Lost my dad to lung cancer

A month ago my dear dad who was 70 lost his battle with lung cancer after a 16 month battle. In the end after multiple trips to the hospital since Christmas he finally passed away from pneumonia. We were called into the hospital early on a Tuesday morning to see my dad, my amazing and strong and intelligent dad talking nonsense as he couldn’t maintain his oxygen. The nurse replaced his face mask with a nose piece and I held his hand whilst he died, until water pooled out of his face, until his body went cold, I don’t think I will ever be able to stop re-living this hour again and the final look on his face as he gasped for air.

My life is, was, so intertwined with my dads, I don’t know how to carry on without him. I saw him almost everyday and chatted on the phone all day long, sending msgs to each other. I stayed with him in hospital, took him to appointments and chemo, anything I could do for him. Even before the cancer we spent so much time together. And now he has gone and so has part of me, I feel disconnected, I just can’t comprehend a life without him for the rest of my life, I’m only 35. I don’t understand why he got lung cancer, he didn’t smoke, was very healthy, he loved being alive, he so terribly wanted to live and it kills me a little every time I think how sad he would be to not be here. He is missing out on everything, especially my 2 year old daughter who he loved dearly, and so are we! The past 16 months have been a blur, I can’t even remember the funeral we had Monday. I can’t really remember him sick now, I feel like I’ve jumped back to 16 months ago and I’m mourning him being well even tho I’ve cried for him for months and months, I lost my dad a long time ago, I’m very confused. 

My heart is broken for him, my body is hurting and my mind is stuck on repeat. I didn’t want him to carry on living with cancer, he didn’t deal with it well, but I want him back, it feels so wrong to go on without him. I don’t want this.  

  • As I sit in heaven, and watch you every day .... 

    I try to let you know with signs, I never went away ...

    I want to hear you laughing , .  I watch you as  you sleep ...

    I even place my arms around you ... To calm you as you weep ...

    I hear you wish the days away ...... Begging to have me home ...

    So l try to send you sign .... So you know your not alone ...

    So live your life , and laugh again ... Enjoy yourself ... Be free 

    Then l know with every breath you take ... 

    You'll be taking one for me....

    Bless ya ... Only time heals but you never stop missing them ... You were blessed to have felt a love like that, that so many never get .... He's not gone .... He lives in your heart ... And no one can take that away ..  sending a big hug ... Chrissie xx

     

  • Hi so sorry but try to have good thoughts i know its horrible but it must have been a great comfort to know you were there and he will have done i think he will still be with you now for a while with no pain love is a very magical thing it binds us together in life and i beleive in death to .paulus

  • Hi there thinking bit more level now .how are you hope your ok been looking at some of the other posts on here and you are definatly one of the kindest and most supportive on here so pat yourself on the back .best wishs paul

  • In tears reading that poem! I lost my daddy to lung cancer july last year i miss him so bad and i will forever miss him i just want him back. We was surrounded by his bedside holding his hand until the end, he was loved by so many he would fill a hole room with a massive smile as soon as he entered that was just the big character he was he is so very missed. X

  • Yes the poem was lovely, thank you. I only wish that I could know somehow that he was out there watching, at the moment I don’t feel anything. It’s been about 6 weeks and I’ve been back at work a few weeks now and get up everyday, not much choice with a 2 year old but still cannot believe that he has gone. I know I was lucky to have had such an amazing dad but it only makes it worse that all of the love and support has gone, who will be at my side now. I still keep going over his last moments and worry that he was scared and what he must have been feeling to know he was dying. I keep saying it to everyone. but he would hate being not here and missing out on his family and them being sad that he was gone. I can’t imagine my dad being dead even tho he is.

  • Oh Sarah ... l so know what you mean .. my dad was like the B F G he even looked like him .. he was terably abused as a child by his step mum ... who had 5 kids of her own, my dad was the only one not hers ... she hated him, his mum died when he was 4 ... but he grew to have us 3 girls .. he never raised a hand, or his voice, but would do little magic tricks and make up wonderfull stories .. 

    He died slowly from phumonacosis of the lung ... and had a couple of years nearly breathing ... not once did he moan, his love of children after all he'd been through was second to none ... he didn't deserve to go like that ...

    I'm only telling you this, because if l think of his end of life, I'd cry forever ... but that was just a little chapter in his book of life ... like the beginning ... so l push those feelings away, and close my eyes, and remember his smile ... imagine those tricks, and the stories  ... because that's how he'd want me to remember him ... l tell my grandchildren all about him, and that way, he still lives ... his love and kind heart will be what we all remember ... so please try and push that last part of your dad's life away ... picture him at his fittest. . Remember how he looked at you ... remember the good memories, until it pushes the sad ones away ... and just think what he'd say if he was watching over you .. probably the same as my dad ... come on lass, I'm right here, you just can't see me ...

    Sending you a big hug ... Chrissie

  • This week has been an absolute pig of a week, I’m so so angry at the world and everyone in it. It’s my daughters 2nd birthday in a few days and I can’t believe he won’t be here for it or any of the others! I’m angry at other people who have there dads or have lost there’s at an old age, which I know is not nice of me. I can’t accept that he has gone, I can’t even entertain the thought as its too painful. I try to remind myself that my dad would be sad to see me hurting but it doesn’t work, he just shouldn’t be dead. I just can’t seem to get over how sad he was during the whole ordeal. I don’t understand dying and not existing and how someone can be so alive one minute and not the next. My dad did not talk about him dying so I just don’t know whether he was scared and lonely, oh I hate this so much!