June 21, 2013 4:15 PM PDT
Asking for prayers, healing thoughts, good vibes, whatever you can send up to the Diety of your choice for the very first biker I ever met.......my dad. First I would like to say that Dad wanted a son, but got me. So I grew up his side-kick grease monkey. Helping him in his garage, riding many, many miles behind him on his bikes, building up hot rods, motorcycles, and some fast old trucks. He taught me to drive at the age of 9 in his old 1 ton flat bed Ford.............you get the idea.
It was hard enough to see him in that hospital bed back in 2007 when he had a massive heart attack and had to have quadruple bypass surgery. I remember thinking I'd never seen him so pale as he lay on those white sheets. But he's always been tough and within a month he was back mowing grass and twisting wrenches. He changed his lifestyle, quit all alcohol, started taking care of himself at the ripe old age of 78!
He always seemed so invincible, though no where near 10 feet tall, certainly somewhat bullet proof.
That all changed this past week. In the past month he'd grown weak. A few weeks ago he needed two pints of blood. Had some other minor things going on, but assumed he'd just picked up a bug. When He complained to the doc that his hemmorhoids were killing him they scheduled surgery. Of course with any surgery comes "tests". This is where it all went to hell. The upper GI, was fine. Docs could hardly believe he's 84. Then they got to the colonoscopy. Thats when they found the mass. A few biopsies and a few days later the news came. It's colon and liver cancer. Stage 4. He's also apparently had another heart attack recently and has developed some blood clots in his lungs. Due to his age and the condition of his heart, the docs are saying he won't survive surgery to remove the cancer. He was finally moved out of ICU tonight. They are giving him mild foods and lots of iron and will begin some therapy soon to build up some strength. They are aiming to make him as comfortable as possible for the time he has left.
We spent our time together this week making peace for all the past old hurts we may have inflicted on each other and planning his last and final ride. He will be cremated and I'm to haul him on that last ride to the place he wishes to be scattered. I pray he feels strong enough to make the ride while still alive, but either way we'll ride together one more time.
