Chemotherapy with my Father

October 23rd, 2008

... or the one about a few hours spent finally getting to know my father.

For those of you who didn’t know, my father was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer back in May this year. I came home for a long weekend after I found the news, courtesy of a very understanding boss. It wasn’t long enough, and it was all so new that nothing was really different. His mind was still sharp as he hadn’t started chemo, and he as still doing things around the house himself. Move forward till now, he’s quiet, his logic is questionable (and my father is a very, very intelligent man) and his one concern is fighting it and staying alive. Now I’m home for two weeks, and spending lots of time with dad. The sad part is that he doesn’t want to go do anything, but he didn’t before he got sick. He lives all inside his own head, and it’s been that way for a long time. I can tell he’s only angry and scared not for the future but because of the loss of control he has over his own life, and the loss of energy.

Tuesday of this week, I accompanied him and my mother to Geisinger hospital in Danville, PA. These pictures are of a man with the stubbornness of 1000 mules and who does not know how to fail at anything. I am his son, these are my pictures.

View the entire set on Flickr.

Give them hell, mam

The Poison I can still laugh "that awful machine" All done, get me out of here Drip

One Response to “Chemotherapy with my Father”

  1. Dana Says:

    I’m glad that you shared these…they says a great deal about your feelings for your dad. I wouldn’t mess with him. ;)

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