Dad

My dad has diabetes. He has had diabetes since he was 16. When he was younger the doctors told him he wouldn't live to be 35. He and my mom got married thinking that he would die very young. As it turns out, medical advancements have helped him a great deal and he is still with us. He is still working, he still has all of his limbs, and for the most part, he is very gosh darn healthy. Or so I thought. He called me this morning to tell me that he and my mom are going to help me so I can pay for the medical bills that are beginning to pile up. Which is so super awesome of them, and I really appreciate it. But anyhow, he mentions that he isn't feeling so good. Which is kinda common place really. Aside from the diabetes he inherited what we call the "Freid Stomach" from him mom's side of the family. Which means he has a sensitive stomach that bothers him regardless of what he eats. So he is never feeling 100%. But that isn't what he meant. For a while now his doctors have been trying different things to keep him kidneys from failing. But nothing is working, and he is going to have to go on dialysis. Not tomorrow, but sooner rather than later. Which brings up so many questions. Is he going to be able to keep working? Is he going to be forced into retirement because he won't be able to travel anymore?
He also let me know that his heart isn't doing very good. He is 55. But he has had diabetes since he was 16. Which means the "real age" of his heart is 94 (his real age plus the amount of years he's had diabetes.) 94!! Holy crap. Now here is the thing. As far as I understand it, there isn't anything terribly wrong with his heart. It is just really really old. But what can they do about that? Nothing. He would never qualify for a heart transplant because of his condition.

I know that in reality, I need to be happy that his condition has remained to stable for so long. He has lived twenty years longer than the doctor's had originally thought, and it's not like he got a death sentence. I'm just having a tough time coming to grips with the fact that my dad is not going to live forever. I'm only 27, and I don't want to think about this stuff for a long time.