AUTHOR SIGNED COPY- Chris Kern- Coping Caregiver Hospice VNA Cancer Pancreatic

Description: AUTHOR SIGNED COPY- Chris Kern- Coping Caregiver Hospice VNA Cancer Pancreatic FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Heartwarming Memoir Details Last Months with Dad What happens when you suddenly learn your dad won’t be around much longer? Chris Kern explains what it is like to know a parent is dying, and your time with him is limited in his memoir, In Search of the Perfect Onion Ring: A Son’s Stories of Life, Death, Cancer & His Dad. Frank Kern, a well-known figure in Evansville, IN, died in 2015 of pancreatic cancer. His son, Chris, spent much of the last seven months of Frank’s life caring for him. Chris takes us from diagnosis through death as he deals with helping his father through the last months of his life. But this is not just a book about cancer, grief or loss. Instead, through a series of vignettes, Chris talks about the little things that became important in a summer of “lasts:” drives in the country, final visits with friends and family, and the night-time dinner ritual that was dubbed “the search for the perfect onion ring.” He also talks about some of the practical aspects of caring for an elderly parent, including dealing respectfully with another person’s “trash and treasure,” talking about funeral and financial arrangements, and working with other family members. It is a book about the day-to-day life of a father and son, the lessons learned about life, about his father, his sons, and himself. An Excerpt from In Search of the Perfect Onion Ring There are people who want to visit when you are ill. Some are fair-weather friends. Some are people who should see you only early in your sickness. There are few you really want to see before you die. There are some you should see to clear things up. Buzzy and Marie are people who were welcome to the end. We had a great visit before Dad got too sick. He was slow, and I had warned them to break up the day with a rest period, not to plan too many activities, play it by ear. You can be frank with good friends. They respect the situation. They give, not take. Their presence brings peace and joy to a bad reality. We went to the track, ate some good meals at German and Irish restaurants, drank a few beers, and Buzzy told stories. At the very end, there were discussions about another visit. Dad said no. I said come anyway. I knew in my heart it would be good for Dad. I also knew it would be hard on his friends. When I told them to come, I thought it would be good for everyone. In less than 24 hours Dad’s condition had worsened so much the trip would have been a waste. It would have been very difficult for his friends. There was no reason to put them through such a visit. Better to remember Dad from the fun times we had earlier in the year. I asked Beth to tell them not to make the trip.

Price: 12.99 USD

Location: Winslow, Indiana

End Time: 2025-01-25T04:01:36.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0 USD