My Father's Battle With Cancer

    My dad was the kind of person who hated going to the doctor's office, or any other check-up for that matter, and he was extremely stubborn, so it was nearly impossible to get him to do anything that he did not want to do. My dad took care of himself, but in his own way and on his own time. Little did he know, however, that for the last two years of his life he would spend the majority of his time in one the places that he hated the most- the hospital.
    During my freshmen year of high school I remember my father complaining about a tooth ache for months, but when we suggested that he go to the dentist to get it looked at, of course he refused. My sister, Danielle, and I finally got him to go, but we were completely unprepared for what the dentist was about to tell us. The painful tooth ache that my dad had been complaining about was actually oral cancer caused from smoking cigarettes.
    My sophomore and junior year of high school consisted of many trips to Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston, as well as the local hospital in my hometown, called Central Maine Medical Center (CMMC). At Mass. Eye and Ear, my father underwent surgery to remove the cancer from his mouth and to reconstruct his jaw using bone from his leg. He was cancer free for a few months, which is when he visited CMMC for radiation and chemotherapy. Unfortunately, the cancer came back, now in his lungs, and began spreading throughout his entire body. On February 13, 2009, four days after my mother's birthday and two days after mine, my dad passed away. He fought long and hard for his life, and for that I am so thankful and proud. My dad is, and will forever be my hero.
    I cannot even begin to imagine the pain that my dad went through, but I know that he is in a better place right now, watching over me and protecting me to this day. Experiencing my dad's battle with him, along with the rest of my family, has really opened my eyes and made me realize how precious life really is. Many people do not realize this and take many aspects of life for granted until they are faced with their own death or the death of a loved one. Everyone should live life to the absolute fullest, because life truly is too short to be anything but happy.


<a href="http://www.thefreelibrary.com/John+Richard+DeFosse.-a0194063791">John Richard DeFosse.</a>