Due to a fairly extreme level of discomfort, Dave’s healthcare providers have placed him on higher doses of pain medication.
Through Wednesday, Dave has been pretty conversational with the visitors that have joined him. His eyesight and hearing allowed him to carry on normal, though sometimes short, conversations.
He has been surrounded by family members and a wealth of friends and business associates in the last few days. For the limited time that Dave was awake, he acknowledged his guests with smiles, quick comments, and handshakes.
I had the good fortune to spend the entire day on Thursday at the hospice with him and he is aware of the advancement the cancer has made in his body. He resisted the drugs that would ease his discomfort because they also made him drowsy and less able to interact with those around him.
As the day progressed, his option to decline the treatment went away and Thursday pain rendered him sleeping most of the day; Dave’s condition is deteriorating with time.
He still has had all of the comment, cards, and thoughts read to him and his facial expressions indicate his acknowledgement.
This has been a very difficult time for Dave as well as for a great number of family members and acquaintances. The prayers have helped Dave deal with a terrible situation and, without question, have made a lot of things much easier on the rest of us.
To all who follow Dave’s condition, thank you.
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12 comments:
To Dave:
Although, I have moved and no longer work for the Altman Family. I feel that I am still part of the Altmans Business family. You and Joe and the rest at Altmans family and friends have always made me feel welcomed.
It is very difficult to express my thoughts and emotions at this time. A close friend of mine, (Fr. Jim Clark) many years ago explained the following and I will para-phrase:
Everyone will live three lives. The first is the life you live hear on Earth. The physical life, the one use have used to touch all our hearts. The second life is your spiritual life. It is apparent that your second life will not be lost, rather your spirit will be with our Lord and God. The third life is the great wonderful memories and thoughts that everyone will have in their own hearts and minds of all the wonderful things and ways you have touched us all. These memories and feelings we have in our hearts of you shall never die, but live in the stories we all tell of you. The things you have done for so many will be past on to others and other generations. You have and will successfully live three lives. I am truly blessed that I have known your first physical life. I have peace in my heart knowing that you will live a blessed second life with God for ever and I know that your memory will never fade as time moves forward. I truly wish for you and your family that your body heals and not fail you.
To Dave, Marla and family,
We want to let you know that you are in our thoughts and prayers each day. May God's comforting arms uphold you thoughout this time. We love you,
David and Susan George
Dave, Marla, and family, we just wanted to share some thoughts and words. You both have been great models for all of us to live by. We want to again let you know how much we love you all.Dave, we'll see you on the back nine!Love and prayers.
Marty and Kathy
Dave: There aren't many words I can add to all of the comments made. The only thing I want you to know is that we continue to pray for you and think of you daily. If it weren't for your brother, Joe, we would be lost worrying about you. To him we owe our thanks. God is near and is helping you all of the time. We will all see you once again someday. Keep smiling. Love, Barb
Dear Dave,
I am thankful to have had the opportunity to know you personally and to work with you professionally. You have demonstrated great integrity in a world where that is lacking in so many. To God be the glory for the life He gave you that touched so many others.
Paula Barnes
Dear Dave,
We continue to pray for you as you journey to our Lord.
We love you, Jim and Dusty
Hello Dave, I have tried to post this several times and I am apparently not bright enough to make it happen. I talked with Steve Simon on Wednesday and he updated me on your condition. It was truly a very sad day in my life to listen to him tell me what you are going through. I just have to write you a note to say how blessed I am to have spent what little time we have had together. I will always treasure your gracious invitation to Texas Speedway to spend the weekend with Steve and yourself for the races. I hope that I was of some use to you with your Nascar questions. I will be sure to give a cheer to Greg Biffle for you whenever I attend the races. I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of that weekend despite the rain delaying the race for awhile. It was also very entertaining when you would join Steve and our group for golf on occasion. Your good nature is very infectious and it spreads to everyone that is around you. You have definitely left your mark here and this world is undoubtedly a better place because of it. May God bless you and all of your family as time goes on. May you also have peace in knowing that you have graciously and without hesitation touched so many people. I am very proud to be able to say that I know you and that you are a friend of mine.
Mike Weeks
Dearest Dave, Marla and family,
How quickly the days are moving. I read your blog each day and am devastated by the quick progression of this dreadful illness.
Dave, you have touched many hearts; nothing new there. However vast love and kindness is palpable from those who have written and shared their thoughts and memories; their wishes and love.
I write a newsletter monthly and last month asked my Ohio friends to pray for you. This month I updated them and shared how amazing you and your family are- and again I asked for God's grace for you and your family.
I also wrote of a leadership meeting I attended this week where I listened to incredible stories from some pretty amazing women.....
Allow me to quote from my newsletter because it defines this moment in time for all of us.......
"At a banquet, listening to some outstanding, powerful, everyday women whose names you will never see in lights, I heard something that defines this time in my life.
It is a quote by Michael Landon.
'I wish someone would have told me from the day I was born that I was dying. That way, I would not have wasted one day.'"
You seem to have taught us that Dave. In no posting have I sensed that you wasted a moment of the time God gave you here on earth.
You are leaving us with the legacy of, "don't wait, do it now."
I have always hugged and kissed all of my friends, family and clients hello and goodbye. Joe managed to escape without a mark because it was our first time meeting- but he was an exception.
Actually at the end of the day, Joe is exceptional in many ways.
I digress.
Hugging and a kiss have been my practice because I don't ever want the day to come when a last meeting was closure without letting someone know how important and special they are- to me and to the world.
My new, never met, friend, consider yourself both hugged and kissed.
We missed each other here on earth however I will look for you in heaven.
Hugs and love to all of you.
Christine
To Dave,
Unfortunately we live so far away that we can't come visit you in person. We really enjoyed the family reunion this past summer and seeing everyone once again. Tomorrow we are going to an RV show in Grand Island and we will be thinking of you!
We are praying and hoping things will turn around for you so we can go flying real soon!
Love,
Jimmy, Sandra and the rest of the Swanson herd
Dear Marla and the entire Altman family,
We are so sorry for your loss. Our deepest sympathy goes out to you. God works in mysterious ways and he is now resting in peace with Him.
We will keep Dave and your whole family in our thoughts and prayers.
I've wanted to share the following with you. I hope it will serve to help you through this time of great loss. We will all miss Dave, his tremendous spirit, generosity and loving ways!
“Death is nothing at all.
I have only slipped away into the next room.
I am I, and you are you.
Whatever we were to each other, that we still are.
Call me by my old familiar name, speak
to me in the easy way which you always used.
Put no difference in your tone,
wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.
Laugh as we always laughed at
the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Let my name be ever the household word
that it always was, let it be spoken without effect,
without the trace of a shadow.
Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?
I am waiting for you, for an interval,
somewhere very near, just around the corner.
All is well.”
Henry Scott Holland 1847 - 1918
Canon of St. Pauls Cathedral
With love and prayers,
Marty & Joanna O'Toole
To The Altman Family
You are in our thoughts and prayers at this time. Just that know that now Dave is free of pain and in a better place.
Tom and Martha Esposito
Good language are used in this blog for the everyone.Thanks for detail statements are helpful,Just that know that now Dave is free of pain.
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