Question about cancer.

[KA9MOT]

Have any of you lost anybody to Liver or lung cancer? Was there much pain?

[NQ6U]

Don't know about lung cancer but liver cancer is a bad way to go. Very painful.

[KA9MOT]

I guess I shouldn't have asked. I didn't want to know that, but I had to know. Thanks Carl.

[NA4BH]

Let me ask this, how close (or is it you) is this person?

[KA9MOT]

I'd feel better about it if it were me. Instead it is my Mom.

[NQ6U]

I'm really sorry to hear that, Steve. I hope the doctors do all they can to alleviate her suffering. Palliative medicine has come a long way in the last few years.

[NA4BH]

So is it liver or lung?

[KA9MOT]

They said 6 months. They are sending her home and providing her with hospice. I hope they can manage her pain. Her 73rd birthday is in October. That is not going to be fun.

[KA9MOT]

So is it liver or lung?

Gall Bladder, Lung and moved to her liver. They removed a growth as large as a baseball from her liver. It has caused sclerosis of the liver.

[K7SGJ]

Sorry to hear of you Mom's condx. I can tell you from experience, they will be able to manage the pain and discomfort.

[N8YX]

Sorry to hear this - she's in our thoughts.

Had an area ham friend lose his wife to cancer (lung; metastatized to brain and from there, systemic) earlier in the year. The last two weeks were the worst but IIRC the docs managed Sandy's pain level to tolerable levels. Still, it sucks to be afflicted with the stuff.

[KA9MOT]

Thanks for all the answers, well wishes and kindness.

Yesterday was a pretty hosed up day. Today was even worse, but I am sure that things will improve. They are bringing her home tomorrow and I'll see her either Friday night or Saturday morning. My dad hasn't spoken a word since they got the results of the biopsy, and the whole family is pissed at the VA.

I'll tell ya what, allow me to get this off my chest.

My mom was a WAC (Woman's Army Corps) during the Korean War. She was a Barracks Sergeant in some Nurses Barracks in Korea. That is where she met my dad, he was a grunt. They married after a couple of years when they got back to the states in 1958 at FT. Meade in MD. She served during Wartime in a War zone.

In October 1959 my brother Leslie Jr was born with Spina Bifida and his heart was outside his chest wall. Army Doctors put his heart where it was s'posed to be and he died at 3 months. Mom always said that civilian doctors could have saved him. They had 8 kids together along with 2 boys my dad had from a previous marriage and they raised us all well . I remember Dad working 3 jobs and Mom working 2 when I was in Grade School to keep everybody fed and clothed with a roof over our heads. We never had more then we needed but we always had enough.

In 1977 mom got hit while walking beside our parked pick-up by another pick-up that rolled her between the trucks the full length of our truck. She injured both hips, but she could still walk and the doctors didn't think much of it. The guy who hits her insurance paid her medical and to fix our truck.

In 1989 she started having hip problems. The VA (Iowa City, IA) replaced her left hip and 5 years later replaced her right hip. About a year after that, the cement they used in her left hip came loose and the hip had to be replaced again. In 2004 they decided they needed to replace the right hip and it never did well. In 2006 they figured out that she had a major infection in her right thigh bone and removed the hip replacement. She's been in a wheelchair or on crutches since.

About 2 months ago, while walking with her crutches, she felt a "pop" in her left hip and fell. She could not support her weight. Dad took her to the VA and they discovered the cement had failed and sent her home until they could have a conference with an Iowa State Universities specialist about it. He is the one who discovered the shadows on her liver while looking at the X-Ray. Mom fell again about a week later and dad had to call an Ambulance and the VA decided to keep her in her local hospital until they could find a room in Iowa City. She has become completely bed ridden. 2 days later they moved her into a Nursing home.

Here is why everybody is angry, They will not allow her to have any transportation. Dad has to load her up in the van and drive her where she needs to be. The pain is terrible. When it came time to do here Biopsy last week, he and the staff at the Nursing home had to pick her up, carry her to the van and strap her in her seat. Mom and Dad drove for 2 hours to the VA and the VA Staff lifted her out of the van and dad says they "dumped her" in a wheelchair and took her away. They would not allow for transportation. Even the Nursing home staff said she needed to go by ambulance.

Tomorrow morning, dad is going to drag her out to the van and drive 2 hours home. My brother and his son are going to meet them there with some Hospice people to unload her.

