My dad passed away from Glioblastoma 4 months ago

My dad passed away 4 months ago from a brain tumor, seeing him go from a healthy man who worked 6 days a week and spent all his life making sure I and my sisters had the best life, to being bedbound and couldn't move was absolutely traumatic. His first symptoms were bad headaches and sleeping all the time, and then he started to get confused, the doctors firstly blamed that on a mental breakdown but after multiple scans, it finally came back as a cancerous brain tumor. 

 

Dad continued to work, even though he was having chemo and radiation at the time, and he tried to live normally which he did until about a week before he passed away, it was so quick and he went downhill within about 4 days. The treatment didn't work, and he got discharged from the hospital so he could be surrounded by everyone who absolutely adored him. Seeing my dad who when he got discharged couldn't see out of one eye as the tumor was putting pressure on it, is something I will never get over. He stopped eating and we knew it wasn't good, in the last day or so his breathing changed and he was rattling and gasping for air. 

How do I get over seeing my dad pass away? The flashbacks are getting more regular and I don't want to remember my dad like that, he was so brave and he sorted everything out before he died, he left my mum with a folder of everything she needed to know, was he scared? or was he just thinking about us? The 8 months he was living with the tumor were like a blur, I don't know how we did it. He won't get to meet his grandchildren or walk us down the aisle and he's been robbed of that by cancer. 

He didn't really speak to us about it, but I just hope he wasn't scared, he wanted to live so much, and he had so much stuff to look forward to. I wish I had told him more than I did, but I was so scared and it didn't feel real at the time. 

Anyone who is going through the same, I'm so sorry for your loss because quite frankly it has ruined my life. 

  • Hi El, I'm so sorry you feel this way! I feel the same. 

    Reading your post was like I could of wrote it myself. My dad passed away in September 2021 from the same illness! Dad was 62 he has 5 grandsons, I have two sisters, we all loved him so much! My mum is still in pieces as we all are.

    Dad had a Seizure in April 2018, he had the Tumor removed, chemo and radiotherapy, we had 2 years of  clear scans but sadly it returned.

    It was the most frightening time of our lives, I was so scared. I look back and don't actually know how we did the things we did. Unfortunately dad lost his short term memory and his mobility which was so hard. It was such a dark time. My heart is broken. 
    Dad went down hill really quickly, he was put on a Syringe  driver and sadly passed away it was absolutely horrendous, I will never forget the breathing he did before he died.

    I look back now and think how did we do it, we cared for my dad at home until the end, it was so hard for us all.He was my hero I'm lost without him 

    I can completely relate to everything you said, I have no words. It's also ruined my life I won't ever be the same again. Lots of love to you xx

  • Hi sorry for loss, I feel ur pain.

    I lost my brother nine weeks ago to glimoblastoma(brain cancer), it was horrific. I still have bad dreams about the last four days of his life, he was on syringe driver, unconscious,non responsive and gurgling and making death rattling noises as he struggled to breathe. He was 52, never took a pain killer in his life, ate well and walked daily. What a cruel illness cancer is, depriving us of our loved ones. He fought with courage and strength for 14 months I miss him dearly, he had no fear of dying. He is my hero. The day we laid him to rest we collect money for brain tumour charity so no other family has to go through the same as our family. He had operation, chemo and radiotherapy, the tumour shrunk but came back with a vengeance. He lasted 9 weeks on palliative care and home, his wish was to die at home surrounded by family. Why do in 2022 we still not have a cure for cancer. Stay strong, one day at a time and try to focus on happy memories, don't let the bad memories outweigh your love and happiness you had with your dad. Take care ️

  • Hi El,

     

    My dad died on the 11 December and it's been so difficult for me and my family. He had two separate cancers removed in May and September 2022 and we thought the prognosis was good after a couple of rounds of chemo. About 2 weeks after he came out of hospital from his second op he started to behave a bit funny, quiet, confused and after a fall and a trip to A&E we got the news it had spread to his brain and liver.

    He was given 3-6months to live but we only had 6 weeks and during that time got him settled at home and looked after him as best we could.

    It's such a cruel disease and i'll never be able to find the words that can truely explain to anyone how it felt to watch your loved have their independence, dignity and life stolen from them. Only those who've experienced it really understand it and i'm so sorry for everyone on here who knows this pain.

    He had such a hard year but never complained and kept on trying, every day he'd try and i'm so proud of him for that. There are so many things I wish i had said to him but i'm glad I was there during those last couple of months, trying to keep him safe, pick him up when he fell down and try and make him smile when I could.

    I hope those are the memories that stick with me as the pain fades. A friend of mine said that grief is just another form of love.

    Take care everyone

    M