pharmvet
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2008
- Messages
- 533
- Location
- North East TX
- Tractor
- Ford 7710 II FWA, NH TB110 FWA w/ NH 46LB loader, JD 5303 2wd w/ loader
My dad died Wednesday and be buried him today. He was 73 years old. He was in poor health. He got adult diabetes 20 years ago. 10 years ago he had open heart bypass surgery. A little over 2 years ago his kidneys failed and he began dialysis. He tried peritoneal dialysis but was unsuccessful. Surgeons put a shunt in his arm but it cut off the circulation to his hand to the point where he was afraid he would loose his index finger. From then on, they used a central line. He received dialysis at the health center for a while and them my mother took training so that she could do it at home. For the past year and a half, my mother performed hemo-dialysis on him right there in the house 6 days a week (she was his rock to the very end.) She cared for him better than anyone could have done. I have no doubt that without her devoted care, he would have died 10 years ago. His eyesight was failing, his feet hurt all the time and he was really having a hard time getting around. He had about 15 % cardiac function. His mind stayed sharp till the end. I got him a nice heated vibrating recliner for Christmas because he had to spend so much time there for dialysis. Wednesday also happened to be my mothers birthday. He got up that morning and told my mother that he did not want her to have to cook breakfast on her birthday so he went to the coffee shop for breakfast. He and my mother ate lunch together at Sub-way . We were all planning to go out to a steakhouse that night for my mothers birthday and told her that he wanted to take a nap before we all went out. He and my mother got in their recliners and went to sleep. My mother woke up and got up cleaning the kitchen. She was taking out some scraps when she noticed he wasn't breathing. She attempted CPR but she new he was already gone. I got the call everyone hates about 3:00 pm.
Because of his chronic poor health, I have been trying to prepare for this day. I have been running different scenarios of how it might happen through my mind for quite some time. I have been thinking that I would be ok, but that I would have to really take care of my mother (I'm an only child)
Although I knew this was coming, I did not think it would happen Wednesday afternoon at 2:30. I always assumed I would have more warning.
Now I am hurting more than I ever thought I would. I loved him dearly and he was the best father I could have ever wanted. I feel completely lost and the best way to say it is that I feel like I have lost my safety net in life. I depended so much on his advice and judgement. At 42 with a family of my own, I did not realize how dependent I was on him emotionally. I have so many great memories of him and I can only hope to be half the father to my kids that he was to me. I love and miss him dearly.
Here is a picture of him with my oldest son (His Namesake) at a controlled burn we conducted back in March. Recently he had been teaching my son to drive his truck in the pasture.
Because of his chronic poor health, I have been trying to prepare for this day. I have been running different scenarios of how it might happen through my mind for quite some time. I have been thinking that I would be ok, but that I would have to really take care of my mother (I'm an only child)
Although I knew this was coming, I did not think it would happen Wednesday afternoon at 2:30. I always assumed I would have more warning.
Now I am hurting more than I ever thought I would. I loved him dearly and he was the best father I could have ever wanted. I feel completely lost and the best way to say it is that I feel like I have lost my safety net in life. I depended so much on his advice and judgement. At 42 with a family of my own, I did not realize how dependent I was on him emotionally. I have so many great memories of him and I can only hope to be half the father to my kids that he was to me. I love and miss him dearly.
Here is a picture of him with my oldest son (His Namesake) at a controlled burn we conducted back in March. Recently he had been teaching my son to drive his truck in the pasture.
