Tribute to my Brother

[bjuice]

I have kept this inside the last two weeks, but now reality has set in and the shock has passed I have to share this with you for many reasons some of the reasons may be obvious and some may not but trust me there is a Great purpose in me sharing my personal life most of you know I am semi-private at the least

I got a Call Monday July 2nd that my brother was taken away by ambulance and he wasn't breathing and they were performing CPR. I went into a blank moment but I managed to collect my seneses enough to call the ER to see if they had him. They said yes we do have him then I ask could they tell me anything. they put me on hold and said they would have his wife call me back.I knew then it wasn't good..less then 2 minutes his wife called me screaming my brother was dead.

I took off as fast As I could to the Hospital and at that time no family member was allowed to see him. I made a call to the head coroner who I knew back in my law enforcement days and he Said Brian I will be there in 30 minutes. He took me down to the morgue and there I saw my kid brother on a gurney dead just as they brought him in..I dropped to my knees and prayed out loud wishing in some kind of way it was me instead !

Come to find out he and his wife were in a bitter seperation and bitter custody Battle..we all have our Faults but one of my brothers past faults was to relieve his mental pain or coping skills he turned to narcotics...We do not believe it was suicide but an accidental over dose. we will know more when the toxicology report comes back..but what was found on him was time realeased morphine and we have a hunch maybe a small bag of white powder was dropped off to him...therefore whatever he took already he had no way of knowing how pure the other stuff he got was...and bottom line it took him out..again the reports will tell us the truth about that.

what takes the cake is his 9 year old Son found him.

My heart is heavy and I have cried all day..its my brothers Birthday today 07/17/1967.....

I wanted to share this with all of you to keep you aware of your Friends and family that have had this problem in the past...My brother completed a 12 step program and graduated 12/24/2011...and I thought he was clean up until 07/02/2012 .

I type this message with tears in my eyes in hopes maybe this will save just one person....I am not ashamed of my brother not the problems he had I only wished I could have done more...keep his son's in your thoughts and prayers Josh 22 and Sean 9.
Until we meet again my Brother ..I love you !

here is his obituary


Gregory Lane McSwain, 44, of Greenville, passed away July 2, 2012.

Surviving are his wife, Nickie McSwain; two sons, Joshua Daniel McSwain, age 22; and Sean Patrick McSwain, age 9; his step son, Zachary Andrew Chandler, age 20; his parents, Gary McSwain and Gloria McSwain; his brother, Brian (Joyce) McSwain; and his niece Greyson McSwain.

He is also survived by his grandmothers, Louise McSwain and Dorothy Catron; his grandfather, Robert Catron and his aunt, Margaret McSwain.

Memorial services will be held Wednesday, July 11, 2012 at 2:00pm in the Chapel of Westville Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the family for Sean's care. Please address them to Shelby McSwain,

[fast75vega]

wow ... sorry to hear man...... stay strong and ask the lord to take care of him! were all here for ya anytime you wanna talk brutha :wink:

[fla1976]

Sorry about the news. Thoughts and prayers going out for you and yours.

[TheRabbit]

...... I really don't know what to say. Truly sorry to hear about this.
Text sent. Call me anytime or if you need anything.

[qtrmile2]

Very sorry to hear this Brian. Don't know how to make it better for ya but Tostoracing will pray for you and your family. Very difficult to deal with now but be strong for the whole family and you take care of yourself too.
God love ya.

[Harbone]

Brian I am so sorry for your loss. I know your pain and I am still dealing with my sisters loss from an overdose. If you need anything brother you have my number. Thoughts and prayers to you and your family.

[Scorpion1110]

B

So sorry.

Be strong my friend. There are people who need your strength right now.

S

[itsabird]

Sorry to hear that man, the kid,s will need their uncle more than ever now, and i know you will be there.

[BEAST477]

Brian that took alot to type that. Thoughts and prayers go to your brothers and your family. If any of us can do anything you know we will. You have alot of our numbers call if needed. :(

[dragonmaster093]

man Brian I'm sorry to hear thought and prairs to you and your family

[mopar1968]

Brian so sorry to hear of his passing, Our thought's and prayers are with you and family :!: :!:


Mark

[curtisreed]

Brian, it was heart wrenching to log on and read what you and your family are going through. I know there are no words to heal your suffering, but know that many on here as I do pray for you and your family.

I hope you find the solace and support you so truly will need from those of us who are long distance friends, even if only bound by words on a computer screen and by the friends who are close enough to hold you not just in their hearts but in their arms.

God bless.

Curtis

[482]

Sorry to hear Brian, Condolences to the family !

[csx8506]

Brian,
I read your post with a heavy heart for you and your family. He leaves a family in grief and with a great sense of loss. But you know he is now in a much better place where there is no suffering or pain.
May the Lord be with you and your family in your time of need.
I'll be praying for all of you in the days ahead.

Dan H.

[MEMRACING62]

So sorry for your loss...thoughts and prayers out to you and your family. :(

[bcw49]

Sad news for sure, my thoughts and prayers to you and your family.

[outlaw256]

boss im so,so sorry that this has happened to you and your family.i know that this is the hardest thing you had to share with us and that your pain is deep. all i can tell you is that i will say a prayer for yall.and i hope he will listen to me.i had just written a long post about how the government is cracking down on narcotic pain relievers and that is affecting me as i have to use them just to be able to hget out of bed. i do use a very high dosage of methodone and oxycodone.out of great respect for you i will not post it.my heart aches for you and yours.

