Hospice

The last two days have flown by. On Thursday, the doctors decided that my dad's cancer is very aggressive, and that they are no longer able to treat it with medicine. His symptoms have continued to get worse. He is no longer able to eat or drink, and his neck and extremities are begining to swell again. I have heard that cancer is a gracious disease in that you have time to prepare and say goodbye to the ones you love, and I am thankful we have had that opportunity. On the flip side, he is definitely suffering and it is very difficult for everyone to watch. It is not a way that I would ever want to die. He came home yesterday afternoon to begin hospice care. I had an idea in my head that hospice was this romantic way to die without suffering in the peace and quiet of your own home, but I was very disillusioned, because it is nothing like I invisioned. Yesterday was totally chaotic and exausting trying to take care of my dad and at the same time figuring out the equipment, medications etc. I will spare you all the details, but there is so much to learn, and no grace period. It took six of us working together just to function. It is so wierd when I scroll down in the blog and look at the pictures at Chandler's birthday and Disneyland and think that that was only a little over a month ago. Please pray for all of us.