Like many other I was ROBBED by CANCER... I wish I could say I was not one of the many who is affected by cancer! :( sadly the impact that had on my life changed it forever.
May 2001 I had just discovered I was expecting my 2nd child after trying for almost a year. The excitement of that news was short lived because the news we received shortly after was that my dad was diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer. We were very optimistic in the beginning, radiation and chemo therapy started shortly after diagnosis. I tried to spend all the time I could at my parents house. Grateful that I lived close enough to do so. Fighting my dad for the bathroom him being sick with chemo and me morning sickness... Lucky for me mine would subside, he was not as lucky. He would say this chemo is killing everything good and bad in my body. He was hooked up to a stomach port for feeding because nothing tasted good due to the radiation he said everything tasted like metal and could care less if he ate. So port went into his stomach that we could hook to a machine to feed him a can that would give him nourishment. He would get so annoyed because a soda can size would take 2 hours to pump in. While I was growing my dad was shrinking and eventually lost all his hair.
January 2002 we were blessed with our 2nd daughter, looking back at all the photos I am saddened because my dad refused to be photographed because he did not want us to remember him looking like a cancer patient. So thank you Cancer for stealing that moment from me...
Treatment continued but my dad seemed to get worse and worse by May (1 year after diagnosis) he was to the point of not being able to walk anymore and was In so much pain. My husbands job required Him to leave for training for 12 weeks only coming home on weekends. Leaving me with 2 small children and a dad who was now no longer battling cancer but dying from it.
After a new scan it was discovered that the cancer in the esophagus was no longer present but the cancer had spread to his bones. It was now everywhere. They could continues a more aggressive chemo but this would not save his life at this point nothing would. This chemo would only allow him more time.
My dad chose to not do anymore treatments he chose quality over quantity of time.
So what exactly did cancer rob from me you ask? That awful no good disease referred to as CANCER took my dad at age 47, the memories that could have, would have, and should have been made between father and daughter, and grandpa and grandkids. Even if he would not allow us to take pictures of him during his cancer treatment and final days you can never erase from your memory. What cancer does to the body, he may have saved that image for future generations but for those of us that watched that battle from May 2001-August 2002 I know exactly what cancer did to him. It humbled him took away his dignity, his hair, his body deteriorated from a 6'4 260 lb. man to maybe 110 lbs skin hanging from bone and muscle completely void from the big strong body that once existed. We sat back helpless and watch the color and life drain from him. Cancer left a void and sadness that can never be replaced.
I HATE you cancer and will never forgive you for what you ROBBED from me!!!
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