I am sorry in advance if this daylog might not be interesting to someone, but this site is called "Everyting" and I think perhaps this is a fitting place to inlcude my Uncle Bill in the scope of "Everything"
My Uncle Bill - has been like a father to me for the past 20 yeras and is one of just a few people in this world that I truely love. He passed away this morning, and while I'm still a bit numb - I've yet to break down and cry but I think that's because I haven't quite accepted it yet. Or it may be because I've been expecting it for almost 18 years. He was given little chance to live 18 years ago - he had some sort of kink in his artery in his neck and could die at any moment then. So it was then I first had to learn to think about losing him... but he went on just fine. Then about 8 years ago he had a triple bypass, and at that time he was in such poor health from clogged arteries that again I had to learn to accept that I'd have to lose him.
Last summer when they discovered cancer and gave him 6 months to live, I really didn't take it too seriously I guess because I'd long since stopped believing he was going to die. I spent alot of time with him though because I didn't know how much time I had left with him. While he'd lost at least 50 lbs he was still doing fine 9 months after they'd given him 6 months to live. He'd undergone all the normal things one goes through with cancer, but the treatments were killing him so he stopped.
In January he was offered one of only two slots in a new type of experimental treatment that was doing very well with those who had undergone the treatment. So I had hope - just a bit of hope anyhow. Then when undergoing the exams for this treatment they found out his cancer was too widespread and said they needed to save the slot for someone who had a chance. (they did'nt say this exactly but that's what it came down to) Bill was talking and walking and doing well that week, days later he had a massive stroke and the last few times I'd seen him he looked like a holucaust survivor, it was incredibly tough to see him like that, and it really wasn't how I had wanted to see him but that's how it worked out anyhow.
Well I'd like to share a bit of history about my Uncle Bill.
He was a war hero, from the 'forgotten war' - the
Korean War. He had seven children, all of whom turned out very well. He was a
Southern Baptist minister and had his own church in
Texas,
Ohio and lastly in
Spokane Washington. He knew the bible inside and out - and was not the kind of Christian to judge other religions. He worked in the
HVAC (heating and air conditioning trade) and owned his own HVAC company here in Spokane for many years.
He was the kind of guy who never had a bad word to say about anyone, and would offer anyone a helping hand when they needed one. From the day my son was born he treated him like his grandson (he was really...) He was the kind of dad who was always there for his kids - and all of them have always treated him with the utmost respect. He was the kind of guy who could fix anything, and build anything. I remember when I was really young "helping" him build the A-Frame the day Mt. St Helens erupted, the A-Frame his family of 9 were to live in till he could get their huge log cabin was built.
I have alot to share about him and his life that I think is worth including on "Everything" but this is a tad hard to discuss so I'll amend my post a bit later with more interesting informative information about him and also the new experiemental treatment he was to undergo I think that may be of interest here.