Strange Thoughts of a Strange Man

Dave, my brother-in-law, died at the weekend.

Since Christmas he suffered from the effects of an operation to remove a cancerous kidney, then severe infection and, finally, secondary cancer. He was not out of some form of care in all that time.

He was in hospital for several months after Christmas. Some of that time was in intensive care due to the infections he picked up on the ward. Then he was briefly in a convalescent home before succumbing to another infection and a recurrence of the cancer but this time in his liver and his lungs, leading to another spell in hospital and then a hospice.

He never complained and always put other people first even when he was in pain. He had my nephew arrange a very small birthday party for my sister a few weeks ago.

My sister hardly left his side and had to watch as his condition slowly deteriorated and he became thinner and thinner through not being able to eat.

I feel greatly for her and I can only imagine what she must be going through right now. They had a very strong relationship and now he's gone. She must miss him like mad.