I am an only child, whose parents were married for 38 years. My father was everything to me and then some. He cared for me as a child, spent time with me one on one, and molded me into who I am today. We had an unbroken bond, unconditional love to its finest. He was my "knight", my keeper, my protector, if I ever got in any kind of bind at all, he was always there... I loved him more than any man I've ever loved in my life. He taught me everything. November 2007, I notice him dropping weight really fast. He also had a cough that just never seemed to let up. He hadn't smoked in twenty years or so, but he did work in a steel mill at the time. Years before the mill, it was a paper mill for twenty seven years. I kept on him about going to the doctor, and at first he was misdiagnosed with pneumonia and his current doctor never sent him for a chest x-ray. He changed doctors soon after, was sent for the x-ray, and that is when our journey began. December 2007, Stage 4, small cell, lung cancer.... I knew he had it before he even knew. But hearing it, was probably the hardest, validation. I was devastated. I damn near lost my mind. It was inoperable and huge. Dr suggested chemotherapy and radiation, so we went for about 3 trials of that. Nothing, not even quality of life. He thought he was going to beat it. I had already done my homework with his doctor and The American Cancer Society statistics. I knew his chance of survival, with what he was facing. 12 months with treatment.. He stayed in bed and was sick constantly, very few good days. I watched him go from a 257lb man to 158 lbs when he passed away. Procedures to drain the fluid in his lungs. His agony almost killed me, just watching him go through all that. Eventually he couldn't walk and had to be carried. Coughing, spitting up blood, every single agonizing breath he took... He was in so much pain. It takes a special kind of individual to fight a battle like that. I still commend him for doing for us and not his self. August 2009, His month alive. He was supposed to go to Sturgis, for he loved motorcycles and anything to do with them. He had his converted into a trike, because he was frail and couldn't hold bike up anymore. He took a sudden turn for the worst. Rushed him to the hospital and this is where they dying process began. I wasn't ready by any means. They did a scan and found that an enormous blood clot has passed through his heart and stuck into his lung.. There was nothing that they could do for him. It was too big.. My whole world came crashing down. Half of me was leaving with him. They moved him to the nearest Hospice facility, which was right down the road. Wonderful place, amazing staff, overall amazing experience. The dying process is a very traumatizing event, especially when you watch your loved one suffocate to death from their own fluids. He suffered, I made them give him as much pain medicine as he could possibly handle. I watched every single bit of that wretched disease snuff my candle out. I could hear him breathing down the hallway, it was so loud.. They call it the death rattle. Again, very traumatic...
August 31st, 2009, Glenn Jones of Middletown, Ohio passed away at 2:12AM.... I know that in my heart, he would have chosen Death with Dignity. He didn't want his family to watch him go through all of that. No one.. deserves that kind of death. I ask that you please sign this petition, share it, do your part so we can pass this law. Our terminally ill deserve the right to choose. What if it were your loved one. Thank You,
Dana Jones-Nolan
