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ELTON



Elton Benoit, age 68, was diagnosed with PC mets to liver on January 15th 2003. He started having pain below his ribs in September 2002 and thought it might be an ulcer, but did not seek medical attention until November. A Ct Scan the day before Thanksgiving showed a mass on the Pancreas and spots on the liver, a liver biopsy was negative in December, and he was not told he had cancer until he was hospitalized in January 2003 for a blood clot in his leg. He then started chemo (Gemzar)once a week for 7 weeks. He then got to skip a week and his CA19-9 had gone down from 37,000 to 7800. He had 2 more Gemzar treatments before the CT scan showed more tumors on the liver. The doctor told him the chemo was not working and there was nothing more to do, but Dad being a fighter would not leave until they gave him a treatment. So the doctor gave him 5FU that day and then again two more times, then no more, it was time for Hospice to come in and they were wonderful. He died May 6, 2003, 6 days after Hospice came in. He was able to be home just as he wished and Hospice told us how to keep him comfortable. He went into a coma the day before and that night he called out 'Momma' several times. We played his favorite hymns and held his hands and when he stopped breathing, my brother and my Mom were holding his hands and he was gone, he will be missed. I want to share a few words that I spoke at his funeral.... If I could pick anyone on this earth to be my Dad, I would absolutely pick the man that GOD chose for me. The little man with the biggest heart and big smile that always put his family first. He loved people and doing things for people. He loved teaching new things to his grandkids and he loved playing the guitar and singing. He also loved his garden. He was a physically strong man, as a child, no one was stronger than MY Daddy! I just thought that he'd always be here. But when he was told that he had this horrible disease, he didn't want to know the statistics because HE was going to beat it. And he fought HARD. He was in pain, but he tried so hard not to let us see the pain he was in. He took the chemo when it made him feel bad, because it was the only hope he had to live, and he still had things to do. He was afraid that the grandkids would not remember him, but we won't LET them forget him. When the fight was over, he said that he was sorry the WE had to go through this, not wanting to hurt us, that is the way he was. He fought to the very last battle and now another soldier has gone home. I told him that he will see heaven because of his belief in Jesus Christ and he would soon be playing the guitar for Jesus. I told him that when his Mom comes and tells him to come home, it's time to go and he should go with her, and when it's my turn, I want him to come take my hand and show me the way home. He said that he's not going far. Until then I have lots of memories of a precious man who loved his family and take COMFORT in knowing that he suffers no more. There is no more pain, no more tears, no more needles, no more suffering. Heaven is a little sweeter because now they have my Daddy.

Posted 05/16/2003 10:19 am by DEE IN TN
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