h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm not around here much lately ... numerous reasons for that, but one of them is, my dad is doing badly, and I'm spending much of my time just sitting by his bedside. He's been for tests last week, and now the cancer is in his brain as well. He's feeling extremely down. He's also very weak. He's been struggling with things like nausea and a poor appetite ... he's lost a heck of a lot of weight and is looking very emaciated ... intense pain in his back and legs ... nosebleeds ... mental confusion ... almost no 'will' at all (he does almost *nothing*, just lies in bed) ... and while there are occasional periods when he's doing better, he seems on the decline now. In his estimation, it can't last much longer ... it seems to me so as well. So my mom and I are going to try and make his last days as comfortable as possible.

He will receive treatment ... radiation therapy for the brain cancer, *and* chemotherapy for the other cancers ... frankly, we dont' know how well this will work. Last time he got chemo, he started out in much better shape, and the chemo wore him down and tired him out a lot. So now, he starts, in really bad shape ... what will the 'treatment' do to him now?

Oh well, we'll just have to see.

Willem, I am so sorry. Thank you for updating us, I had been wondering as you know. A friend of ours had chemo towards the end which made him very ill. He would rather have just faded away than go through that but his son was desperate to try and keep him alive.

I sometimes think it is best to just let them go, however hard it might be for those left behind.

All I can say is good luck, and send you a from all of us. We are here if you need to unload your thoughts and feelings. It's a tough time.



Websailor

Hi Willem and Pa and Ma,

Fondest Love and Prayers with you all.

Christiane and Keith.

10/I/2010 12.57 GMT

Hi Willem,

D and I are thinking of you at this difficult time. I am sorry about those draconion treatment measures. It is not as though there isn´t a happier place to go for folks on the other side. I wish the white coats didn´t always feel that life here is better no matter what the quality of that life is.

Elektra and Dmitri

I am very sorry to hear this my friend .

My thoughts are with you at this difficult time.

Take care of yourself.

Nigel

I'm so sorry. Thinking of you and sending my love.

Hello folks and thanks for all your comments!

Elektra and Dmitri, it's not the 'white coats' who are insisting my dad get the treatment. He's free to refuse. But without treatment his problems are going to become utterly nightmarish, and very soon. Its' my sister, my mother, and myself who are insisting he get treatment. It might truly enhance his quality of life over the foreseeable future ... but still, like I said, I am also concerned about it and I'm not sure how well he would handle it. One can only try, and hope.

Sorry to hear about this.

Thinking of you and your Mom and Dad.



Websailor