The Tools of Comfort
A different tool for the trade
Comfort is the name of the game. We are all shocked that this is still going on. Dad has a strong heart and is still young. Not sure what that all means. However, his breathing is still labored and random. When he is sleeping, its actually pretty okay. His kidneys are in the process of shutting down, if they haven’t already.
We use these syringes to get the medicine to go down (Mary Poppins song now in my head…). He can’t swallow or do it himself. So, the skinny one’s work best to get back further in his mouth. You then have to massage his jaw to get the medicine to either absorb or go down his throat. We are keeping up on hourly meds at this point to keep him comforted. Otherwise, he will begin to try and raise both arms. We think that he’s trying to open himself up for more air.
We’ve also taken to leaving him by himself now. Hard, hard to do… But we’ve had several people, including Hospice tell us that some folks just need to be alone to pass.
Photo taken with: Nikon D700, Nikon 60mm f/2.8
DAVID'S PHOTOGRAPHS 
David, Thank you so much for keeping us updated on your dad and for all your stories..I have read them and laughed and cried. I used to work with your dad and he was so very proud of you and Sarah. It makes me so sad to think of this world without him, but he is going to a much better place!! When I think of your dad I smile, so ornery he is. You could hear him jamming in his office in the morning..he loved his music! He worked with my mom for years and he was her boss, so when I was hired on he would call me Junior (knowing I hated being called that) but it was all in fun. Up until the last time I chatted with him on facebook, or when he made comments on my Facebook page he always had to say something about Junior to me, and it always made me laugh. I miss him at work and I will miss him when he is gone..Please let him know we love him!! Our prayers are with you and your family!
Hi David,
Your dad does have a strong heart…..I check your postings throughout the day…waiting….waiting….and then I smile…Tom is so stubborn…he is not going anywhere…it is just not his time…God will take him home…when it is “his” time….on HIS schedule….I am still praying for peace for you and your family..I would not wish this on my worst enemy..but Tom is a close friend….I hope peace comes for your family soon…but most of all – for Tom….I hate the thought of him laying there – half home – half here….wanting to go home….but not wanting to leave his family…
Peace David….I pray for peace……
Jeanna
David,
You don’t know me, but we have so many things in common. My dad also had cancer. He passed away on April 18, 2010. Although I know that he is now in God’s care, it hurts ‘daily’ that I can’t speak to, hug or kiss him. When I was going through the toughest time with my dad, my friend knew about your dad’s diagnosis, but didn’t tell me because she didn’t think that I could handle it. I used to work with your dad, and have mad respect for him. He and I worked on the Ohio Business Gateway project together and shared alot of the same work ethic. He is a hard worker, who likes things done right the first time. I am just like that, so he and I got along GREAT! I haven’t seen your dad since before I left to go take care of my dad (he lived in California and I was out there for several months), but what I do remember from that last time I saw him was that he was happy. He makes retirement look good. He told me that he was enjoying his retirement and being the new Mr. Mom, for his wife and taking care of his grandchild. I also love photography, and did my own Project 365 book last year! It is an amazing way to capture your life and more importantly, an outlet for your feelings and emotions during this troubling time. I pray for you and your family. Be blessed and trust God. Tom is a lover of music and a rock-star to all that know him!
Hi Renee! Thanks so much for the note… Sorry to hear about your dad’s loss. This cancer thing sucks! Dad loved working at the State. He had a ton of great friends that he also talked about all the time. I know that he would have liked to read your note.
How did you like doing the Project365? I am really enjoying it myself… 🙂 Thanks again! David
Hi David,
I, too, worked with your dad, and I have always admired him. His sense of humor and his insistence on honesty are the things that always come to mind when I think of him. He was the first manager to compliment my work — sent me a route slip, which I’ve kept.
I know how hard a time this is for you and your Mom and sister, and the little ones — have been through the same journey– and hope that there are moments of peace for you all, now and in the days to come. Please know that he will always be with you, that loving you all as he has, he cannot simply disappear.
Thank you for taking the time for these updates. More people than you can imagine are with you in spirit, wishing all of you peace and comfort.
I loved Project 365! It is a great feeling when at the end of the year you can take a look back at what you did AND have journaling to express your thoughts and feelings each day, it is awesome. I didn’t do it this year, because it is a big committment (pictures and journaling), but I plan on doing it for 2011.
You will have to share how you got this great blog started. Love it! Post some more old pics of your dad, they are great! I have signed up to receive your daily updates…keep them coming. It helps me keep up with how Tom is doing.