Handling the Worst

By Thad Plumley

Nothing truly prepares you for the worst news possible.

I knew my father’s health had declined. I’d seen the weight loss, reduced strength, and constant coughing.
An 83-year-old man who was walking on his own and eating anything he wanted a few months earlier was now getting around slowly with a walker and barely getting down the softest of foods.

I’d seen all of that and knew what it could mean. Yet the breath still left my body, and my heart still hit the floor with the thud of a weight when my father’s text message contained the C-word.

Cancer. Stage 4. Terminal.

Damn.

That was the instant my world changed. Up became down and left became right. Work, which was formerly 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday at the office and Fridays at home suddenly became whenever I can wherever I happen to be.

The most common location has been the kitchen table at my father’s house with him resting nearby in a recliner. The times of work are now those moments sandwiched between appointments with doctors, oncologists, radiation specialists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and even stays at hospitals. There’s already been two of those.

Incredibly, my life has changed less than that of my sister and nephew. They are staying with my dad so my sister can administer around-the-clock medicine dosages and tube feedings as well as keeping an eye on him when I’m not there.

And yet we’re the lucky ones.

No, seeing the loss of someone you dubbed a superhero long ago is heart-wrenching. It’s the firmest of gut punches; one that levels you down to one knee.

My sister and I are lucky, though, because we can be beside our father. We can take him to appointments, give him medicine, and position a soft pillow just right behind his back.

One of the reasons we can do so is we work with excellent teams. I’m lucky I can do my job anywhere but have had coworkers picking up my slack and helping me with tasks since my life changed.

My sister is truly fortunate. Like many of you, she has an occupation where she needs to be at a certain site. However, her understanding company is currently letting her take extended time off to help my father. The team she works with is highly skilled and has handled her responsibilities in her absence.

So, what about your company? Could you absorb the loss of a colleague for a few weeks or would production screech to a halt? Could you be gone for a while? Would everything still get done on time? Safely?

These are important questions. The answers determine the success of projects and potentially even the life of your company. Make sure you and your colleagues know the essential responsibilities of multiple roles.

I truly hope you never get a text like mine. But I feel the need to urge your readiness. Sadly, no one is immune to horrible news.

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Thad Plumley is the editor of WWJ and the director of publications for the National Ground Water Association. He can be reached at tplumley@ngwa.org, or (800) 551-7379, ext. 1594.