June 7, 2017
A few months ago when a doctor told me very frankly that my father had a life expectancy of six weeks, I did not cry. I was too shocked. I had been given similar news by doctors before, but my father had been too healthy (and too stubborn) to succumb. Standing in that hospital room and looking at him as the doctor explained things though, I knew that this time would be different. He’d declined tests and every kind of therapy offered. Overall he seemed very tired.
That same week my mother made the difficult decision to place him in a skilled nursing facility under hospice care. I talked to my father and explained what would be happening. After I answered his questions about the location of the facility, he seemed to perk up. He even talked about getting a motorized wheelchair so that he could go outside for fresh air once Spring arrived. I wasn’t quite sure what the next season would bring, but I believed that he would live through the month of June, his birth month. It was just a few months away, and it was a milestone birthday for him. 60.
The next couple of weeks seemed to collide into a pile of meetings and visits and discussions. About a week and a half after the doctor gave the poor prognosis, my father was transferred to a skilled nursing facility. I prepared my mind for what I thought would be a months long journey with lots of late days and him fussing to go back home to his TV and music. But each day seemed the equivalent of a week in terms of his condition worsening. It was a little under two weeks when he began his transition.
This weekend my father would have turned 60 years old. I feel that he’s very much still with me and a part of my life. He LOVED music, and had an ear for many genres of it. Now that he is gone, I find comfort and happiness in listening to different songs that we enjoyed during our time together. This Saturday, I’ll be sharing links throughout the day to 60 of his favorite songs. Yes, 60! So please join me on Facebook throughout the day to listen to some great music. And you can feel free to share some of your favorite songs with the group as well. Until then,
Take Care.
D. Southern
Caregivers' Village 