As anyone who knows dad knows, with very few exceptions, he has always been in very good health.  So when he started losing weight in December, even though he felt fine otherwise, he sought medical help in January. Initial scans and tests on January 27th revealed a mass in his right lung with several other areas that were concerning. 

There were tests and consultations over the next two weeks, culminating with a biopsy of the mass on January 10th.  While the specific type could not be identified, the doctor performing the biopsy confirmed that it was cancer and it was widespread.  The results of the biopsy on January 16th and an earlier MRI indicated that dad has small-cell lung cancer which is wide-spread and very aggressive.  

When I first found out dad was sick and came to Tyler on January 27th, he was moving reasonably well  and while he was not very hungry, he was not dealing with any significant pain.  He was able to sit on the couch for several hours, drive to appointments, and eat meals at the table.  The decline between that day and today has been noticeable and entirely too rapid.  Today, dad is not confined to his bed but is only able to walk short distances without needing to rest, is dealing with abdominal pain and spends almost all his time in bed.   

There are new cancer treatments all the time.  However, given dad's age, the advanced stage and type of cancer, and how rapidly it is evolving, the treatments are limited and do not provide enough upside to justify the toll they would take during treatment.   As a result, managing quality-of-life (palliative care / hospice) is the preferred option and has helped dad regain some of his appetite (lots of milk shakes) and effectively manage most of his pain with no significant side effects to date.