I guess Hospice was at mom and dads house today moving in equipment and a hospital bed for my mom. My sister (a RN) says this outfit is the best and will take very good care of her. We also found out today that Mom has Medicare. She didn't even know that. Dad says there will be no more trips to the VA. Medicare is paying for the hospice and the VA is paying for 2 hours a day Hospice.

It is truly amazing the care folks who have served this country in war or peace time don't get from the government they served. My whole family is enraged.

[NA4BH]

My interactions with VA's around the Southeast has been just the opposite. It actually amazes me how much concern and care the employees at these Va's show the patients. I do hate the treatment that your mother is getting, but that one VA does not reflect the system overall. Find some one to complain to.

By the way, the VA in West Palm Beach has a table run by Hams that will take message traffic and send it via net to anywhere.

[KA9MOT]

My interactions with VA's around the Southeast has been just the opposite. It actually amazes me how much concern and care the employees at these Va's show the patients.

That is good.. It is interesting that things can be so different between the 2 areas.



Find some one to complain to.

My sisters are and have and they are complaining loudly. One to the politicians who represent our state, and my sister Ann has had contact with, "The lady who runs the VA". Her words. I am not sure exactly what that means.


By the way, the VA in West Palm Beach has a table run by Hams that will take message traffic and send it via net to anywhere.

That is cool!

[KA9MOT]

Wanna see my mom? She is at the end. I am the fat kid at the end. The music sucks and was put there by the folks who converted the original 8MM to DVD. This was taken at the Old Pocono Drag Lodge in WIlkes-Barre, PA sometime between 1964 to 1966.


http://youtu.be/tQKp3QR5Los

[NA4BH]

Thanks for the blast from the past. Old movies like that really get my interest. And thanks for showing drag racing back when it was really racing. Drive it to the track, race it, drive it home.

p.s. you were one ugly kid :rofl: :rofl: Just kidding. Thanks again

[KA9MOT]

I was almost raised at that drag strip. Dad raced there until 1972 when they closed after Hurricane Agnes flooded the area. I spent most of my youth in West Wyoming, PA.

[W5GA]

Sorry to hear about your mom, Steve. We had my MIL at home in hospice care until the end. Lung cancer got her. One of the things you can expect is that your mom towards the end will be flat out of it with the pain meds. She won't even know you exist, so be with her now while you can. For the last 3 weeks, my MIL was on morphine the whole time, and that was after the Fentanyl patches were no longer effective. She was pretty out of it starting with the Fentanyl.
My wife's step-mother died of liver cancer. She'd been complaining about a back ache for weeks. Went into the hospital and was gone the next day.

[X-Rated]

I was almost raised at that drag strip. Dad raced there until 1972 when they closed after Hurricane Agnes flooded the area. I spent most of my youth in West Wyoming, PA.

Thanks for the video. Send your mom our love.

[NA4BH]

Send your mom our love.

Well said. That speaks for all on the Island.

[NA4BH]

Updates?????

[KA9MOT]

Updates?????

Updates? OK, we'll do updates. I don't want to become one of those people who are fixated on a subject and then drives those around him away because he won't shut up about it. :lol:

I went to see mom on Saturday morning. She is at home and they did manage to get the VA to pay for an ambulance ride. :clap:
The last time I had seen her was the 22nd of Aug and she has really deteriorated. She is doped up and dad says she is not in any pain unless you move her wrong and it hurts the broken hip. We spent about 5 hours with her.

A bunch of friends and relatives came by, and though it is hard, it was nice to see those we have not seen in many years. My Uncle and Aunts are coming out from PA on the 18th.

Bob NA4BH sent along a gift and I am very thankful for that.

Nobody believes Mom will last the 6 months the doctors say she has and I have decided that was a good thing for us. I've always believed it was better for the family when a loved one takes time to die. I used to think, "At least they had time to come to grips with it" and their morning would be less because of it. I know know that I was very mistaken. This death watch thing sucks.

My dad is taking very good care of her and I know it is hardest for him. 2 of my sisters (They live farther away then I do) are helping him all they can and both were nurses at one point in their lives, and hospice has been helping him as well.

[KA9MOT]

Bob's NA4BH gift to my mom:

4610

And my Mom:

4611

My Mom in 1957 She was a hottie! Who knew?

4612

One of these days I'll regale you with some of the stories mom used to tell me when I was a kid.

[KA9MOT]

We went to see Mom yesterday. My wife took care of her and I got to spend some tome with her. I enjoyed my time with her.

