This morning I went to my cardiologists office for a follow-up to my ablation procdure of last winter. I got a clean bill of health and was taken off of all meds.
Then I went to my gym and did my weight circuits and some cardio work. Then the hard part came.
I went to say goodbye to a long time friend who is in home hospice. He's dying of colo-rectal and liver cancer.
The last time I saw him was on St. Pats day. Still up and around, sick but able to drive, work, laugh etc. Today he was emaciated and bed-ridden - unable to speak. I told him how much I appreciated our friendship and thanked him for everything he had done for me. We relived a couple of good times - including watching the Game of The Century together and participating in the Omaha post-game madness at The Crossroads. He smiled.
I asked if he had arranged to receive The Last Rites of the Catholic church. He indicated he had not. I asked if he wanted to and he was non-commital. Then I asked him if he would like it if I arranged for a priest from Creighton Prep to administer the rites. Again he smiled.
He was in and out of sleep so I told him I was going to take off and let him rest. We clasped hands and arms and again I told him how much I enjoyed our friendship and how much I owed him. Again the smile and I was gone.
One call to Prep and the Last Rites were arranged - by a priest who was at Prep when we were and who remembered both of us. Probably not for good reasons.
So my day ran the gamut from happy to sad. I'm sad my friend is dying but happy I was there to ease his way.
Then I went to my gym and did my weight circuits and some cardio work. Then the hard part came.
I went to say goodbye to a long time friend who is in home hospice. He's dying of colo-rectal and liver cancer.
The last time I saw him was on St. Pats day. Still up and around, sick but able to drive, work, laugh etc. Today he was emaciated and bed-ridden - unable to speak. I told him how much I appreciated our friendship and thanked him for everything he had done for me. We relived a couple of good times - including watching the Game of The Century together and participating in the Omaha post-game madness at The Crossroads. He smiled.
I asked if he had arranged to receive The Last Rites of the Catholic church. He indicated he had not. I asked if he wanted to and he was non-commital. Then I asked him if he would like it if I arranged for a priest from Creighton Prep to administer the rites. Again he smiled.
He was in and out of sleep so I told him I was going to take off and let him rest. We clasped hands and arms and again I told him how much I enjoyed our friendship and how much I owed him. Again the smile and I was gone.
One call to Prep and the Last Rites were arranged - by a priest who was at Prep when we were and who remembered both of us. Probably not for good reasons.
So my day ran the gamut from happy to sad. I'm sad my friend is dying but happy I was there to ease his way.
