Making A Favorite Memory With Dad

My father was diagnosed with grade 4 glioblastoma the day after Easter 2014.  He and Mom had been in the Keys with friends on Easter when he suffered from a grand mal seizure. He was air lifted to Miami.  A friend drove mom up to the hospital.  My sisters, brother and I all flew in to be there for his brain surgery.  We were all there when the Dr. gave us the news.  With my job I new immediately what the diagnosis meant. Only 2% of glio patients live 12-15 months after diagnosis.  We all take turns flying out to see dad and the whole family got together for Christmas here in KC.

It's been 16 months.  Last week I went for a quick trip, Thursday - Saturday, to see him.  He can no longer walk, he doesn't talk much maybe two or three words at a time and his short term memory is all but gone.  Dad's long term memory is sharp.  He introduced my youngest sister and I to the staff and even told them where we were from Kansas and New York.   We watched a John Wayne marathon, he remembered actors names and he would quote lines before John Wayne would speak. We took him outside each day for fresh air and some quiet as his roommate is a talker.

As the fates would have it I got caught up in the East Coast FAA computer shut down Saturday and was rescheduled to head home Monday.  I was sad that I would miss college move in for the girls, but my hubby assured me they could handled it. I knew they could, I just wanted to be there.  I believe everything happens for a reason. My sister picked me back up from the airport and we headed back to hang out with dad.  If I had flown home on time I would have missed what has turned out to be my favorite memory from our visit.  Dad is ornery and loves to play with the call button.  This time my sister told him he looked like he was ready to sing karaoke.  He smiled, with a twinkle in his eye and we asked him to sing for us.  To our surprise he held the call button up to his face and sang a line of "You've Lost That Loving Feeling". We all clapped and the smile on his face was priceless.  Him being a Marine and us being Top Gun fans, it was the perfect song.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVNWSEX-WqU&list=RDHVNWSEX-WqU