My sister called tonight. She is a Nurse, and she let me know that Mom went to sleep last night and has not awakened yet. Her kidneys have shut down and my sis says she is very toxic. I probably wont be around much, and there is no WiFi available where mom and dad live so, If I disappear for a few days, y'all will know what is up. We plan to go up there tonight.

[K7SGJ]

Hang in there. You're in our thoughts.

[NA4BH]

Hang in there, buddy.

[NQ6U]

Hope everything goes as well as possible under the circumstances. We'll all be thinking about you.

[KA9MOT]

Thanks guys. My sister sat with mom last night. She made it through the night. I'll go hold her hand for awhile. We are getting ready to hit the road.

[KA9MOT]

The time is near. Mom's temp is 106 and her respiration is down to 6 per minute. My sister thinks she'll pass on tonight. Most of us have said goodbye. Dad kicked everybody out tonight because he wants to be alone with her, and I can respect this. You could tell she was aware of her surroundings even though she was unresponsive. She is resting comfortably and nobody seems to think she is in much pain. I am great-full for that. I just got home and I'll be sleeping with the phone tonight.

I want to thank all of you for allowing me to air all of this out here. It is helping me deal with this loss and I know some of you have suffered the loss of a parent.

I'm off to bed, another sleepless night.

[NA4BH]

Peace be with you

[KA9MOT]

Mom died at 2:15 this morning.

[KA9MOT]

Peace be with you

Thanks for everything Bob.

[NQ6U]

Mom died at 2:15 this morning.

My condolences, Steve.

[X-Rated]

Condolences from all around.

[WØTKX]

Mom died at 2:15 this morning.

I'm sorry man. This is tough, but at least you got to say goodbye before she left.

[N8YX]

Sorry to hear it, Steve - our condolences.

Got word this afternoon that a friend/coworker also passed today due to the Big C. :cry:

[ab1ga]

Please accept my condolences as well, OM.

[K7SGJ]

This is a rough time for the whole family. Give your Dad a long hug. You have our deepest sympathy.

[ad4mg]

Sorry to hear of your loss, Steve. Hasn't been so long ago that I suffered the loss of my Mom. I'm sure I'll grieve for the rest of my days. Peace to you and your family.

[KA9MOT]

Thanks for everything guys. I am starting to feel better. I had to go over to the county jail to tell my oldest son...that sucked big time. I don't think Stevie quite understands yet, but he rushes over to hold me when I get upset. He is a good boy and my youngest at 12 years old.

[W7XF]

You have my.deepest condolences, Steve. Just take.comfort in knowing that she is.no longer in pain.

[NA4BH]

Steve......................

Your Island family is with you, every step. Damn dude, just DAMN.....................

[rot]

Hey man...best to you and the family from here. Wishing you peace and good memories.
Time will heal and they are always there...at least my pop is and he has been gone for 6 years....
Take Care.
rot

[W3MIV]

Sorry to hear this, but now the pain and worry is past. Hang on to the good memories; she will be with you forever.

[n6hcm]

irrelevant now

[Jerry]

Gall Bladder, Lung and moved to her liver. They removed a growth as large as a baseball from her liver. It has caused sclerosis of the liver.

EDIT (ad4mg): Long, misplaced rant is intact inside the spoiler tags, if anyone cares to read it.

That is called Stage 4 and is usually terminal.

My mom is stage 4 right now, in her liver and her large intestine and spread to her rib cage. She has been fighting it since last Easter.
They said she had cancer for 5 years - before they found it.
My mom was loosing weight - couldn't figure out why.
My mom would lie to the doctors so they wouldn't look for anything and that was why they never knew she had it.
Finally one day, the doctor was too busy to see her and the physicians assistant looked at her and within a couple of minutes determined that she needed some tests done and within a week they knew that she had cancer and within a month she needed surgery to remove a part of her colon because everything was running through her like poop through a goose and she wasn't getting any nutrition - the cancer was taking it all.
Through 9 months of chemotherapy, she held tough.
Christmas time the doctors said she had as much chemo as she could take and her cancer number was down really low - hence the tumor was shrunk.
Instead of going to a real hospital - where they specialized in cancer treatment - she stayed here - close to home at the local band aid station and the doctors here doesn't know their heads from a hole in the ground and they did not remove the tumor - I think my mom and dad had something to do with that - because old wives tales and superstition was that once they open you up and the air hits the cancer - you are a goner. Well by Feb of this year, the tumor was back and twice the size it was before and it has grown immune to the treatments they gave her before and when they tried to give her stronger stuff - her body wouldn't and couldn't handle it and she has filled up with fluid to the point of where they tap her abdomen once a week and take out a couple of gallons of fluid. When the fluid is gone - she can eat, when she is full of fluid - she won't eat and her stomach hurts and everything tastes rotten.
It's just a matter of time before some type of failure takes over and that will be it.
She persists in living at home and my younger sister takes care of her - although my younger sister has also had cancer several times over the past couple of years.
I blame it on the neighbor who has one of those outdoor furnaces - 40' from the living room and my sisters bedroom window - with no chimney. All I can say is living in Pennsytuckey is not a good thing when it comes to environmental laws.
If I had my way - I would push that sob's furnace over the hill with the pick up truck and I would plumb the smokestack directly into his house and make his split tail old lady get cancer a couple of times and then see how long he keeps the outdoor furnace.

