United in our Grief Forum.

I am so sorry for your loss and for the late reply.

My father was a very independent man as well. He did not speak of his health concerns until they were beyond his ability to cope with them. What was worse, his doctor misdiagnosed him with having pneumonia when he had lung cancer so bad, it was pushing out of his chest plate. Getting that diagnosis from the emergency room doctors was devastating to us all.

We too did our best to make him as comfortable as possible, to help him beat the cancer and get better. Still, my father was a fighter. He lived to be a five year lung cancer survivor. He was not one to just sit around being comfortable. He remained as active as he could until his dying day. He passed away of critical heart failure on April 8th 2013.

After my father's passing, I could not get myself to work on my novels which frustrated me but I had recently realized just how deep the pain went. Nothing mattered but family as that was what was most important to my father. Still, WDC is my family too. They will have another birthday celebration, another opportunity to embrace the activities we both love. In doing so, we can remember the loved ones who helped make us the good people we are today.

God Bless,

Eric.