Grandpa Gilmore (Sept 13, 1937 - Aug 17, 2007)

I have been debating about whether or not to post about this because I hate to put sad news on my blog, but I have decided it is time...

My dear father-in-law is in his final stages of terminal undifferentiated cancer and has recently been given just a few weeks if not days left to live. The hospice people that have been taking care of him in his home are some of the most wonderful people I have ever met. They are compassionate and straightforward and I can't imagine having to do what they do. Eugene has become very weak and they say that in the next day or two he will no longer be able to get out of bed. He is in a great deal of pain, so they are giving him liquid drops of oxycodone in addition to pills because it is fast acting. The downside is that it makes him very sleepy and we can no longer carry on a normal conversation with him. When we were visiting with him last night, he was laying there, having a hard time speaking with us, but when we told him we loved him, he managed to say perfectly clearly that he loved us too.

We are thankful that he lived long enough to meet his grandson, and Conner seems to make him light up! Just 3 days ago, Eugene was singing songs to him and managed to hold him and feed him a bottle. Next month is his 70th birthday, but the hospice people have suggested that we have a celebration for him now because he won't make it until then. So today we are having a birthday party and all of his family and friends and even the nurses will be there.

I hope that you will all keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

(Eugene passed away Friday, August 17th at 3:30pm. There was no struggle, he just slowly stopped breathing. We are thankful that he is no longer suffering and is at peace now.)