Really just need some place to vent...and FOFC has always been a great sounding board for that.
Back in late August 2014, my Dad was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. It was out of nowhere, a major shock, and shook my whole family (understandably so). Now, my Dad (who just turned 60 in January) had been smoking since was 14, so that is a major contributor to it - but he also worked in pest control for 27 years, which could have a lot to do with it (and honestly, the doctors said with how advanced it was, it could have been any number of factors). Either way, it was totally unexpected and really rough (to my Dad's credit, the day he found out, he quit smoking cold turkey, hasn't touched one since - granted I am pretty sure my Mom would castrate him if he did, but still). He was forced to retire from his job very abruptly, which he did not take well either. This is a guy that would work 12 - 16 hours days, 7 days a week, and still somehow get up with a smile on his face. So going from that to nothing is really tough.
Since that time, he has undergone a lot of chemo and radiation. It was a rough few months, especially toward the end of the radiation treatment, but he was doing well. He was able to bowl with us during our season after his chemo was done, which was great to see him get out and be active and actually smiling.
Even with all that, the oncologist initially said with as advanced as the cancer was, he'd be lucky to make it a year. My Dad, ever the fighter, said he was determined to make it to my sister's wedding, which is in May 2016.
So he has been off treatment since February, he had his usual scan back in April and everything was still great. However, we all knew that we were basically just waiting for it to come back. Fast forward to last week - my parents went on a vacation with my Mom's sister and her family. They come back on Thursday and my Dad is complaining of major stomach pains, so they brought him into the ER. They admitted him that night, did a bunch of tests - initially thought it might be gall stones, or maybe appendicitis. Everything came back okay for that - and they did a CT to rule out the cancer not coming back. It wasn't back in the lungs, but they found out today that it is back in the liver. The stomach pains were from pancreitis, which they are treating - not sure if that is from the cancer being back or what. And now he is starting to get headaches, so they want to MRI his brain and make sure it is not back there too (since the type of cancer he has is notorious for that, even though he had radiation done on that to hopefully avoid it)
But...yeah. I am just at a loss right now. The worst part is just seeing my Mom so utterly helpless. She is definitely the matriarch of our whole family and to see her so down and defeated, I don't even know what to do. Just keep my Dad and my family in your thoughts and send some good vibes our way. We can certainly use them. And thanks for letting me vent, FOFC
