My Father.

[Zanther]

Afternoon everyone, sorry about my last minute absent from Saturdays game. I had made it back into town from my trip to North Carolina only to find a crisis of a different sort waiting for me Saturday afternoon. Let me start at the beginning.

Thursday evening I got a call from my Mom asking were I was, I told her I was in NC on an investigation. She then told me that my Father was in the Provo hospital with problems breathing (something that has been an issue for the last couple of months) and that they were running some tests. I told her I would be home late Friday night and would come down Saturday, he was to be in the hospital for the weekend for observation. Saturday afternoon, morning spent at kids soccer games, I drove down to check on my Dad and to see what was up. After getting down there I quickly learned that things were far worse than anyone lead me to believe, what was supposed to be a couple hour visit with Dad and then off to the Game, was instead a family crisis. I the process of discovering what was causing the problem of my fathers breathing, the X-ray showed dark spots. This was followed by an CT scan, which was followed up by biopics on Friday. What they found was a growth in the lung which had blocked one part of the lung causing the breathing problem, in addition, a large blood clot was found behind or attached to the mass. Samples were taken and are being looked at and a result is due back today (Monday). But everyone is in agreement that it is cancer. In addition to the one large mass, a handful of other smaller lumps were noted and sampled. As it so happened that night, my middle brother was there with his wife but had to been back home early that evening, so it fell to me to be with my father that evening. We have a thing in the family that works like this, when someone is in the hospital with something serious someone is always there during the day and evening. We switch off so as everyone gets time to get things done that need to be done (work and such) and so that we are not all there at the same time and stepping on each other and leaving long periods of time with the person in the hospital by themselves. So I was there with my father from early afternoon to late evening, with my father coming to grips with the realization of what was before him. It was a very hard night, for him and for me. I was spelled off by my older brother and one of his daughters later that evening (putting my Dad to bed for the evening). I also drew the morning shift the next day (Sunday) as my Mom was back at home getting things done there she needed to do. She was due to arrive back Sunday around noon.

Any way that is what is going on. And that is why I could not make it Saturday. I apologize to Rob as when he called I was in the middle of finding out all the details, as my father understood them, when he called and I was in a mild state of shock, processing what was being told me. I still am in shock and am having a hard time dealing with this right now as anyone who knows my family well knows my father is a anchor strong and sure. And to see him like this is very hard. Not that he is handling this badly, he is resigned to what will be will be. But he is weaker in health than at anytime I can remember and the weight of mortality is heavy.

So that is what is going on with me and my family. And I wait by the phone for the next bit of news.

[Boric Glanduum]

Scotty:
I think it's safe to say that I speak for everyone when I say: we understand completely. Don't worry about the game. It's a game, a darn fun one, but only a game.

Having lost 3 uncles and a father to cancer myself, I know what you're going through. My father was, like yours, always a rock--I remember only a very few times that he was ever really sick, even if only a cold or flu. Watching him weaken? Well, all I can say is I know where you are right now.

We fully understand and you were in our thoughts all night. You still are in our thoughts and prayers...at least, in my family's, but I think again it's safe to say that in this I speak for all the guys.

And buddy--you know my number if you need to talk, or just get away for a few minutes.

Keep us all up to date, would you? Hoping for all the best....

[Greylen]

Ditto on Jaren's comments.

Though I haven't seen your Father in probably 20 years, I still remember his wacked-out sense of humor... which I'm sure is where yours came from.

Thoughts and prayers for you and your family, buddy.

[Zanther]

Update:

It has been a long and painful couple of days. Test results came back and the results were not good. Stage IV Lung cancer. For those who do not keep on Cancer diagnosis nomenclature Stage IV is as bad as it gets. There is really nothing that can be done to save my Father. Treatment can improve things for a short time and may improve some of the symptoms but nothing can stop what will happen. Decisions are now being made on how he will proceed and I don't know what he plans on doing at this point, he is still in shock and is in the process of going through the stages of grief. He had a CT scan today to map out the cancer in order to have radiation treatment tomorrow, an attempt to shrink the growth that is blocking part of his lung. My Mom is dealing with it the best she can, she does have a good support network of women to help her. As she said there are many widow ladies around that can help her. And she is preparing to bring Dad home went the time comes. That's were we stand today, things are fluid, but in the end we know what will happen.

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayer. And to give me a place to vent my thoughts. As I type things become more real or the realization become more... permanent.

P.S. when I say things are fluid, just got text from brother. latest CT scan shows that the cancer is isolated to Lungs and nodes.

[Greylen]

You know, a client of mine's husband was diagnosed with a virulent form of cancer 6 years ago and only given a few months to live. Desperate, they tried a new treatment available only at a clinic in California. It worked and he's still around... but the treatment itself is slowly destroying his liver. So it's just a delaying process, at least for now.

It did give them another six years. If you'd like, I'll be happy to get the details for you.

Our thoughts and Prayers are with you Scott. Let us know if we can do anything.

[Greylen]

Any updates Scott?

[Zanther]

Nothing really to update, other than a thank you all for calls and messages, it has meant a lot to me.

My Father is doing some radiation treatments for the next two weeks to help shrink the tumor that is blocking the air passage. He spent weekend back home preparing and reviewing wills and such.

[Greylen]

Thanks Scott.

[Zanther]

Spend last week down with my Father. He is fading very fast and is in need of care 24/7, so one of us (me or my brothers) are with him at all times, (day and night). Mom is there also but can not really help move him etc. (anyone who knows my Mom knows she is not the biggest woman in the world) Any way the end is coming very fast, we have doubts he will last the month. We have started using heavy pain drugs as the pain increases but with doing that he is not very lucid at times. This will only get worse as time goes on. Its kind of funny, the hospice people are great, in fact they are fighting over who gets to be his primary nurse, his is so nice to them and everything, but the funny part is that they have given us a whole pharmacy of stuff and some basic guidelines and we just run with it. I guess the thought is drug dependence is a low priority issue for them.

I am going down on Wednesday and will spend the day, Dad's long time friend is coming into town to say good-bye, I just home he holds onto himself at least that long. After that my next rotation down is not until the first week of June. It is looking like the funeral will be down there with burial at Redwood Cemetery.

That is the short of it.

[Just Rob]

While you are spending so much time and effort on getting your dad and mom taken care of, you probably have stuff at home that is not being taken care of. Please consider this my offer to do whatever I can that you can think of to ask me to help you with and I will come over to your house and do it while you are waiting for the time for your dad to rest in peace. I think the rest of us could probably find a way to help pitch in too if there is something that needs it. What I mean is that we are there for you and want to make this time go as smoothly and least painfully as possible and if we/I can help, consider this volunteering.

You have our love and sympathy, brother. You and your family.
Rob

[Zanther]

Just got message from my Mom. Father is fading fast, may not last the next 24 hrs. Leaving now for down there.