Dad's Illness and Time Off

Here's a pic of my Dad and me at Easter, hamming it up at in my parent's living room.

As many of you know, Hobba's been fighting small cell lung cancer since May. And what a trooper he has been! He's had chemo and radiation since.

The day his hair fell out he said to me, "Daughter, look!", and he took off his hat,"I went into the shower a young man and came out an old-I'm bald!" We giggled.

"At least your head is a nice shape", my husband chimed in. We giggled some more.

The tumor, luckily, was in his bronchial tube. They said it may not have been detected otherwise (as it left a shadow on an x-ray) until it was possibly too late. He had gone to the doctor as he was coughing quite a bit and thought he may have had pneumonia. The radiation treatment appears to have "burned" his esophagus. He is having a hard time eating and keeping things down. He's been in and out of the hospital and has had a number of transfusions.

I believe in positive thought and we have kept a positive atmosphere for him with my Mom leading the way. We talk about the T bone steak we'll go out for as soon as he can eat a good meal. We discuss all the pasta meals my Mom will make: beans and escarole, lasagna, pasta fazuli...(that'll make you well!).

When he was in the hospital last week my son called him and asked if he needed anything. He wanted his flower beds weeded. My son and brother went over to my parent's house and spent the afternoon completing the task! He was relieved and happy. Funny the things you think about when you are lying flat on your back!

I believe so strongly he'll be OK. The doctors feel he is doing well and these after effects of the chemo and radiation are all to be expected.

But I think I am going to take the week off from blogging, spend time with my family...my son leaves again for college Sat. and I want to get over to my parents a little more this week before the girls are back at school and my son is gone.

Thanks for your kind thoughts...some people have even emailed to send good thoughts my way and I cannot tell you how special that was to me! Enjoy your week! :0)