People in this world, are just out for themselves and they don't care who they injure or what they do, as long as they fill their own pockets with money.
It's just like ham radio - you find a open frequency and call CQ a couple of times and talk to one or two people and the next thing you know, there is some idiot trying to tune his antenna and amplifier on your frequency and then they try to talk over you and take the frequency away from you. What they call a LID - lousy inconsiderate dummy!

Some people are born with a little cancer inside of them, some people has cancer all of their lives and never knows it. While other people - who doesn't even drink, or smoke or screw - like my mom and my sister - gets sick as a dog and lives as long as the local butcher can cut and hack and remove as much as they can.

So far my sister - who has never even been on a date, is 45 years old, has lost both ovaries, both breasts, her gall bladder, her thyroid,, had lymph nodes harvested a couple of times, her appendix, her adenoids and just about everything else you can take and still live - since the neighbor moved in with his outdoor furnace 12 years ago.
http://www.mahoningoutdoorfurnaces.com/

[KA9MOT]

Jerry,
I'm sorry to hear about your mom.

Please take you rant somewhere else. Your views are distorted and frankly, I feel that they have no place here.

Pennsylvania.... I grew up in Pennsylvania. West and slightly north or WIlkes-Barre on the side of the mountain. Yes, there are environmental issues. I've lived in all regions of this country since then. East, West, As far North as you can go and in the deep south on the Gulf of Mexico, and the God forsaken State I'm in now. All of these places have environmental issues and they all need corrected. But that is another topic for another thread.

And speaking of Pennsylvania, If I could afford too, I'd be right back on my mountain. I miss PA terribly and I would live the rest of my days there if my family weren't all here...even if it meant I had to live in a shack.

[KA9MOT]

Mom's Obituary:

http://www.reviewatlas.com/obituaries/x371946910/Mary-Anna-Hays

[NQ6U]

Mom's Obituary

Nice obit; your mom and I shared a birthday.

BTW, Steve, I put Jerry on "ignore" a couple of weeks ago. He's got nothing worthwhile to add to any conversation.

[KG4CGC]

Sorry man. That's always a hard one.

[K7SGJ]

From the obit, it looks you mom had a very full life. Certainly had a huge family, which will surely miss her. The emptiness of losing a MOM never heals, but, in time, it does get a little easier to deal with.

[VK3ZL]

Mom's are precious..Treasure her memory Steve and she will always be with you..

Bob..VK3ZL..

[suddenseer]

Steve, I am sorry for your family's loss. I avoided commenting in the thread because I am still trying to process the recent death of my brother. He was a victim of pancreatic cancer. It has been almost a year and a half since it was detected in me. I am lucky, it was caught in a routine colonoscopy. I had become too aware of the chances of surviving late stage cancer. I did not want to destroy any hope you might have had, because there is a small outlier of those who do survive. Hope is sometimes all we have left to cling to. As long as someone thinks of your mom, she is alive. Keep her memory alive. It is ok to hate cancer, I do.

[KC2UGV]

I'm late to the thread Steve, but I am so sorry to hear about your loss. Glad you are hanging in there though.

[KA9MOT]

Well, it is all done. The whole thing happened so quickly, and while I was unprepared for that, it is better for Mom that she did not linger. While she was unresponsive she kept making short moaning noises like those I would imagine somebody who was in pain might make but the Hospice Nurse said that she was aware of our presence and could hear everything we said to her, and that was her way of responding....I'm not sure I believe that, but I am holding on to it.

