...And So Our Fight Has Ended

Hi everyone.

My wonderful, brave, amazing father, Barry Francis Lynch, lost his battle with cancer two days ago, on the 22nd of February, 2011 at approximately 8.00pm. He passed away peacefully at the hospice, and is now free from pain and suffering.

His funeral will be held on the 2nd of March, 2011. If you would like to come, please email me and I will send you the address and time.

As I am participating in the Worlds Greatest Shave in honour of Dad (even though he didn't have Leukaemia, I believe that cancer is cancer, where ever it is, and any research for Leukaemia could help find a cure for other cancers), if you would like to, please feel free to donate the money you would have spent on condolence cards and flowers to either my Worlds Greatest Shave page (to donate, click here) in your name or to the Cancer Council of Australia in memory of Dad.


I'd just like to thank everyone who has read this page for your support. You are all amazing people and I'm so honoured you've let me share my fathers journey with you. Please let Dad's battle be warning for everyone- think about what you are doing to your body when you smoke, and if something doesn't seem right, go see a doctor. It's better to be safe, healthy and feel a bit silly, than to be sorry you didn't go get checked out sooner.

Blah.

Hi guys.

We've really hit rock bottom.

On Friday the 11th, Dad had 4 bleeds over the course of the day. On Saturday, Sunday and Monday, he had 2 bleeds each day. On Tuesday the 15th, he had one massive bleed. The tumour had also started putting pressure on the blood vessels and tissue around itself, and on Tuesday we watched a lump start off the size of a pea grow to about a 7cm lump in diametre, and about a good 3 or 4cm in height. We got told to watch it as it could break the skin and he could start bleeding from that too. Lo and behold, it broke the ski and bled, though they managed to stop it before it got too bad. He is now heavily sedated and on large doses of pain killers. He's not been fully conscious since about Sunday evening, and the last few days he's just been out of it.

The sad reality is that Dad will never wake up again. If he does, he'll have severe brain damage caused by anaemia (which in turn is caused by the bleeds). Mum and I are ok. We just want Dad to be out of pain- it's not wishing he'd die, because I honestly wish this wasn't happening at all... but it's so selfish to keep wishing he'd stay here with us even though he's in an insane and cruel amount of pain.

No Need For A Post Title

Hi guys.

So, we've had better weeks. On Wednesday Dad had a small bleed, but it stopped itself. Then yesterday, Mum sent Dad a text just before we left to go see him asking him if he wanted the newspaper. "No, but bring tissues, I'm having a bleed" was his response. We rushed down there only to find out he had had FOUR bleeds over the course of the day, from 6.00am to his last one at about 3.45pm. The hospice hadn't rung us at the request of Dad- he didn't want to worry us (needless to say, we almost throttled him when we found out!). Dad was not very well and the nurses had sedated him. We stayed with him all last night and he was fine- tired, sleepy and lethargic, of course, but technically fine.

Mum and I went to go home this morning to get another change of clothes and have a shower and such, and as I was driving down the highway we get a call- Dad had just had another (massive) bleed, so I did a u-ie and drove back (we got about 3/4 of the way home!). This one was bigger than all of yesterdays combined, and he is really not well now. He is sleeping and heavily sedated. I'm over saying it's not looking good, so I'm just going to say we're sitting and waiting to see what will happen. Dad's never had so many bleeds so close together, so we don't know what to expect.

I'll let you all know how it goes.

Sorry if this is a bit rambling and incoherant, I don't function well on little sleep.

Five.

Hi all.

Dad had another bleed last night. He lost about a cup of blood and it stopped by itself.
He is ok, just tired and weak (as he always is after a bleed).

There's not much more to say, really, I've said it all before.