Another good-bye

OMG! Where do I start? My Daddy didn't make it. He was sicker than we thought. He had surgery, hoping to clear his diverticulitis. His white cell count was too low to fight the infection. I was so blessed to be on vacation so I could spend every day with him. My brother-in-law was there in the morning, I was there from 1 until about 6, and my sister was there for a couple of hours after I left. She and my daughter called the nurses station several times a day and night to find out how he was doing.

For a week, we thought he was improving slowly but surely. Then, Wednesday, March 27, we realized it wouldn't be long before he was gone. The whole family was there Wednesday night, and my sister, daughter, and I stayed through the night. The hospital staff was really nice. They brought us coffee and cookies in the morning for breakfast. I had to go home to take my meds and change clothes. While I was home, my daughter called to tell me to hurry because we had to make some decisions. I told her I'd be there as soon as I could and I'd trust them to make the right decision. He wasn't on life support, just getting glucose and antibiotic IVs and breathing treatments, but we suspended those, and in 12 hours, he was gone.

He was a wonderful man. He was caring, loving, wise, and he was so proud of us. We were proud of him. I adored him. He could do anything. He wasn't afraid of anything. He was a role model for many young men. I can't believe how many people told me that he was the dad they didn't have. Actually, they were the sons he didn't have. Because of that, this branch of the Wiley family tree has died with him. His dad (Pawpaw) had 5 sisters then he had 1 son and 2 daughters. My dad had 2 daughters.

We are really going to miss him. If you want to see a photo show of him, go to www.colonialuniversal.com and click on Alfred Wiley. He's with the love of his life - my mom - now. I know he missed her.

Good-bye Daddy