Many, if not most, of those who regularly read Random Fate already know of the situation with my father.

Even if the recurrence of his cancer is from the bladder and prostate cancer he had in April of last year, the long-term prognosis is not good, and if it is cancer that originated in his pancreas, then he is likely in his last year of life, a year that will not be pleasant, even if I intervene with my beliefs that if there is no realistic hope, then morphine administered liberally until death is preferable.

Yet, the man my father is and has always been is not recognized in any of this, and his deeds and accomplishments need to be acknowledged.

You see, my father has always done the right thing, even when it was inconvenient, even when it was painful, even with it resulted in a loss for him.

My father has been the shining light guiding my life.

Was he perfect?

No, no man is, not for around 2000 years.

But, he did his best.

Can anyone ever ask for anything more?

I have been extraordinarily fortunate, because both my parents, for any problems or faults they had or have, they both have always tried their best for their children, for me and my brother.

What else can anyone expect or ask?

Now, at what is regarded as a young age, “only” in his early 60’s, my father may well die. No retirement, no “golden years” of relaxation.

I have done my best to tell him how much I appreciate his guidance and his example, but it seems inadequate even though I have told him in no uncertain terms. Nothing seems enough compared to what he has given me.

How can you honor the man who has shown you how to be a man; a person who is the best, wisest, and most honorable man you have ever known, a man who set an example you can only hope to follow?

Unfortunately, the news on my father today is not good. Last year he was diagnosed with bladder cancer, and when they removed his bladder and his prostate, which was removed as a prophylactic measure, the biopsy showed cancer in his prostate.

He underwent six months of chemotherapy, at the end of which he was pronounced “cancer-free.” He has had several “scans” (I assume MRI or CAT scans) to check for reoccurance since then with consistently negative results.

Last night during the surgery to remove the blockage in my father’s intestinal tract, the surgeon found several tumors, including one described as “large” that he felt are malignant. What limited information I have is that if the cancer arose from his previously treated cancer metastasizing, they believe they can recommence the chemotherapy to reduce the size of the tumors so they can be removed. If the origin is from his pancreas, which is suspect because problems with this organ prompted the current hospitalization, I do not know what the treatment options might be.

Given that the surgon described one tumor as large, I must now wonder about the efficacy of the scans that my father underwent both in the course of his chemotherapy and afterwards. Perhaps his current cancers grew with remarkable speed in the months since his last scan, but my gut is forcing me to question his entire course of treatment since he was first diagnosed with cancer 18 months ago.

I may have to make some major changes in my life soon, depending upon the news I receive in the next few days. Needless to say, blogging will be taking a back seat.

I’m signed up for a blog-interview at Basil’s Blog, and the closing date for questions is Friday, November 4, so if you have a question you want to see me try to answer, go to Basil’s interview page, or click here.

Some of the email messages sent by former FEMA director Michael Brown have been released. They do not make Brown, who is currently acting as a “consultant” and still receiving money from FEMA equivalent to his salary as chief of the agency, look as if he had a sense of the scope or urgency of the disaster in the wake of hurricane Katrina, nor does Brown come across as the “strong leader” he presented himself to be in the Congressional hearings after the disaster.

While political patronage has a long history in the United States and has been practiced by both parties as a matter of routine, perhaps we as voters should reconsider the position, “It has always been this way,” and begin insisting that many federal agencies should be directed by professionals in the field rather than by people who were given the job because they acted as political operatives for a successful candidate. The price of this patronage may now be too high. The world has changed over the years, we should change accordingly.

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