Shannon Larratt is gone.

I learned today that Shannon Larratt has died.  Not everyone saw eye to eye with him, but to me, he was a social pioneer who worked to spread acceptance and awareness of body modification and body art.  He was the creator of BME, the body modification e-zine.  I corresponded with him first on rec.arts.bodyart on usenet. I made the trip from Indianapolis to Toronto for his international BME BBQ on 9/1/2001.  That was the only time that we ever met face to face, but we corresponded for many years afterward. He supported the performances that we did in CrimsonMane via donations of supplies, and my partner +Cloris PatientC was once featured on the cover of BME.
Today I read his final blog post, one that he had written in advance to be posted after his death.  One of the things that struck me was how much difficulty he had getting his pain managed properly as the calcium accumulated in his muscles, essentially forming stone needles in them.  I can't even imagine the pain that he was forced to bear. The degree to which the act of seeking freedom from pain is portrayed as drug seeking in western medical practice is disheartening.  I've known a number of people who have lived with chronic, sometimes crippling pain.  The hoops that they have to go through for their care, and the societal assumption that they are all slavering narcotics seekers is greatly disheartening.
Shannon enriched my life.  I am saddened that he is gone, but I am happy that he now free from the pain that he has had to endure.