This post has been a long time coming..... It might be a long one.....
March - August 2023:
Dad has his surgery on the 31st March for his melanoma on his hand, they did a skin graft which didn't take, so took nearly two months to heal, before they could start radiation.
When they did a scan to check his heart and lungs etc for surgery they found a mass on his kidney this was later confirmed as cancer, after another scan.
Radiation started and it was 2 weeks, 5 days a week - with two sessions to go dad had a heart attack that night, I was staying there so got the ambulance out and taken to hospital. I followed the ambulance, as his heart is now to weak from fighting the cancer etc, there was nothing they could do, so the next day was sent home, well he spent the weekend at my sisters and then I came the following week to stay with him.
We finished radiation (the final 2 sessions) the following week. We have had regular doctors visits during this time, both my sister and I shared doing this. The hospital is about 25 minutes from where he lives, I would travel to Katikati from Rotorua which is about an hour and a half away then, take him to Tauranga, back to katiKati, then either stay there or go back to Rotorua that day.
SEPTEMBER:
During a doctor visit they found a lump under his arm, (the same arm as his melanoma surgery on his hand), they ordered another CT scan within a few days and then a pre-assessment appointment to see if he could have the surgery to remove it. We saw the nurse and then met with the anaesthetist, and there was no way he could have the surgery as it was a major surgery - oh and also they found 2 lumps in the lymph-nodes that is cancer..... his heart would not allow it, he would die on the table or even worse have a stroke which would devastate him. If he did happen to have made it through surgery, he would have required six weeks of radiation, five days a week. We saw the radiation department about a week ago, and the doctor had noticed a massive deterioration in dad from 3 weeks earlier, he is very wheezy and said he now has congestive heart failure and no more could be done. They feel his heart will take him out before the cancer and gave us a timeline from anytime now to 6 months, but we can tell his heart is getting worse every week now.
Apart from the house, he now uses a wheelchair and has a mobility card, I go over and take him to get groceries, he also has a mobility card, something even 2 months ago, we thought he would never ever use as he was so independent.... but he is very limited even at home now with what he can do, he even has a house cleaner, again something we never thought he would agree too...... every visit I see him, I wonder if it will be my last visit. He is having trouble sleeping now with his wheeze, and has a really bad cough, we know things are not good.
As some of you know, dad and I had a love/hate relationship, this has brought us much closer together, and even my sister and I are much closer.
Onto other stuff.....
The week before my fathers surgery back in March, in fact about a week before, on a visit to see him, my car broke down the AC f**ked out, this was a long 2 month wait to try and find a rare part with no success we had to get rid of the AC..... then about a week after I got my car back (after paying a huge price for a rental car for the 7 or so weeks, as I needed a rental because of dad - I needed to be able to get there etc.... David had an accident (his fault), wrote of his car and we decided to buy a much better car, after a lot tooing and frowing, we settled on a Toyota Corolla 2021 and the best part it is blue lol, oh and David was fine lol.
Oh also in the same time my car broke down, my daughters car broke down....
About 2 weeks later I put a nice little ding in it, I backed it into the carport and hit the metal pole whoops.....
With everything that has been happening since early March and visiting dad two or more times a week, I have neglected myself, nails has also taken a dive, I just cannot commit to it much at all. But thats ok, cause Dad comes first right now. Today though I am starting back at the gym, and once the school holidays are over I am planning to get back to the pool. I am so nervous and oh and my second knee is now clapping out but to be honest with winter I was surprised how well the knees were doing. Weight is still the same, managed to keep the 23 - 25 kilos of.... god knows how.
I am shit scared about going back to they gym, I had put the membership on hold till now. I still talk to dad on Skype everyday when I don't visit, so will go after that about 9.30 - 10.00ish.
To take my mind off things, I have got into the Xbox, doing gaming, it has been a nice distraction through this time lol.
So I think thats it, for now, I really hope to update more often... wish me luck at the gym lol
I just randomly checked your blog and there you were, a new update! That's sad about your Dad and all that is involved with the radiation and heart etc. Watching a loved one die is awful. I love the car but not the new dent :) I have to confess that I put a little dent in the front of my car too when backing our of our garage... damn. Anyway nice to read you news.
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