Going to visit my parents again

I'm flying out to visit my parents tomorrow (and luckily we had enough flier miles it's not costing me anything either). They were planning on coming out here today, but my dad got so sick from his chemotherapy last week that he had to be hospitalized. He was released from the hospital yesterday, but traveling so soon was still out of the question. They're starting hospice care for him so they can call someone if they need them, and my mom doesn't think he's going to be able to continue the chemotherapy since it made him so sick. I really felt I needed to go out there, so I talked to my store manager and got time off next week approved and I'll be spending a week with them and be back to work Monday, August 3rd. I'm really glad to be going out there.

Visiting my parents in Ontario, Oregon

For the last 2 weeks I've been visiting my parents in Ontario, Oregon. I'm really glad I was able to come out, especially for Father's Day, though it's been a very emotional visit. Starting last Saturday, my dad started to be in a lot of pain despite his morphine. It was so painful to see him wince every time he moved. My parents went to Seattle to see his doctor earlier this week, and they decided to do an MRI to see if they could find out why his pain was so much worse. It turns out that two of his vertabrae the cancer had spread to previously have been completely replaced by cancer, which is causing the pain. The cancer has also spread to his lungs, liver, and kidneys. The doctor estimated that he has a couple months to live. My sister is visiting right now also, and Wednesday night, after my parents told us, we all spent some time crying together. My dad is withdrawing from the new clinical trial they were just about to start because he needs to undergo radiation because of the cancer in his vertabrae. Luckily they can do the radiation here and they won't have to travel to Seattle for that. They also more than doubled his morphine, and he hasn't been in as much pain.

At this point, only a miracle could save my dad. My mom is trying to get in touch with a doctor in Los Angeles that was recommended, but I'm not sure treatment-wise what we could hope for at this point. My dad will turn 49 in August. I'm still praying, I believe that miracles are possible, but they don't always happen. As always, I appreciate everyone's prayers for my dad, and for our family.