First of all let's be honest, this entire process is scary ,draining & stinks. However, I realized that I am far from being alone. The best gift to to those we love is to be there for them in this time and staying positive. During treatment, we never focused on my dad's "grumpiness" even though he could be a bear to deal with at times. It wasnt "him". In between treatments he was back to his old great self that we loved. Although my dad was a realist, he wasnt ready to go, even at the end & we honestly felt he died today believing he was still going to get "more quality time". His brain tumors were back again & left untreated as he already became too weak and started hospice. His mind got a bit "fuzzy". This was comforting to us b/c with the other brain mets, his fuzzyness and confusing behavior until treated, took away his some of his memory. This made it easier for us this last time as we knew the end was approaching.
Even though I never posted my dad's story on this site, I read everyone's stories everyday & it helped me realize I was not alone. My father was diagnosed with Stage IV non small cell lung cancer that was first detected in his brain in Sept 2006. To be honest, until 4 months ago , you could hardly tell he was ill. He lived life as "normal" as possible during his good times, including fullfilling his dream of renting/driving a Ferrari !!!! As a matter of fact, we decided to bury him in the Ferrari t shirt that provided him with a great memory, we love this decision! It is hard to believe that he is gone today, I & the rest of my family feel like nothing was left unsaid. It really is all about "quality" time. I wish you all well with your fight and encourage you to go that extra mile to make your final moments great ones!
He was 64 & treated at the University of Pennsylvania which was remarkable.
2 tumors surgically removed from his brain (at different times) 4 gamma knife procedures, 3 different rounds of chemo & 1 round of radation(17 daily visits).
In the end, the good times came right back to the forefront of our minds. The recent tough period in hospice & the time we spent with him was the greatest gift we could give him. Be there and be strong for your loved one. Please make it all count for your loved one, the daily grind as a caregiver sometimes makes our lives stop completely, even if we are still trying to juggle work,bills, &t the sanity of the rest of the family.
Dad, I miss you terribly & love you more than life. You are my inspiration & hero. Your son, Eric
