Update

It has been a long time since I have posted. My last post regarding my dad has an ending. He passed away, gently, on July 24, 2010. It was no great dramatic scene where he was surrounded by his family. We all knew that he was dying, but he was not in a crisis situation when he breathed his last. He just slumped, and was gone.

Those last few weeks were very hard on him. The 'nothing by mouth' order my dad described as 'torture.'
In retrospect I don't know what the right choice would have been for him in that state. The feeding tube kept him alive, but he was miserable at his limits, with his mouth exceedingly dry. This was not something that any of us knew ahead of time. And despite the experience of the health care workers who might have had a solution to his discomfort, we never had any effective answers.

Rest in peace, Dad! Enjoy that candy bar and a nice long drink of water.