age 76
Told by daghter Jeanette
Jerry Bud Farguson "popa"
Dad was diagnosed with bladder cancer in May 2002. He started "peeing blood" I took him to the local emergency room where they did test [ cat scan, urine, blood test] they referred him to a urologist whom did a "scope" and took a biopsy the doctor said it was not invasive and he thought he got it all. To be on the safe side sent him to an onocoligst who then wanted to start chemo.
Dad did really well on chemo with none of the usual side affects until his last week then his blood count went really low causing a heart attack which was followed by stent placement [ he had a quad by-pass in june of 2000 and one stent in 2001 a stroke during the by-pass] after about 4-5 weeks he was bleeding again the uro went back to do a "scope and fulgrizing to stop the bleeding and found the tumor was back and invading the wall .
At this time radiation was started after about 2 weeks of radation he started bleeding really bad went back in to "scope" now it was invading the "dome as well" because of his heart health, diabetes, stroke, the doctors refused to take out his bladder. Dads blood counts continued to drop steady causing him to have blood transfusions every two weeks he was getting 90,000 units of procrit, neupagen etc. I.V. iron transfusions weekly during the year he ended up having 21 "scopes" to try to control bleeding to no avail.
I then took him to do a course of hyperbaric oxygen chamber therapy everyday for 3 months the doctors said this might help to improve his heart, stroke, diabetes as well as the bladder it didn’t work either I begged and pleaded with the doctors to do something. the uro suggested MD Anderson cancer center so this was my next path took him to houston about 400 miles from where we live they did a battery of test there another "scope" and biopsy and said they wouldn’t consider taking his bladder out either but as a last ditch effort to do something they wanted to instill mitomycin directly into the bladder so we did this and dad was fine for six weeks no bleeding pretty much back to his old self. then we were getting ready to instill the second treatment and he started bleeding profusley again the uro went back in with a "scope" and fulgurized again then instilled mitomycin again this time it didn’t help at all two more "scopes" after this and four more blood transfusions nothing worked to help him.
On February 16, Dad went back in for another "scope and fulgarizing" not helping at all in fact his pain was so bad I had never through everything seen my dad cry and this time he was hurting so bad he was. He was in the hospital and not having any urine output they called in a nephrologist and ran a new battery of test now he was in complete renal failure the tumor had grown into the kidney. The doctors said there was nothing else they could do and suggested we call in hospice. so we called in hospice and I brought dad home on February 18,2005.
Dads Final Days
The doctors told us he had 2-5 days I spent every minute day and night caring for him we managed to control his pain with morphine patches and liquid morphine for the first 3 days we gave him everything he asked for all his favorites he would hug us play with his grand kids talk to us he fought a good fight he kept telling me he had the best of care but I kept telling him it wasn’t good enough.. Dad kept fighting but you could see it was taking a toll on him he slept more ,hurt more, he wasn’t eating , drinking he was still talking to us but pretty much quit doing anything else he always wanted me to rub his head so I spent most of my time rubbing his head and talking to him nine days after I brought him home I was sitting on his bed holding his head and rubbing it when he sat stright up in the bed and said "I AM GOING AND I LOVE YOU MOSTEST" he laid his head back in my lap and took a big breath it was his last.
Jerry Bud Farguson peacefully passed from this life Saturday evening, Feb26,2005 surrounded by his loving family.
Jerry was born in Witcha Falls, Texas, on Sept.28,1928 to Bernice and Margaret Farguson. He moved to Oklahoma as a teen. He served in the Korean War in the 1950’s. He married the love of his life on Dec.7,1953, and moved back to the Texas area in the 1960’s. Together they had ten children.
He was preceeded in death by his parents Bernice and Margaret; a stepmother Etta; his sister Coleen; his brother Jack; and grandchildren John and Jerry.
Survivors include his wife of 51 years Juanita; daughters Jeanette, Margaret, Sandy, Alma, Laura; sons Jerry Jr. Johnny, Jackie,Jimmy,Joe; 21 grandchildren 26 great grandchildren; sister Sarah; brother Jim; lots of nieces and nephews and many loving friends that will miss him terribly.
Jerry and Jeanette