I guess I was wrong about her serving in Korea also. She enlisted in the Army after the Korean War. Dad served in Korea and met Mom at Fort Meade in Maryland where she was working on the early computers for the Government and she wasn't a Sergeant either but was a Corporal. I guess I should have listened closer when I was a Boy.

The Visitation:

Everybody said, "They did a wonderful job with her." I can't help thinking that the room stinks and that person in the Casket looks like mom, yet isn't her. I was shocked to find that hands that were always soft, gentle and warm were cold when I touched them.

People came from PA (Her brother Steve and his wife Sue), Texas, Louisiana, North Carolina (My bother Robert and his wife Cathy), Iowa, and all over Illinois. I was good to see everybody, but I really wish it could have been for another reason.

Uncle Steve and I finally buried the hatchet after 37 years (I nearly killed my cousin in 1978 because he stole from me and then he started a fight when cornered. He was Uncle Steve's favorite and Uncle Steve only heard one side of the story). So, finally that is behind us.

Drunk Shane showed up. Drunk Shane is the town drunk and loves my family for some reason. I am always nice to him, but I felt it was disrespectful for him to show up drunk. And then he wanted to hug everybody, and he is one of those drunks that stink with it. Fortunately he left before anybody got physical with him. He used to work for my brother.

I saw cousins, and old friends I haven't seen in years and then there are those who know you and you don't know them.........A good looking old gal came up to me and said, "You don't remember me do you?" and I said, "Sure I do, I remember all of the good looking gals". Satisfied, she turned to my wife introduced herself, (I didn't recognize her name) and turned to my 12 year old and said, "Your dad used to snore behind me in Language Class in High School". Now wait a minute...Yes, I used to sleep through Language Class and I might have snored......But..Dammit! I do not recall a single good looking gal in Language class.........

This is turning into a book, and I need to step outside....Book 1, Chapter 2:

We left the funeral home around 9:30 yesterday morning. The procession traveled 16 miles to the church in Galesburg, IL. I haven't ran so many stop signs and red lights since I ran from the cops when I was 17, but that is a different story. I was very surprised at how many vehicles pulled off to the side so we could pass by while we were on the interstate. A few passed us, but as I was to the rear I could see many more who stayed behind in my mirror and then a big truck blocked the passing lane. I knew that while on the 2 lane, people would and I always have showed respect. I didn't expect it on the 4 lane.

The service was held at Mom and Dad's church (Catholic). It was, what it was, just a normal Catholic Funeral Service. Leo Ramers sang and played Ave Maria on the churches Pipe Organ. It was one of Mom's favorites and it was amazing. Everybody was dressed sharply, even the kids and nobody was drunk. I thought it odd that my brother MGySgt Robert D. Hays USMC (Ret.) wore his dress blues. After the Service, the Honor Guard was waiting, outside in the rain, One was inside and he removed the Cover that the church had put on Mom's casket and replaced it with the American Flag. As they removed the Flag and while they were folding it my brother snapped a salute. It was well done, timed correctly and I was touched by it. And I understood. Thanks Gunny!

Afterwards, we all trekked back to Monmouth and met at the American Legion for the Reception. It was a Polish Funeral as Mom was Half Polish, and the reception was no different, Lot's of food and booze...but no Polka Band...I was looking forward to the Polka Band but Dad couldn't find one in Rural Illinois..... I was think Mariachi was pretty close and we have lots of Mexicans, but I kept it to myself.

I heard lots of stories about my mom's life, some I have heard before and some were new.

I heard how she'd grown up on the mountain when she was young, playing in the woods, swinging from the trees, and building Forts out of trees that her and her brothers had cut down. She was a tomboy who hung out with the guys and never dated anybody in High School and was preparing for becoming a nun, something she had wanted to do since she was a little girl. Uncle Steve told of when they were teenagers and they'd all get together and go to Philadelphia every Saturday night and go dance on American Bandstand and while it was still just a "Local" TV Show. Nobody was really sure why she joined the Army, but she met dad there and then things changed for her. No more plans for Nun-hood (or whatever you call it) and they were married a couple of years later.
Uncle Steve also said she was one of those little girls who liked to fight and she was well known for beating up a few boys who over stepped their boundaries.

Well, that's my Mom. She raised lots of kids, all of her own and many that were not. 2 of Aunt Theresa's kids after she died, and most of the old neighborhood kids. She was always quick to punish when we were wrong, and would stand up for us when we weren't.

The pain of losing mom has diminished some, but I know I'll never not miss her. Her Birthday and holidays will be tough from now on, especially the ones coming. I think we'll leave a chair open for her.

