brittanyh
New member
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2016
- Messages
- 1
- Reason
- Lost a loved one
- Diagnosis
- 09/2013
- Country
- US
- State
- Ga
- City
- Jackson
Hi, my name is Brittany Hyder. I am 14 years old. I have 2 sisters and 1 brother. I have 3 nieces and 3 nephews a long with a niece on the way. I have a mother. Most importantly though, I have a father. Most people would expect me to say had due to he has passed but I do not think of him as gone. My dads name was Bruce (really it was Alvin buT he hated that so he went by his middle name). My dad was tall, had this strawberry blonde hair, and blue eyes that could mesmerize you the minute you saw him. My dad was a man who would be tight with money when it came to himself but if his family needed it, they got it. My dad would jump in front of a bullet for his family. He was the best man in the whole world. At least in mine and my families eyes.
In the month of September, 2013 just a few days after my 12th birthday my dad was diagnosed with ALS. Now when the doctor told him he was ready to just get the medication and go back to work. We had no idea what this disease was or what it did. The only people who knew about my dad being diagnosed was my mom, grandma, and my dad. Me and my siblings didn't find out until later in the month. The first few months were pretty easy after we found out. We knew something bad was happening but we didn't quite understand. My brother was only 9 at the time and both my sisters were in there early 20's. Like I said the first few months were pretty much normal. We had to help him with a few things like changing his shirt and even later on eating. Then it started getting harder. We had help him use the bathroom and shower, just simple everyday things we take for granted. Then he had to start riding in a wheelchair. Getting in my parents big California King bed was really hard so me, my sister April(the pregnant one), and my mom always helped him get In bed. Then he had to get a feeding tube and a hospital bed. By now he had pretty much lost all of his muscle in his leg.
Watching your dad die for 2 and a half years. That's the hardest thing I can imagine. He eventually had a catheter, a feeding tube, a machine that spoke for him, a machine that helped him breathe, oxygen, and was taking morning med, afternoon meds, before dinner meds, and nighttime meds. He ate formula through a tube. He could barely drink. He would get so frustrated. He tried talking to you. You had no idea what he was saying. That was the hardest. Your dad in pain and you have to keep telling him "dad you got to use the machine I can't understand you". Now that he's gone oh what I wouldn't give to say that again. I was the only person at his funeral of probably over 100 people to get up and speak. I thought he deserved that.
The night he passed away. Me, my sister ashley, my boyfriend Ben, my brother, 2 of my nieces, and one nephew all went to the park. It was a great day. Daddy was doing good using his machine. We came home and then me and my sister left again. My best friend jasee came over and we were gonna do our normal Sunday night slumber party. That slumber party was far from normal. At about 9 we had to call a nurse. We did this almost every night so it was normal. This nurse is names Courtney. She was amazing. My dad was her first ever in home visit and she was there until the end. At about 10 my mom got me to come love on my dad. He was freaking out. Now we knew it's because he knew what was happening. I can always calm him down and I did for a while. At about 11 I was told to call my best friend of 10 years and tell her what was happening that he had hours and she needed to come over. He was her father figure. I had to tell my best friend jasee we wouldn't be going to school tomorrow. My brother and nieces and nephew had to come love on there papa. All my family came down from South Carolina and my pregnant sister came over. We were all awake and with him until 3:50 am Monday January 25, 2015 my dad lost his life fighting a terrible disease.
Never will I say my dad stopped fighting because he didn't. He would of kept on fighting. We had gave him so much medicine and the nurses had to keep him calm that finally he went to sleep. He stopped breathing in his sleep.
My dad left behind a 28 year old daughter ashley who had 3 kids. There names are Riley, Cayden, and Kenzie. A 26 year old who has 2 kids a step kid and is pregnant. Her name is April and her kids are Kevin(Martian), Braelyn, Austin, and baby Hasleigh. He left behind me his 14 year old daughter. An 11 year old son. A mother in law who adored him and he loved her. A loving wife, mother, sisters, brothers, friends, and co workers. The one thing I will never forget it walking down the funeral home aisle and seeing every aisle packed full the sides all lined with people and the back packed full.
