So last night I headed up to Albany Med to say what may be my last goodbye to my older brother, Gary. He's been fighting Prostate cancer for the past 4-5 years. Although there isn't a strong link between smoking and prostate cancer, according to his doctors, the fact that he was a smoker make the cancer a lot more aggressive. The end game is the cancer has spread to his brain, and there is pressure/bleeding. He won't survive being untreated, but he won't survive the surgery to stop the bleed/pressure either.
When I got to the room last night, Gary was knocked out with morphine, seemed somewhat comfortable. I do not think they will let him regain consciousness, which is the right thing for him...... The pain and suffering of his wife, his two beautiful daughters and his son was heart retching. His wife lost it when she told me she signed the DNR because she did not want to see him suffer... she was looking for people to tell her she made the right decision... It was unspeakably sad to have that conversation with her.. I did my best to console, but, there's not much that can be done. 55 years old, leaving a wife that adores him, a 26 year old son, a 20 year old daughter and a 19 year old daughter... too young to have to deal with the loss of their father... Senseless. tragic. no words seem adequate.
As you recall, I had a brother that passed in 2011... soon there will just be me and 1 other brother.
Never again for any reason.
Fuck cancer!
