A Tragic Loss

Many of you may have noticed I've not posted in a long time. On January 4, 2012, my dear step-dad passed away after a long battle with Small Cell Lung Cancer. He remained at home under the care of hospice and my wonderful and loving mother. She did all of the care and only relied on hospice for emergencies. She loved him like no other and they were truly soul mates. She is a retired nurse but gave him so much more than nursing care. Her heart is broken. she told me she would have cared for him the rest of her life to be able to have his presence in their home. This horrible cancer took a toll on his body.

Tommie went through all of the harsh chemo treatments which hospitalized him several times including the one time which caused his kidneys to shut down. He then was scheduled for some preventive radiation treatments to help prevent the small cell cancer from attacking his brain. The results from the chemo gave him so much hope. He and my mother planned trips and life. Suddenly, my mom noticed changes in his perceptions. They returned from a trip to make Tommie's appointment with his oncologist. After some scans they discovered the cancer was back and with a fury. It had already attacked his brain. He immediately began radiation treatments which left him so very tired and his ears were so burned up from the radiation. After the radiation treatment his health declined even more.

My mom and Tommie came to visit us in Indiana after the radiation. He could no longer drive because his driving was erratic. Within two weeks after they returned home he began falling. It was three days from his first fall and a rush to the hospital by ambulance they discovered he could no longer walk. He had lost all mobility in his legs and later the rest of his body would fail him too. They sent Tommie home to die. His will to live was so strong. He hung in for almost 9 weeks. On the early morning of January 4, 2012, he packed his bags, said goodbye to this world and went home to be with our Heavenly Father and his son.

I made a small tribute for Tommie. This little video barely covers the warm, loving, caring man he was. He loved God, his country, family, travel, and people. Everyone who had the honor to meet Tommie; loved him. He was one beautiful soul. Now his beautiful soul dwells in heaven with his mom, dad, son, and many more he loved.