It was Tuesday evening, January 6th, 2009
My own little girls were on a scheduled visit with their father for a few hours and I was at my parents along with my sister eating tacos, all four of us together, at their "breakfast" table.
My Dad was feeling good, he was already on his second taco, I was filming him telling some of his favorite memories and his eyes were dancing in response to the joy he had for life, for us, for the memories he was sharing, for the time we were presently having...
The "C-word" was still looming, but the hope we had discovered that day had lifted enough for us to be able to breathe again a bit...it felt so good to have even just a glimmer of hope again...we could smile now, even laugh, really enjoy each other's presence.
Ironically hope actually had been found online, frantic googling for a glimmer of it was ultimately successful! For just hours earlier I had stumbled upon this term we'd all never heard of before called Palliative Care.
As it turned out, platelets were NOT THE ONLY thing that could be done for my Dad! There were other options, clearer directions, definite comfort for his pain, even potential treatments available for the man who supposedly had none.
Palliative Care had given us some hope back that day, the mere knowledge of it alone provided such an immeasurable gift of healing to our pain laden hopeless hearts.
My Dad died five days later, but those all too brief moments of hope, I will always cherish.
I carry them in my heart today and even now, just over a week since he moved to Heaven, they are somewhat able to soothe the intense pain of losing him.
If I could live forever in only one moment, it was that one...the moment we found hope again...it's so hard to live without hope...
Please contact your local elected officials today and urge them to increase Palliative Care Awareness via the most effective manner possible.
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