The Last Post

robgreenwood · New User Joined: 23 Mar 2006 Posts: 5

It's been a few weeks since I posted so I thought I would update what has happened since then as things have certainly moved along. But first a brief history and a thankyou to everyone that took the time to respond to my posts and share their experiences and thoughts, it really has helped. The anonymity of these forums does provide a way of asking questions you may not ask someone face to face.

Mid Feb 2006 my father began to lose his voice and had lost a stone in weight, he went to see a GP and was told he had severe laryngitis (spelling??). That was the voice problem and the weight was could be attributed to not eating as well as he should.

Late Feb 2006 he had to go to the hospital on an urelated matter. His voice had not improved and a doctor asked what the problem was. They explained what the GP had told them. The doctor took a look and noticed his vocal chords not functioning as normal and suggested a CT scan to find what the problem was. Laryngitis was not the problem.

March 22nd he had his scan and returned for the results to the Ear, Nose and Throat dept at the hospital. The doctor told him that the problem with his voice was not a throat problem but appeared to be a tumour in his lung pressing against the nerves serving his vocal chords and he would need to see a lung specialist the following week.

March 31st he went to see the lung specialist. He was told that the cancer was beyond a treatable point and had spread beyond his lungs and into the lympf nodes. The doctor called me (as I couldn't attend) to explain that all they could realistically offer was pallative care and to expect no more than two months. I went to see dad, he walked out to my car, we went for a drive. He was weak but could still interact with everyone.

Pallative care was gradually increased to 24 hour care and a nurse would sit throughout the night with him at home.

He was now beginning to hallucinate, unable to speak bearly having the strength to move.

14th April - Good Friday - First time I'd seen dad since March 31st. This was a shadow of the man I'd seen two weeks earlier who needed constant 24 hour care (he was still at home). We took the decision the admit him to a Marie Curie Hospice. The doctor at the hospice saw him and told us that he had a chest infection and that he was in his final days. Not long after that he was sedated. The most restful he'd been in weeks.

15th April - 10:40am - He drew his final breath, myself and my sister were with him. He hadn't woken up since being sedated. He was 79.

All in all it was approx six weeks from first symptoms to death, three weeks after the lung cancer diagnosis.

The reason I'm posting this sad tale is mainly for carers and other family members. Don't assume that once the diagnosis is known that there's plently of time, there may be, but in my case not at all. There is hope in these cases, but you may also need to accept the inevitable outcome and prepare yourself. My family assumed a miracle cure would come along, which made it all the harder for them at the end. The speed of my fathers demise was a veiled blessing.

24th April - Cremated at a funeral we all expected but not that soon.

Good health to you all

Rob

MPapailiou · Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 3:43 am Post subject: Re: The Last Post

Dear Rob,
I'm really sorry for your loss and I wish you and your family strength. Thanks so much for sharing all these with us. I'm sure your father is in a much better place right now and will keep living in your memories for ever.
Be well,
Mandy

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