Unfunny
I had the unpleasant experience of watching my father die. He had been in intensive care after collapsing with pneumonia and was on a respirator. It was all the result of cancer - of the throat, the liver, it was spreading.
After a couple of weeks of fading hope the doctors called us in for the meeting to tell us we weren't extending a life, we were prolonging a death.
That day we withdrew life support and the nurse administered a shot of morphine to make him more comfortable. His lungs were nearly full, and as his body lost oxygen the colours of his face changed. patches of red and purple - I recognized from paintings I'd seen. As it happened, he was surrounded by his family, but his eyes were fixed on mine, and I was determined to meet his gaze.
It took a while - maybe five minutes, but it seemed like forever. The nurse had already declared him dead when he suddenly took a last breath - a final reflex, then a death rattle.
When he was gone, it wasn't him. He was waxy and pale, different even than the man I had known five minutes before.
Aside from that bloody misery, there is a happy part, and that is that I flew 3 hours to get to him in time and get to the hospital, and I had a chance to tell him that I loved him, which I had never done before. He had a ventilator in, but he tapped his chest, and pointed back at me so I knew he loved me too.
I miss him still.
Thanks for letting me tell this.
(TommyShanks, Fri 29 Feb 2008, 5:38, 3 replies)

Thank you for telling this
I'm so glad you got to the hospital in time. And more importantly, that you told eachother how you felt - so many of us take love for granted, especially in parent/child relationships. Even when we know we are loved, it's still heart-skippy to hear the words. *hugs*
( Tourette's ( . )( . ) has a monkey hair in her fried egg, Fri 29 Feb 2008, 10:15, closed)

I also went through this one a couple of years ago
My dad died of Emphysemia (sp?) a couple of years ago in between christmas and new year. It's hard watching someone who you remember being so fit and healthy, lying in a hospital bed on life support in such a bad way.

At least the whole family were able to be there to say their goodbyes. Well, on that cheery note, I need a cigarette now...
(DrSoloMania Got rickrolled by a randomburner...., Fri 29 Feb 2008, 11:37, closed)

Thanks
I was able to be present for both my parents' deaths for which I am grateful.

However, I wasn't able to tell my Dad that I loved him. I wish I had but I couldn't. Long story.
(BearWithLittleBrain, Fri 29 Feb 2008, 12:54, closed)