Well... to say it was an eye-opening experience for me would be the most gross understatement. I stayed strong on the outward appearance, but deep down it absolutely stripped me of my manhood to see my pops' deteriorated state of health being what it was.
I remain hopeful that he has another 365 days to somehow endure the wrath of this disease. But to say that it convincingly requires a degree of faith that quite honestly I have yet to obtain/realize... maybe I'm not as in-touch with my faith as I need to be. Yet I remain strong for my mom and my siblings. It's what my father would want, at the very least.
The statistics assume that I have less than 29% of expecting better than I could possibly hope for. My prayers, this evening, are obviously that he proves those odds wrong and that this time next year - I'm celebrating another year with him, with his fighting spirit somehow overcoming the odds and winning the battle, at least in the short term.
Continued prayers are appreciated. It was good that I was able to spend part of a week with him relatively pain-free and good spirits. I remain eternally optimistic that better days await, but at the same time I realize the dire situation he's in and just how much divine intervention is needed given the circumstances.
Hug your pops if he's still around. Take time to appreciate your kids/grandkids. You just never know how much time is left to appreciate the concept of how much "family" really means, how blessed we are to share another moment with those who mean everything to us.
Eternally hopeful and prayerful. That's a desperate position to be in, but that's the extent of what I have at the moment.
Enjoy your holiday with your family, and take just a moment to realize how blessed you are if you (and them) have your health!
Merry Christmas to all of you!