I've been meaning to write a blog ever since my father was diagnosed, but as often happens, things get in the way. Firstly, heres a brief introduction to whats happened so far.
My father was a fit, (fairly) heathly 80 year old. He'd kept active and trim, he only vice being the occasional whisky and travel, mostly on cruises. After the freezing cold winter of 2010, he went, with my mother, on a last minute cheapy cruise around the Canary Islands. Whilst on the ship, he didnt feel too well and my mother ate on her own for a couple of nights.
On their return to the UK, I met them at the airport and realised that something was very wrong. My fathers speach was slurred and his words (usually eloquent) were random and nonsensical. As I tried to make sense of what he was saying, I got thinking about the causes and narrowed it down to a small stroke, which was confirmed by his GP and a hospital visit a few days later.
He was given a very strict diet to follow as there was some concerns about his chloesterol levels and I was pleased to see he stuck by it too. Fairly soon afterwards, however, the frustration with his poor speach, plus his rapidly failing eyesight, indicated that something far worse was going on. His GP, concerned about his deteriation, got him admitted to Luton and Dunstable Hospitals Stroke unit in early April. After tests, they confirmed that, alongside the stroke, they found a Brain tumour, which was inoperable.
The Hospital, together with the Royal Free in London, decided that the best course of action was to send him home. No survival time was given, just that being at home would be the best in the long run. In the first few weeks at home, despite the difficulty of poor sight and speach, my Father settled and seemed able to cope. His GP made arrangements for District Nurse and MacMillan visits My father did not appreciate the gravity of his condition despite family and Nursing staff telling him.
Then last week he took another turn for the worse. Ever independent, he could barely get to the toilet without getting very breathless. As he had a GP visit booked, my mother arranged for the GP to do a home visit. Immediately his GP phoned for the paramedics as he suspected heart failure. On arrival at A&E, his breathing was monitored and eventually he was moved to the ACU.
A Consultant spoke to my mother and myself and explained that, following a CT scan they had found a number of clots on his lungs, which was partially the reason for his breathing condition, he also spoke to us about his long term prospects and discussed DNR, which we agreed was the option. Since then he has been moved to an elderly care ward and is on oxygen 24 hours a day.
The medical staff, from Consultants to Nurses, porters and support staff, have all been brilliant and have kept us, his family, up to date and informed. Although I am not a medical person, I can see him slowly slipping away and with every visit I can see a bit more deteriation. For the past two days he seems to have come to terms with his fate and has been calm and subordinate, instead of his usual combatitive self. Whether this is a sign I am not sure.
This has been my first brush with Cancer and this site has been a great information source and the Macmillan staff have offered fantastic support, I will add more updates to this blog and I hope anyone reading this can see that, despite by Fathers impending death, in writing this i want to say that death can be dignified.
