As many of you know, I did not have a close relationship with my dad but we had started working on our relationship a couple of months ago. A few weeks ago I took Em to see him (which I had done a few times over the past couple of months) but this trip I was different. I also took him a letter that I had written to let him know that I forgave him, and love him. I left the letter to read, but have heard for several that he did in fact read that letter. I knew that God was giving mydad another chance as well as my self. My dad had battled cirrhosis for over 15 years, and had been faced with death a lot of times during those years. At one point he was in a coma and not expected to make it through, but he fought his way out. During all of those years when God, Salvation, or anything dealing with religion was brought up he would disregard it.
On September 3rd, a wonderful man from my church went to talk to my dad, and my dad was SAVED! This was such a relief because before that we didn't know where he stood with God. It has since been said that God gave him chance after chance to be saved and that is why he had been able to fight through the sickness for so long.
On October 3 the doctor decided dialysis was no longer working and said that would be his last treatment. After an hour of dialysis my dad took himself off and decided to stop dialysis at that point. The doctors told us that if my dad was unable to make the decision we would have to decide if he went back to the nursing home, or to Hospice House. Hospice House was full, so we had to plan on the nursing home. He was taken back to the nursing home on Monday October 6th.
Ray and I took turns visiting but both of us would go at night. On Monday night (10/6) my dad was alert, talking, and picked up his Bible to read it. That was the only time in my life I saw my dad read the Bible. He told me when I left that he wanted me to bring him a biscuit the next morning. Side note I also saw a black bear on my way home which tickled me!
October 7 - I took his biscuit by, he was some what alert but nothing like the night before. He kept going to sleep while I was there, so I left for him to rest. Ray went around lunch and said he wasn't responding, just sleeping the entire time he was there. That night Ray asked me if I was okay going by myself so he could have some down time. On the way there I had a sense come over me that it would be the last night I would be making this trip. When I got there he was not responsive, and sleeping. He would begin coughing so I tried to give him some drink, and he couldn't hold the can up to drink from it. The only time he was vocal that night was to tell me that he loved me! As soon as I left I sent Steve a text that simply read "it is amazing what God gives you".
Wednesday morning around 2:30 he was transported to Annie Penn Hospital for what the nursing home thought was congestion, but it was the fluid building up in his lungs. He was never responsive or vocal. Tony arrived from Florida around 10 am, so all of us and our Grandfather and Uncle were with us. He passed away peacefully surrounded by family at 12 noon.
I know some of you wondered about a funeral - my dad decided to donate his body to science so we had no formal funeral. Once we receive his ashes back we will plan a memorial service.
Thank you again for all of your thoughts, prayers, and kind words. This was harder than I ever imagined it being, but I am thankful that God gave myself and my dad another chance before he was called home. Yesterday was 3 months since he passed, and we are beginning to to plan the Memorial Service which we hope he would be proud of.
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