[THERATTLER]

So sorry , Brian ....you know you have friends here if you need anything.
Prayers to all the family...

[oldandtired]

May God comfort you and your family.

[TheYellaBrick]

B, Hard to see the keyboard through my own tears for you/ brother/family.
Stay strong......

[RonOwensRacing]

B i am so sorry to hear this news our thoughts and Prayers go out to you and yours.
Stay strong my friend .
I do know how you feel as some may know i lost my little sister three years ago to a over dose from her boyfriend that shot her up so i do have a very heavy heart for you if you need to talk you have my info and you are more than welcome to call me anytime .

[zipper06]

Sorry to hear of your families loss, your brother was born the same month and year that i purchased a house in Anderson SC. 45 yrs ago your town and moved there for a couple yrs. where i raced and met your dad and some family members, you were just a little boy then, and you and I have been friends since the day i signed on to RJ over 6 yrs. ago.
Preyers are with us all on RJ, we are a family of friends and when 1 hurts we all hurt including myself. I too have had friends that got into drugs and alcohol only too see them hurt their life,family, and friends.
Again preyer is the only cure, but it may be yrs. before the 9 yr. understands.

Zip.

[Scooterz]

Brian-

I just saw this today. First; let me say that this whole thing is really, really sad & I feel for you big time (goes w/o saying). I have been close to what your brother went through... but escaped it somehow. I am very pleased to hear he worked the 12-step. Being he did that; I know him some. That shows he had some serious amends, goals, forgiveness & recognized God as the author of the truth. At the very least you can rest assure he is in the right place & with the right people now... no more afflictions.

Although I am trying to look at the lighter side of all this, I know how hard this is going to be for his family & you. I too lost a loved one due to the result of narcotics. It is hard to understand. It is hard to relate to addiction unless you are an addict; even then, it is hard to understand. Your brother, myself & countless others have fought this battle ONLY to find God at a deeper level... but he makes us save ourselves on this one... becasue he has already saved us from ourselves & sin. Every addict passes a "point of no return"... you can only recover the rest of life. Man I am at least glad he no longer has to bear that cross anymore.

Zip is spot on. God is the truth & the light in all things... you guys will need him more than ever. My prayer for you guys is that this does not rattle your faith... because it will grow stronger now. I am sure you are a great uncle, brother & family man!! Ask God to give you the words in the funeral, for the kids, his wife, all your loved ones... now & beyond. Be courageous & speak in your bothers absence... it is okay to cry... I am crying right now too. CALL ON US FOR ANYTHING. Scooter/Casey

[TheYellaBrick]

Just talked with my own brother, cannot even imagine what it'd be like to loose him, and he me. He is an alky and is again dry, I was suicidal at times in my 20's-30's(PTSD), we both participate in risky behavior ( racing ). dang tears.... Honor your brother by guiding his kids in the correct direction and living your own life in an honorable way.....

[TheRabbit]

I haven't heard from BJ since the day after this. I know it's gotta be really hard on him.
Please keep BJ and his family in your thoughts. Just because this thread slowed down doesn't mean it's forgotten!

[BEAST477]

I haven't heard from BJ since the day after this. I know it's gotta be really hard on him.
Please keep BJ and his family in your thoughts. Just because this thread slowed down doesn't mean it's forgotten!

Thanks for the update Rabbit.
Brian hoping things are getting better day by day. Your rj friends are here if needed.

[Scooterz]

Wabb is right. We have not forgotten you or your brother Juice. I pray for you/your families healing & pain.

[Harbone]

I texted him this morning, he's spending some quality time with the family. I am sure he will check in when he gets back

[Scooterz]

Good man Chris. At least he is together with his family.

[wazup]

Brian, sorry for your loss and our preyers go out to you and your family.

I too lost a brother (older) in 1996 35yearsold to drugs and also got clean, it was very hard to deal with and still is as the tears still flow at times of remembering the days he was here.

Robert and Vickie

[Scooterz]

Not to state the obvious here; but we have not forgotten what Chris went through recently either. It is good for Juice & Harb to relate & hopefully heal together in some way. I just did an intervention last week w/a in-law cousin & she agreed to get inpatient treatment. She is 22 & lost her job as nurse due to stealing Morphine & other narcotics from Hospital. 22 & has her whole life ahead... but she may not make it. Addiction trumps all things when they live in it... not much we can do. I hope & pray she has not past the point of no return. They had to give her meds just to calm her down in detox. Her name is Christie.

[Harbone]

Not to state the obvious here; but we have not forgotten what Chris went through recently either. It is good for Juice & Harb to relate & hopefully heal together in some way. I just did an intervention last week w/a in-law cousin & she agreed to get inpatient treatment. She is 22 & lost her job as nurse due to stealing Morphine & other narcotics from Hospital. 22 & has her whole life ahead... but she may not make it. Addiction trumps all things when they live in it... not much we can do. I hope & pray she has not past the point of no return. They had to give her meds just to calm her down in detox. Her name is Christie.


Its hard Scooter but dont give up...

[DirkaDirka]

I just saw this today and want to say Im sorry for what you are/ went thru Brian. My heart aches for you and your family. My thoughts and prayers are going out to you and your family as well.

[curtisreed]

Brian,

Just thought I would check in to say I hope that time has eased the pain and anguish some and that you and your family are doing well. God bless you and your family.

Curtis