My Dad- 6/29/1910-8/6/1998
by Maria
(Massachusetts)
I remember it was 1995 and my dad had to go to the hospital because of severe bleeding, the medical team found a rectal mass, but they were hopeful it was benign and "could get it all". The next few years he lived a very busy and fruitful life until one evening in Jan 1998 I got the call at work that he was rushed to the ER for severe bleeding, my mother describes the event "as if a murder had taken place in the bathroom". It was touch and go for months, with the end conclusion was a colostomy. From about March 1998 til August I saw my dad waste away, but he was as comfortable as he could be, I would go over and give him his morphine every day and change his colostomy if needed(he was on Hospice now). For a man of his stature as I remember him almost 6 ft 195-200lbs, to see a mere man of 145lbs and very weak. This was a horrible way to die but he died with his dignity and in the most comfortable way possible. I thank Hospice, and my mom for being there til the end, and if just one person can be spared by testing early for rectal/colon CA then it's all worth it.
