On Friday, April 13 my mom was told that there wasn't much more the doctors could do for my grandfather. He had lung cancer again but he had also developed pneumonia. The antibiotics could not reach the pneumonia because the tumor was blocking it. Think of a bottle with a cork on it; the cork being the tumor and the pneumonia inside the bottle. They stopped all meds and sent him home. They were instructed to call in Hospice. Late that afternoon the hospice nurse came in and evaluated his status. At this point he was very anxious and talking up a storm. The nurse stepped out of the room and after evaluating my grandpa she had determined that he probably wouldn't make it through the weekend. We were all shocked into silence. We couldn't understand, it's like my brain refused to accept that knowledge I mean he is sitting in the other room TALKING!
She explained to us that there are several steps to the "dying" process. (He also had developed a bowel obstruction. And so basically his body was shutting down because it couldn't fight any longer). So the nurse explained the process and had given a booklet on what to expect months to weeks to days to hours prior to death. It's really a scary yet interesting process. Click Here to see the different signs. The one that really intrigued me was the Unexpected Alertness and Increased Energy sign. This was the sign my grandpa was evidently showing at that time. So family was called in for last goodbyes on Saturday, April 14. Grandpa had been started on morphine so he was pain free and was slept the entire day. I personally do not handle things like this well at all. I find it too difficult to attend the Receiving Friends or Viewing when a friend or family member passes so I was pretty sure I had no desire to see my grandpa in a state such as this. A dear friend to my family told me that I should at least try to see him for closure. I did and I will admit that I do not regret it. It gave me such a peace knowing that he wasn't in any pain. It gave me a strength that I didn't think I had and it gave me joy in my heart to know that he will be with our Lord rejoicing soon.
On Saturday, April 14 at 11:42 p.m. my grandpa ascended into Heaven. He now walks, talks and praises with our Lord. It was a very sad time for my family. I shed tears of course, but those tears were happy tears. I know that I will see him again one day. I know that this is not goodbye it's just see ya later. And when I see him again I'll hug his neck and tell him how much I missed him. He is in no doubt a much better place. He will be missed not by just family or people in his county but he will be missed by thousands. My grandfather made a mark, he touched the lives of EVERYONE he met. He and my grandma made more than a huge different in the lives of children from kindergarten to college. He was a great man who did great things and will be remember for years to come. Here is an article that a kind reporter wrote on my grandpa in the Gaston Gazette Ron Haper Article. Please read it and understand what a great privilege it was to not just personally know this man but to call him Grandpa!
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