Up all night . . . - Motorcycle-Journal Forums

themeatmanlandry · 03-21-2007, 08:01 AM

As I mentioned in another thread, my father-in-law has been battling pancreatic cancer for a little over 1.5 years. He was told he had six months to live almost 20 months ago. He recently started "the decline" and now has pneumonia.

He went to the hospital Sunday morning and was admitted. We all got called at work yesterday because he was incoherent. He had been doing *fairly* well (all things considered) the day before.

I volunteered to stay last night and make sure he has someone there to help him keep his oxygen mask on, put water in his mouth and stay on top of the nurses (

), so I am on NO sleep. I mean none. I had duty Monday night and the guy I bunked with talked until almost midnight. I got up around 0445 hrs.

I volunteered to stay because I'm pretty sure that he's not going to pass until sometime in April (if then) and I thought that his kids (my wife and her brother) should rest up in the beginning of this thing because they are going to want to stay with him later . . . you know, as he gets closer to the end.

Anyway, I'm now on what I call "fireman's time" where you are walking around in a zombie-like state, with zero concentration. Niiiice.

He has really kicked cancer's ass up to this point, but I can plainly see that the end is nearing. By God, pancreatic cancer wasn't counting on Ret. Chief Harry M. Crawford when it came to town. He has really responded to treatment. A guy at work's mother got that crap and she died 6 weeks later. I seem to remember that pancreatic cancer has like a 2-3% survival rate at one year. He's done well.

He was a crew chief on a P-3 Orion II subchaser, and before that he was assigned to a P-2 squadron (the p-3 replaced the P-2). Anyway, he's a great guy. He gave me the greatest gift I've ever received . . . his daughter. For that I can't thank him enough.