Sorry MIA... family stuff

[Gas Man]

Last weekend I got a call from Mom, in Florida (snow birds), that she had taken dad to the ER. He couldn't poo or pee, had bad back pain, and trouble walking a bit.

Well a few CTs later...

He has tumors on both lungs, kidney, colon, and spine. You can figure out which ones were doing what.

By Monday he could no longer feel anything from the waist down and has paralysis due to the spine tumor pinching his nerves. This has seemed to be a permenant/semi permenant thing. That my father will never walk again.

A biopsy of the lump near his left armpit that runs clear into his lung has revealed that he has terminal stage 4 lung & spine cancer.

Beyond his back pain, this was a well healthed to be 59 in march retired man. Now he's in for the fight of his and for his life.

The distance between us is hard on the family. Couple that with working 12hr days, dealing with informing family, old co-workers, friends, ect... and my days have been exhausting to say the least. I finally started an email update to help save me some time.

The support from family and friends has been wonderfull. I have passed around his direct room number and he really enjoys the phone calls. He even got to expierence some "biker family" when my good bud Bob (a marine stationed in pensocola) called him and asked how the chow and nurses were. My mother and father were BEYOND touched.

I'm sure I need not explain to you all that the emotions have been a roller coaster thru this week. I try to find the time to do other things to keep myself pre-occupied but so far work has done a pretty good job at that especially with the snow.

Now, a week later... he's had 4 chemo treatments and about 6 radiation treatments. They still haven't got his "exit" straightened out, but don't want to operate cause its not good for his treatment. He's in good spirits and mom sent me a picture of him displaying his "double guns" (arm flexing).

I can try to keep everybody in the loop as I know more. This weekend due to the super bowl pretty much blacked out air fair going down there with prices on tickets tripple normal cost. So my brother is going down Monday. I will go down after he returns. Doc says not to send too many and spread out our time. That dad isn't going anywhere right now...

In advance, thank you all for your support and prayers. The family needs em and so very much so my dad does.

Please have a better day than I have been having and if you're a smoker. Please if not for yourself, for your kids and loved ones. Please put it down. My dad's smoking is what got us to this point.