My Grandaddy

POD from the blog Thufferin Thuccotash-Surviving and Laughing , has asked for all of us that have been effected by cancer in some way, to write about it in our blogs to support the cause Live Strong Day.

I will take this opportunity to write about my Grandaddy who died of complications due to lung cancer three years ago.

My Grandaddy was diagnosed with lung cancer. He smoked when he was young, but also quit when he was young (once he found out about the health risks)....so he had went many, many years without smoking. However, it still took its toll later in life. His cancer was found early, and he was even in remission before he died. He had even survived colon cancer in previous years. However, his lungs kept filling up with fluid, so he was scheduled to have a procedure done that would keep his lungs from doing this anymore. The procedure didn't work the way it was supposed to. His body became septic and he died.

My Grandaddy was the best grandfather to me. When I was little he would drive hours and hours just to come pick me up and take me home to visit with he and my Grandmother. He always bought the best gifts. When I was five he bought me diamond stud earrings (which I still wear today). He bought me two rings with sapphires. I always thought it was so neat that my Grandad would buy me jewelry. He was the only one that would. :)

He would always call me Doll and I loved kissing him on top of his bald head. He'd pick me up from my Grandmother's house to go walking with him by Hartwell Lake. There was a hill that we'd always race up. He told me he'd pay me 100 dollars if I beat him up that hill when I turned 16. He beat me up that hill and still paid me 100 dollars. lol. That's the kind of guy he was. He loved life and he loved to love. He loved fishing, nature walks, dogs (he always had girl dogs which he'd name Lady or Bella), and golf. He was 87 years old when he got cancer and he still wanted to beat it b/c he loved life. Even on his death bed, he fought b/c he wasn't finished living life. Unfortunately, his body lost the fight before his mind did.

I think about him a lot....he was the peacemaker of our family in the end. He was the reason I began talking with my Dad again after being estranged from him for over a year. He reminded me, "We can't choose our family....blood is blood...and you should start talking with your father again b/c you'll regret it later if you don't".

In writing this, I hope to convey the sorrow that goes along with losing someone before that person is truly ready to leave this earth. My Grandfather had a long life and for that I'm thankful...but it was so hard to see him go into the hospital fully functional and not be able to leave. I know he was not ready to stop living and it broke my heart that he didn't get to see more days than he did.

It's time for more cancer awareness and time to find better medicine and less destructive cures.