greg's nephew and also his legacy holder at Vermont Pub and Brewery. To answer the question about his passing, he died when his lung collapsed due to pnuemonia that was brought on by the treatment he recieved for stage four terminal lung cancer within two months of being diagnosed. It was a shock to all of us... He will not be forgotten. But we cannot ignore that alcohol used irresponsibly has undeniable health risks as well. Someone already commented this quote "everything in moderation" its actually the motto for Greg's first brewery the VPB.