My dad, my hero, my mom, my friend, my cousin, the list goes on.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
By: Lori O'Neill

A brain tumour, who would have ever thought.

My father was diagnosed in June of 2009 with a brain tumour, inoperable, stage 4. Shock doesn't even come close to describing my emotions, fears, questions.... Approximately 7 weeks after his diagnosis, within a snap of a finger, he was gone just short of his 70th birthday. Gone from my sight but reunited with my mom who I lost to lung cancer in June of 1989. What a reunion that must have been. I consider my father one of the rare lucky people who are diagnosed with this disease that he didn't suffer. With his cancer there was memory loss but really no pain. He slept a lot and snored!!! On Monday of this week, I lost a cousin to cancer. Will this ever end? Sometimes I'm so mad at this disease for taking the people I love and then I take a step back and look at how the treatments have evolved over the last 20 years since the passing of my mom. Does it make it any easier? No. The three or four phone calls with my Dad a day will never return. The hugs for his grand daughters are gone; his physical attendance at their special events will be missed. I feel so ripped off, but know that he is in a better place without any pain and with the woman he loved so much. I miss you Dad, I love you Dad, and I think of you everyday in tears, I hope one day, soon, when I think of you, the tears are of joy and not of sadness! I am truly thankful for my family, especially my Aunt's who have held me up strong and supported me during this very sad and dreadful time. I love them.