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Some of you have already sent me kind texts but I feel after bottling it up I should let it out...sorry if this upsets anyone. Let me know and I'll delete it all.
I had a call from my sister at 4am on Monday morning.....
My dad at 64 had been diagnosed with a rare type of brain and lung cancer.
It all started when he felt dizzy at home. He had been confined to his lounge chair not being able to move and throwing up violently for 2 weeks as the two doctors that visited him both gave him anti sickness tablets for his ears, saying it was vertigo and it can last for months. The last doctor to visit him called an ambulance as he had lost over a stone!
Dad was admitted to the JR in Oxford. They did a few tests to rebalance him and a blood test. The blood test showed up something else so they scanned his head only to find a large tumour at the base of his brain and a 3 smaller ones elsewhere. When they scanned his whole body they discovered cancer in both lungs and his lymph glands.
Once he was stable and had the correct medicine...We managed to get him out of the JR. A poor patient (obviously not of sound mind) had tried to enter his room so he locked himself in the loo, he couldn't sleep after that! On leaving the JR he was handed the wrong pills to take home.
Dad was too weak to go back and see the brain surgeon for a consultation, so me, my mum and sister had to be told he only has 2 months or a year+ with radiology and chemo and we had to go back home to break the terrible news....
My sister and mum were sleeping on the sofas either side of his bed. He used a zimmer frame we bought from Argos to get to the loo. Dad was on steroids and anti sickness. Comfortable but losing his vision slightly while trying to write. We meet the cancer team to see what they say...
Dignitas was a considered option.
Radiology wasn't worth the pain as it's a 50/50 flip a coin job. 6-8 weeks recovery with some memory loss. Lucky to live that long.
Chemo or radiology. Only two options offered after 2400 years of cancer first being documented.....I'm not a fan of the slow pace of cancer research.
The internet is full of people trying to find a herbal or vitamin cures like my mum and sister. My dad was hopeful at one point. I've got to say it's not out there, but if it makes anyone hopeful please try it. We did.
He was on his bed down stairs looking out the window making plans for his funeral. Even played me the hymn he'd chosen. Have the funeral director coming Wednesday but he cancelled and Sobel house nurse Tuesday.
So so sad I had to watch him slip away.
Dad was a very hard working intelligent businessman who ran his own company for over 30 years. Started out with only a few pounds for stationary in his front room and ended up with 3 warehouse units and 40 staff, sold it to retire 4 years ago. Cared for his staff and family gave them help if they needed anything. Took 3 members of the family on when they lost previous jobs along the way.
Dad was an honest decent man who ALWAYS did the write thing. He said he had no regrets and had worked hard for his family. You could ask him anything about anything and he'd know it. I said to my sister he was like a walking "Google".
He passed away 7th July after only 8 weeks.
My mum and sister helped him the whole way without any assistance at all (his wish). The drugs were constantly being administered by my sister morning noon and night. He wanted for nothing. They were fantastic.
We have been extremely lucky to have had such an unbelievably fantastic Dad, my mum to have had such a loving husband and my boys to have known a lovely Gramp.
You only get one Dad so drop everything, yes, everything, to be with them.
...It's still killing me inside to type this as I don't know what we are going to do without him...
I had a call from my sister at 4am on Monday morning.....
My dad at 64 had been diagnosed with a rare type of brain and lung cancer.
It all started when he felt dizzy at home. He had been confined to his lounge chair not being able to move and throwing up violently for 2 weeks as the two doctors that visited him both gave him anti sickness tablets for his ears, saying it was vertigo and it can last for months. The last doctor to visit him called an ambulance as he had lost over a stone!
Dad was admitted to the JR in Oxford. They did a few tests to rebalance him and a blood test. The blood test showed up something else so they scanned his head only to find a large tumour at the base of his brain and a 3 smaller ones elsewhere. When they scanned his whole body they discovered cancer in both lungs and his lymph glands.
Once he was stable and had the correct medicine...We managed to get him out of the JR. A poor patient (obviously not of sound mind) had tried to enter his room so he locked himself in the loo, he couldn't sleep after that! On leaving the JR he was handed the wrong pills to take home.
Dad was too weak to go back and see the brain surgeon for a consultation, so me, my mum and sister had to be told he only has 2 months or a year+ with radiology and chemo and we had to go back home to break the terrible news....
My sister and mum were sleeping on the sofas either side of his bed. He used a zimmer frame we bought from Argos to get to the loo. Dad was on steroids and anti sickness. Comfortable but losing his vision slightly while trying to write. We meet the cancer team to see what they say...
Dignitas was a considered option.
Radiology wasn't worth the pain as it's a 50/50 flip a coin job. 6-8 weeks recovery with some memory loss. Lucky to live that long.
Chemo or radiology. Only two options offered after 2400 years of cancer first being documented.....I'm not a fan of the slow pace of cancer research.
The internet is full of people trying to find a herbal or vitamin cures like my mum and sister. My dad was hopeful at one point. I've got to say it's not out there, but if it makes anyone hopeful please try it. We did.
He was on his bed down stairs looking out the window making plans for his funeral. Even played me the hymn he'd chosen. Have the funeral director coming Wednesday but he cancelled and Sobel house nurse Tuesday.
So so sad I had to watch him slip away.
Dad was a very hard working intelligent businessman who ran his own company for over 30 years. Started out with only a few pounds for stationary in his front room and ended up with 3 warehouse units and 40 staff, sold it to retire 4 years ago. Cared for his staff and family gave them help if they needed anything. Took 3 members of the family on when they lost previous jobs along the way.
Dad was an honest decent man who ALWAYS did the write thing. He said he had no regrets and had worked hard for his family. You could ask him anything about anything and he'd know it. I said to my sister he was like a walking "Google".
He passed away 7th July after only 8 weeks.
My mum and sister helped him the whole way without any assistance at all (his wish). The drugs were constantly being administered by my sister morning noon and night. He wanted for nothing. They were fantastic.
We have been extremely lucky to have had such an unbelievably fantastic Dad, my mum to have had such a loving husband and my boys to have known a lovely Gramp.
You only get one Dad so drop everything, yes, everything, to be with them.
...It's still killing me inside to type this as I don't know what we are going to do without him...
