Haunted by seeing my Dad die

6 weeks ago Dad was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer and he passed away 2 nights ago. Dad was my best friend and my rock, we were incredibly close and spent a huge amount of time together. Dad was taken care of for his last few days at a hospice and we spent as much time with him as we could. I miss Dad so much and although I don't wish he was still here the way he was after he got diagnosed, I would give anything to have my amazing healthy Dad back. He lived life to the full and had so many more years of good life left to live.

All of the family were in the room with Dad while he passed, along with a doctor and a nurse. He took a turn very suddenly, in fact right after we had just been told that they thought he would last at least another night due to how incredibly strong his mental attitide was and how much he was fighting to stay with us. 

I can't get the images of Dad dying out of my head. All I can see if him gasping for air while making awful noises. Dad was so with it and aware even in his last minutes. The nurse gave him an injection ( I don't know what of) and as she was doing that he looked at me and his eyes were so distressed and scared. I can't bear that my last memory of Dad is that and that his last memory of me is while he was dying and scared. I explained to him that the nurse was just giving him a small injection to help him and then the nurse laid my hand over his heart while it gave out. Everyone else was holding his hands. They all think it was peaceful for him but I don't and I can't picture him any other way right now. I know the fact that he was aware means he absolutely knew we were all with him, which he wanted, but I also know it means he knew exactly what was happening. 

I know it has only been a short time but i feel like I am going crazy as I am the only person in the room that feels like this. I can't sleep and I feel sick the whole time.I feel so guilty, like I almost helped him to die. Is this normal? Has anyone else felt this way after seeing a loved one die in front of them?

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  • I so sorry for your loss I've been through exactly the same scenario where my dad was diagnosed with bowel cancer so I was looking after him  for 2 years at 18 then after he beat it and recovered abit due to the chemo he got spots on his lungs. loads of hospital operations later the days went by he took all the medicine at home by the home nurse and all the injections they was giving him I felt as if they was just giving him doses off stuff he dosnt need !! as the days went by he got skinner and skinner and could not move eat drink and my dad was healthy he would always jump up run around play about in his 50s till he the bowel cancer a week went by me and his wife staying up back to back giving him oxygen off the tank on and off swobbing his mouth and then came the moments he took his last breaths and I couldn't bare the pain I was just in shock I've never experienced something like this in my life and I've been through a lot I can't get the picture out my head on my dad it plays over now and then and it just haunts me every time I break down but I have to stay strong if u ever want to talk let me know [@Gabrielle21]‍ 

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  • I so sorry for your loss I've been through exactly the same scenario where my dad was diagnosed with bowel cancer so I was looking after him  for 2 years at 18 then after he beat it and recovered abit due to the chemo he got spots on his lungs. loads of hospital operations later the days went by he took all the medicine at home by the home nurse and all the injections they was giving him I felt as if they was just giving him doses off stuff he dosnt need !! as the days went by he got skinner and skinner and could not move eat drink and my dad was healthy he would always jump up run around play about in his 50s till he the bowel cancer a week went by me and his wife staying up back to back giving him oxygen off the tank on and off swobbing his mouth and then came the moments he took his last breaths and I couldn't bare the pain I was just in shock I've never experienced something like this in my life and I've been through a lot I can't get the picture out my head on my dad it plays over now and then and it just haunts me every time I break down but I have to stay strong if u ever want to talk let me know [@Gabrielle21]‍ 

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