for anyone who maybe didn't happen to know

[derien]

I appreciate all the well-wishes I've received. My father has pancreatic cancer, we have known this for a couple of months and have been spending as much time with him as possible. We haven't been sure as to how long he would last, as he'd been having general systems breakdown for a while. From what I've read, the stopping breathing thing is usually in the later stages. It looks to me as though it's usually the heart or the lungs which stop at last, and given his emphysema from years of smoking I expected it would be his lungs. The main worry I have is that, if it were me, I would hate to get stuck on a respirator and fade out like that, which seems to be what usually happens with the people who stop breathing. The massive heart attack idea sounds preferable to me. I hope he's made some plan, but knowing him he has not, because my Dad has never been any good at thinking about the future. He's a good guy, but, you know, that's just how he is.

So. Yeah. It's not going to get better. I think the best we can hope for is that it will get done without much more discomfort.

I should go update my living will, come to think of it.

Comments

[cyberquail.livejournal.com]

{{hugs}} I'm so glad he's had the chance to have you and your brothers all together so recently. I'm glad of that for you too.

[derien.livejournal.com]

*hugs!* (always helpful.)

[lacrimaeveneris.livejournal.com]

::hugs:: I'm glad you're getting to have some time with him... it's never easy. We're here for you, should you need us.

[derien.livejournal.com]

Thank you. And hugs are always helpful, even the virtual ones. *hugs!*