katzen photos on Flickr

My father had been diagnosed with colon cancer about 13 months ago. He thought that he had a few months to live, but really wanted to take July off from chemotherapy and tried to fit in one too many chemo treatments. I was called by my mom to come home very early on Friday morning. The chemotherapy dropped my dad‘s white blood cell count very low and he had started to become infected with at least one bacterial infection. He was admitted to the ICU and I arrived early afternoon on Friday from Chicago to Rochester, New York. My mom and I spent three days in the ICU reading to him from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy as well as playing his favorite songs and holding up old photos and describing them to him.He was not able to respond to us in any way, but every time we started talking to him, tears would roll down his eyes. As the last ditch effort. As the last stitch effort, we tried dialysis to keep him alive long enough for a white blood cell patch that he had used after the chemo treatment to get his white blood cell count up, which can take a while to work. However, this was not effective, and my dad would not have wanted to be put on full life support. My mom and I wrestled with what to do best to support his wishes and in the end, decided that it wasn’t going to be possible to keep him alive and for him to become conscious again or have a good quality of life. He died on Sunday night.

This experience has really made me very angry with our healthcare system. He never should’ve gotten that last chemo treatment, and although the doctor warned against it, the oncologist also did not explain to my dad how the risk of death was quite significant. My dad really really wanted to live even with all of the side effects he was going through. This is him with one of his cats, Frankenstein, a few years ago listening to music (taken by my mother, Valerie) Hopefully, they are now reunited in heaven.

If anybody does want to read the obituary for my dad, it can be found here;

harrisfuneralhome.com/tribute/details/5213/Crispin-Peters...

"blah blah blah" -- Gracie Jo by Helen Rogers

58 5

Katzen im Abendrot by Dagmar Dinkelacker

82 12

Meine Soraya und Synthia genießen auf meinem ehemaligen Blumenkasten den Sonnenuntergang :-)

Griechenland (Greece), Rhodos , süße Straßenkätzchen unterwegs, 23227 by roba66

74 47

Greece, Rhodes , cute street kittens on the road, ( table)

Früh am Morgen by Uli Assmann

50 15

Hohes Gras in der Masai Mara als Lebensraum für Geparden bedeuten immer wieder besondere Erlebnisse und Momente, besonders in den Morgenstunden - aber auch Herausforderungen, sie auch zu finden.

Die Tiere sind gut getarnt und können sich hervorragend verstecken; eine Beobachtung aus der Ferne ist kaum möglich, aber das macht für mich den Reiz aus.

Gepard in der frühen Morgensonne der Masai Mara - Kenia

Early in the morning

High grass in the Masai Mara as a habitat for cheetahs always mean special experiences and moments, especially in the morning hours - but also challenges to find them as well.

The animals are well camouflaged and can hide excellently; observation from a distance is hardly possible, but that's what makes it so appealing for me.

Cheetah in the early morning sun of the Masai Mara - Kenya

Camille at the front window by Helen Rogers

48 9

It might--or might not--mean she would like to come back inside.

Katze by Andreas Thomet

61 6

Die Hauskatze ist eine Unterart der Wildkatze und deren Haustierform. Sie ist ein Fleischfresser und zählt zu den beliebtesten Heimtieren. Umgangssprachlich wird das Wort Hauskatze für alle Katzen genutzt, die in mehr oder weniger direktem Kontakt mit Menschen leben.

Jimmy in the stripe of light by Helen Rogers

51 11

Katzen Idylle by ingrid eulenfan

104 30

Bardolino am Gardasee

Katzen by Werner Funk

39 9

Katzen Meeting by Ludwig Römer

47 14

La Palma

Mamiya 7II, Objektiv 4/80 mm

Ilford Delta 400