Some background:He was diagnosed with esophageal cancer (Squamous cell carcinoma) late in June and had a series of complications from that point forward. He struggled with Hypercalcemia (an increase of the calcium in his blood), which led to dehydration, impacting his concentration and cognitive capabilities. The tumor itself apparently contributed to furthering the Hypercalcemia by generating more calcium on its own. Between July 3rd and the 16th he went from being admitted into Sharp Memorial in San Diego a couple of times to being in a nursing facility and then being readmitted to Sharps on the 16th. His health quickly declined over the last couple of days with a notification late on the 16th of my dad having kidney problems. Early on the 17th we were told his kidneys were shutting down. Dave (my brother) called me at work and I left for San Diego. Yesterday morning my brother and I met with the Dr. and the condition was stated pretty clearly- at 80 years old his body was shutting down and it was time to prepare for the inevitable. We stayed with him throughout the day and at 9:48 pm my dad’s heart stopped. At 10:08 pm the Dr. officially announced the time of death.
Some acknowledgements:My brother David has done so much for my dad over the years, but in the last month he has gone from work to the hospital, then back to work and spent so much of his time and energy helping my dad, checking on him and taking care of him. I really appreciate all that he has done for our dad. The nursing staff and Dr.’s at Sharp Memorial were fantastic. They took a vested interest in our dad, were very kind to us and were compassionate to the end. They really were wonderful and could not have taken better care of him.