Daddy I love you and so does everyone else. I pray that you can read this. I also pray that anyone who reads this just realizes there are other people going through the same thing. It is okay to be depressed and it is okay to be sad. But I promise it gets better. Just take every day one step at a time.
In the month of September, 2013 just a few days after my 12th birthday my dad was diagnosed with ALS. Now when the doctor told him he was ready to just get the medication and go back to work. We had no idea what this disease was or what it did. The only people who knew about my dad being diagnosed was my mom, grandma, and my dad. Me and my siblings didn't find out until later in the month. The first few months were pretty easy after we found out. We knew something bad was happening but we didn't quite understand. My brother was only 9 at the time and both my sisters were in there early 20's. Like I said the first few months were pretty much normal. We had to help him with a few things like changing his shirt and even later on eating. Then it started getting harder. We had help him use the bathroom and shower, just simple everyday things we take for granted. Then he had to start riding in a wheelchair. Getting in my parents big California King bed was really hard so me, my sister April(the pregnant one), and my mom always helped him get In bed. Then he had to get a feeding tube and a hospital bed. By now he had pretty much lost all of his muscle in his leg.
Watching your dad die for 2 and a half years. That's the hardest thing I can imagine. He eventually had a catheter, a feeding tube, a machine that spoke for him, a machine that helped him breathe, oxygen, and was taking morning med, afternoon meds, before dinner meds, and nighttime meds. He ate formula through a tube. He could barely drink. He would get so frustrated. He tried talking to you. You had no idea what he was saying. That was the hardest. Your dad in pain and you have to keep telling him "dad you got to use the machine I can't understand you". Now that he's gone oh what I wouldn't give to say that again. I was the only person at his funeral of probably over 100 people to get up and speak. I thought he deserved that.
The night he passed away. Me, my sister ashley, my boyfriend Ben, my brother, 2 of my nieces, and one nephew all went to the park. It was a great day. Daddy was doing good using his machine. We came home and then me and my sister left again. My best friend jasee came over and we were gonna do our normal Sunday night slumber party. That slumber party was far from normal. At about 9 we had to call a nurse. We did this almost every night so it was normal. This nurse is names Courtney. She was amazing. My dad was her first ever in home visit and she was there until the end. At about 10 my mom got me to come love on my dad. He was freaking out. Now we knew it's because he knew what was happening. I can always calm him down and I did for a while. At about 11 I was told to call my best friend of 10 years and tell her what was happening that he had hours and she needed to come over. He was her father figure. I had to tell my best friend jasee we wouldn't be going to school tomorrow. My brother and nieces and nephew had to come love on there papa. All my family came down from South Carolina and my pregnant sister came over. We were all awake and with him until 3:50 am Monday January 25, 2015 my dad lost his life fighting a terrible disease.
Never will I say my dad stopped fighting because he didn't. He would of kept on fighting. We had gave him so much medicine and the nurses had to keep him calm that finally he went to sleep. He stopped breathing in his sleep.
My dad left behind a 28 year old daughter ashley who had 3 kids. There names are Riley, Cayden, and Kenzie. A 26 year old who has 2 kids a step kid and is pregnant. Her name is April and her kids are Kevin(Martian), Braelyn, Austin, and baby Hasleigh. He left behind me his 14 year old daughter. An 11 year old son. A mother in law who adored him and he loved her. A loving wife, mother, sisters, brothers, friends, and co workers. The one thing I will never forget it walking down the funeral home aisle and seeing every aisle packed full the sides all lined with people and the back packed full.
Daddy I love you and so does everyone else. I pray that you can read this. I also pray that anyone who reads this just realizes there are other people going through the same thing. It is okay to be depressed and it is okay to be sad. But I promise it gets better. Just take every day one step at a time.
