January 10, 2011
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The Daily News
1 There are places I remember...
2 Okay, so this is my second attempt at writing this. I had around twenty-nine items already written, but I punched some button or other, and all of it vanished.
3 Not easy, considering the topic.
4 The topic is this: On Friday night, I got a call from my brother-in-law Chris that my Dad was rushed to the VA hospital in San Francisco. He was having trouble breathing, and it turned out that he had fluid in his lungs.
5 I wanted to go up, but Chris reassured me that he was okay, in good hands, and that I could go up Saturday.
6 I slept, but not much on Friday night. I was a wreck, because my Dad has bone cancer, diabetes, and a bunch of other ridiculous things.
7 And this one puzzled me. My sister Gayle was convinced that his kidneys have finally failed, and she was right.
8 Not good, not good.
9 I got up on Saturday, and he looked absolutely awesome. Caitlin had come down to choose flowers for her wedding, so we went there first, and then flew up to the hospital.
10 So we were all there for him, and he held court like the charming prince he is.
11 He smiled, cajoled, and made all of us laugh.
12 Yesterday, he woke up completely confused and messed up. He tore wires off himself, and cut himself by ripping wires out of his body. Fortunately, he was in the hospital, and they calmed him, allowed him some time to settle in, and was once again himself.
13 I didn't know that until I got to the hospital and saw Chris in the parking lot. He warned me to be prepared, that Dad didn't look good at all.
14 By the time I got to his room, he was cleaned up, smiling, and engaged in watching playoff football, as though nothing ever happened.
15 He's a fighter, man.
16 And the fighter still remains.
17 The day went well, with the doctor coming in and telling us some raw truths, but some decisions that he understood, and that we understood.
18 The best part was that Dad still flirted with the nurses and was totally focused on football, both of which I felt put him in much better health!
19 It was a wonderful day and afternoon, culminating in a gorgeous sunset over Ocean Beach in San Francisco, and a feeling that things are okay, at least for now.
20 He wants like heck to get out, and to enjoy my cousin's birthday party this coming Saturday in San Francisco!
21 Yeah, I'd love to say that it's that easy, but we all know what's coming.
22 But there was also a beautiful understanding that what will be will be.
23 I love my daddy.
24 Know why?
35 Because he's my daddy, and without a doubt the classiest, most wonderful person in my life, bar none.
36 And he's still alive, and still funny and still remarkable.
37 I want all of you to know this about this absolutely incredible man. He crashed in a small plane when I was little. The pilot and co-pilot both died. My Dad's feet were crushed, and he and his best friend lived. He's had prostate cancer, bone cancer, diabetes, was hit by a car while mo-pedding in Tahoe, and now is going through kidney failure. There's WAY more, but you can see he is a fighter.
38 We walk through life taking so much for granted.
39 Our school, or our work, or our nonsense always seems to get in the way of real living.
40 I won't go on, because anyone with a half a brain knows this anyway.
41 It's now cliche', but John Lennon always knew how to put it best: Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.
42 As I recall, his favorite song that he ever penned was In My Life.
43 Anyway, the word on Dad is kidney failure, and what to do. We are leaning towards what is in his best interests, and I think he would rather not get hooked up to nonsensical machines that might change the status of his bone cancer. It has stayed non-aggressive, and dialysis could change that rather swiftly.
44 If the thunder don't get you then the lightning will, you know?
45 Anyway, we had a nice day watching the Packers/Eagles' game. The Packers were always one of his favorite teams.
46 It was funny, because he was calling GREAT plays and commenting perfectly on every single situation. Bright lights and smiles the entire afternoon.
47 The doctor came in and was simply awesome. He checked in on Dad around six times yesterday, and was extraordinarily gentle and frank about everything. There will be no dialysis this stay, and that made Dad pretty darned happy.
48 He saw a friend go through dialysis, with the friend finally ripping all that stuff off, and relaxing before he passed on gracefully.
49 It's rough, especially for the grandchildren, and for my own, Caitlin and Nicoley.
50 But that's what their own generation refers to as the Circle of Life.I guess that's part of my own generation as well. We are all one, really.
51 It's 4:30 in the a.m. as I write this out, so I just want to thank everyone for all the prayers and thoughts. It means a lot to me and to my family.
52 Gottago. I'd like to throw out a special happy birthday to Thuy Ann AND to Trinh, two awesome people who have listened to my episodes on all of this stuff over the years. Hope you both have a wonderful day!
53 And for everyone else, thank you all once again, on behalf of my entire family.
54 Thank you.
55 Peace.
~H~
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