Oh and one last story from my youth:

It was July 1972. We'd been having some rain and then we had a few hours of clear weather and my cousin Julius, brother Robert, sister Ann Marie and myself decided to go for a bike ride. We were bored and I was the oldest at age 11 so it was probably my idea. We all rode down to Wyoming, PA and found this low spot that was full of water, and we thought it would be allot of fun to ride our bikes into it. It wasn't very deep and we all got into a wrestling match-up in the water. Needless to say we got pretty muddy and wet, and we could tell more rain was coming, so we rode home, unaware that not all was good.
When we got home, mom took one look at us and got angry. I don't remember how it all transpired but she packed each of us a suitcase and told us to get out, and not come home. She was trying to make a point, but we took her seriously. So, we headed out through the woods, and had a Pow-wow while we were there. We decided that we should go to the river, so that we could fish for food and we could build Tee-Pees from God knows what and live the life of Indians.
We walked and the rain came. and it rained hard. Very hard. We walked for what seemed like hours and may have been, until we got to Wyoming Ave. As we prepared to craoos the Avenue, I spotted Mom's van coming down the road, and we all hid and she drove by. We crossed the Avenue after she'd gone a couple of blocks past and I guess she spotted us in her mirror. We were very close to our destination, and we were also close to the Monument that was there for the Wyoming Valley Massacre and I really wanted my siblings to see that Monument, and we standing there when mom pulled right up in the grass and she was very frantic AND WE WEREN'T EVEN IN TROUBLE ANYMORE!!

We were not aware that Hurricane Agnes had come to town that day (By then it was Tropical Storm Agnes). But Mom was and she had heard all the Warning for the Flood that was to come on the radio in the van. It was the worst flood in the History of the US up to that time. The Susquehanna River, normally 4 or 5 feet deep, and 100 yards or so wide, was more then 40 feet deep and filled the valley at 5 miles wide.
The water was higher during last weeks flood, but the damage isn't even close because they put the Flood Control System in.

[X-Rated]

Well, it is all done. The whole thing happened so quickly, and while I was unprepared for that, it is better for Mom that she did not linger. While she was unresponsive she kept making short moaning noises like those I would imagine somebody who was in pain might make but the Hospice Nurse said that she was aware of our presence and could hear everything we said to her, and that was her way of responding....I'm not sure I believe that, but I am holding on to it.

I guess I was wrong about her serving in Korea also. She enlisted in the Army after the Korean War. Dad served in Korea and met Mom at Fort Meade in Maryland where she was working on the early computers for the Government and she wasn't a Sergeant either but was a Corporal. I guess I should have listened closer when I was a Boy.

The Visitation:

People came from PA (Her brother Steve and his wife Sue), Texas, Louisiana, North Carolina (My bother Robert and his wife Cathy), Iowa, and all over Illinois. I was good to see everybody, but I really wish it could have been for another reason.

Uncle Steve and I finally buried the hatchet after 37 years (I nearly killed my cousin in 1978 because he stole from me and then he started a fight when cornered. He was Uncle Steve's favorite and Uncle Steve only heard one side of the story). So, finally that is behind us.

Drunk Shane showed up. Drunk Shane is the town drunk and loves my family for some reason. I am always nice to him, but I felt it was disrespectful for him to show up drunk. And then he wanted to hug everybody, and he is one of those drunks that stink with it. Fortunately he left before anybody got physical with him. He used to work for my brother.

I saw cousins, and old friends and then there are those who know you and you don't know them.........A good looking old gal came up to me and said, "You don't remember me do you?" and I said, "Sure I do, I remember all of the good looking gals". Satisfied, she turned to my wife introduced herself, (I didn't recognize her name) and turned to my 12 year old and said, "Your dad used to snore behind me in Language Class in High School". Now wait a minute...Yes, I used to sleep through Language Class and I might have snored......But..Dammit! I do not recall a single good looking gal in Language class.........

This is turning into a book, and I need to step outside....Much more to follow.

books are good.

[KA9MOT]

Thanks you all for all the kindness you've shown. My initial concern and the reason I posted here was to learn how painful this would be for her. Thankfully they tell me she was pretty comfortable. The last day was the toughest for me. I sat a listened to her struggle to breath and the terrible sounds she was making really had me upset. Then on Saturday I called my dad's phone and mom answered it, and it was a real shocker. I had forgotten she had set his voice-mail up for him. So, I called it back.