DammitJanet
Well-Known Member
I posted back in March that I found out that my Dad had been dxd with Stage 3 lung cancer.
I dropped by his house on the way home from Difficult Child on Tuesday. He and my Step-mom had been kind of iffy whenever I mentioned coming around and had specifically told me he could not see any of the great-grands so I just decided that Tony and Keyana would play out in his yard while I saw him for just a few minutes. If I did nothing more than lay eyes on him and give him a hug or three that was good enough for me. I was not going to go through Richmond and NOT see my Dad because you just never know.
Well, when we got there, they were ecstatic to see us and told us they were tossing the doctors orders out the window. For as long as my Dad has left, he needs to see all his loved ones. Period. Makes good sense to me. Of course we dont take them if they are sick but come on, we are his family and we love him and he loves us. What better medicine is there? He may only get to see Keyana 3 or 4 more times if the doctors are right in their predictions. Pat wasnt letting him miss out on her!
Ok, onto how he is. He has Stage 3A with one large tumor in the right lower lobe and involvement in the lymph nodes on the right side around his esophagus. The radiation had been going fairly well but in the last few days it has started to have some side effects. He is having some trouble swallowing. He is only wanting to eat soup right now. He is losing some weight and that is noticeable. He is coughing quite a bit and his doctor has him on a VERY strong cough medicine. Of course it also has pain relieving properties so that is good.
He seems in good spirits. He has never let any of his ailments, and he has had quite a few, get him down. Never asked why me. Always says he can do anything because he was a Marine...lol. Jamie told me he cried on the phone with him and my dad told him not to cry because he had lived his life, it was okay. That makes me cry. Talk about the Greatest Generation.
Pat and I talked about whether he will go to chemo if this doesnt work. I am being a realist here and not expecting it to. I dont think my dad can withstand chemo. As much as I want him here for the next 50 years I dont want him to go through something that will make his life a living hell. Maybe just not doing the chemo and living his life to the fullest would be the best thing.
Gosh this is hard. I love him so much. I regret every single one of those teen years when I gave him so much hell. I regret every time I told him I hated him. I wish kids could know how awful it is when they lose their parents later. Every little thing they ever did comes pouring back.
I dropped by his house on the way home from Difficult Child on Tuesday. He and my Step-mom had been kind of iffy whenever I mentioned coming around and had specifically told me he could not see any of the great-grands so I just decided that Tony and Keyana would play out in his yard while I saw him for just a few minutes. If I did nothing more than lay eyes on him and give him a hug or three that was good enough for me. I was not going to go through Richmond and NOT see my Dad because you just never know.
Well, when we got there, they were ecstatic to see us and told us they were tossing the doctors orders out the window. For as long as my Dad has left, he needs to see all his loved ones. Period. Makes good sense to me. Of course we dont take them if they are sick but come on, we are his family and we love him and he loves us. What better medicine is there? He may only get to see Keyana 3 or 4 more times if the doctors are right in their predictions. Pat wasnt letting him miss out on her!
Ok, onto how he is. He has Stage 3A with one large tumor in the right lower lobe and involvement in the lymph nodes on the right side around his esophagus. The radiation had been going fairly well but in the last few days it has started to have some side effects. He is having some trouble swallowing. He is only wanting to eat soup right now. He is losing some weight and that is noticeable. He is coughing quite a bit and his doctor has him on a VERY strong cough medicine. Of course it also has pain relieving properties so that is good.
He seems in good spirits. He has never let any of his ailments, and he has had quite a few, get him down. Never asked why me. Always says he can do anything because he was a Marine...lol. Jamie told me he cried on the phone with him and my dad told him not to cry because he had lived his life, it was okay. That makes me cry. Talk about the Greatest Generation.
Pat and I talked about whether he will go to chemo if this doesnt work. I am being a realist here and not expecting it to. I dont think my dad can withstand chemo. As much as I want him here for the next 50 years I dont want him to go through something that will make his life a living hell. Maybe just not doing the chemo and living his life to the fullest would be the best thing.
Gosh this is hard. I love him so much. I regret every single one of those teen years when I gave him so much hell. I regret every time I told him I hated him. I wish kids could know how awful it is when they lose their parents later. Every little thing they ever did comes pouring back.
