My bestfriend, father, grandfather & mentor all died on the same night. Heck, they were all the same person. It's hard to write this right now bcuz im crying but i have to do it. He was my biggest fan as i was his. We spent ALL of our time together until i moved to Clifton Heights about 3 yrs ago. We were becoming distant and i didnt like it.
In June of '08 he was having problems w/ his leg and back...he thought he just hurt himself at work. He went to Canada and got in a fender bender that increased the pain. After coming home from Canada he went to the dr's and got an MRI. The results came back and his dr told my mom to get him to the ER right away. They then told us that this pain he was having is attributed to Bone Cancer. He started undergoing Radiation right away.
He was weak and his bones became very brittle from the treatments. He was home and in the bathroom when he fell and broke his femur. He was taken to the hospital and had surgery to repair the fracture. He woke up from the anisthesia not knowing what the date was or where he was or how he got there. He kept saying that he went to Venezuela and Guatemala. This was quite significant to me because i had just gotten back from being in Guatemala on a missions trip. I had told him about 1 week earlier that i liked it so much that him and i were gonna move there when he got better.
He was released from the hospital about 2 weeks later and we decided to place him at a Skilled Nursing Facility(SKNF). This was done so Pop could do his physical therapy on a daily schedule and gain his strength back. He was stubborn and ornery and everyone that knew Pop knew that too. He did what he could but just didnt gain his strength back. He would be VERY tired all the time and sometimes he didn't know where he was but that was sporadic and rare.
We had moved him from Riddle Village in Media to Broomall Manor in Broomall. He was there Christmas Eve until the 29th of December. He was then transferred to Naaman's Manor in Concordville. We knew that was best for him. He arrived and his pulseox level was in the 70's when it is supposed to be in the 90's. He was then hospitalized until Saturday, January 3rd. On Saturday he returned to Naaman's Manor and began to get comfortable. Oh and this whole experience was full of being uncomfortable...we just couldn't find the right spot or bed or amount of pillows to make him that way. Of course, like i said before, if you knew Pop you knew that too! ;)
On Sunday I came home from my dad's house in the Poconos and went to a friend's house to watch the Eagles beat the Vikings. We hung out after the game and played some UNO. We got to talking and then i had a break so i called Pop. I called and was able to talk to Pop. My mom and sister's and Steve-O were there. I told Pop that i just called to say "HI" and see how he was doing. I told him I didn't know he had company and that I would call back tomorrow. He then said "ya, I don't have any time." We both hung up by saying "I love you."
The next day i got a call from my mom asking if i wanted to go out with her to see him. I had said no and that i was gonna ask to use the car the next day(Tuesday) to go see him. At about 230p i got a call from my sister freaking out that we had to go. I said "Go where?" she said that my Uncle Rob had called and told mom to get out there NOW! So, she came and picked me up and we headed out there. It's about 20-30 minutes away from where we live. My mom called the Manor and asked what was going on. They just said that his pulseox level was low on 4 liters. Which i knew was bad. then my uncle called again to see if we were coming and he said just to get there. I then called the Manor to see what was goin on.
The nurse said to wait a minute and that she would put my Uncle Bill on the phone. Right then, i knew something was wrong if she couldn't tell me. He said "he's gone.' I asked when and he said about 15 minutes ago. I asked if anyone was there with him and he said that just the nurse was there. He also told us not to rush and that him and my Uncle Rob were both there. I hung up the phone and looked at my mom. she automatically knew from the questions i asked on the phone. so here we are on 322 in the smallest pick-up truck ive ever seen. We're all balling our eyes out and my mom's crying, shifting, and trying to talk on the phone at the same time. Yes, i know dangerous. So we finally get there and all run inside as fast as our legs and bodies can carry us. My sister who was home because she hurt her knee at school was beating us all.
We got up there and I went in first to be with my uncles and Pop. I'm not a big crier in front of people, even family but this time i couldnt help it. Then my mom came in and then my sister and then my aunts. This was all at 245p and we didn't leave until 6p. It was sooo hard to leave. My 10 yr old sister said she didnt want to. She was just like me at her age. She didnt wanna leave him and she was his partner. My mom, on the other hand, was a mess. I mean her and Pop were so alike in so many ways it was almost obnoxious. She kept beating herself up about it because she was there all morning until 130p when she got the call from Jacqi's school that she twisted her knee. After she picked up my sister and got her situated the phone rang with the call to come out there.
Now all this time all i can think of is how he was gonna be the one to walk me down the aisle and he said that if he didnt make it that long that he would at least make it to see me graduate. Which, he didnt make either. Another thing i cant get out of my mind is how my mom had just offered to take me out there with her and i turned it down. Until i saw him on Monday, hadnt seen him since Christmas Day.
***This post is dedicated to the best man i ever knew: Pop, Poppy, Poop-Poop, Bill, Dad. Anything that he might have been called. He will forever be missed and in our hearts."
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