Ttbmaat,
My Father was diagnosed back in June 2006, he had 4 children, 9 great, and 6 great great. My brothers and sisters opted to tell all of Dads illness, the prepared the ones that could understand to what they would see when they saw him. My Father had Hospice come in in December 2006, the children all came in a spent time with him, also Dad had requested visits from the kids, he slept most of the time due to the meds, but I am sure he knew who was there. He passed on 01/12/2007 at home, all the children from 7 years and up were there after he passed to see him once more and to say goodbye, I personally had mixed feelings on this, but the Hospice social worker told us that death is a part of life, and no one should be sheltered from that fact. Once Dad was put in the hospital bed that was supplied by Hospice, he passed 4 days later, the Hospice nurse came in and checked him, his blood pressure was 80 over nothing, his pulse rate was 132, he passed 5 hours later. See your Dad as much as possible, tell him how much you love him, all the children in my family all wrote him letters, in which he read. I loved my Father and it was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life, I was holding his right hand when he passed, I am still pretty messed up, and probably will for a long time to come, but there are comforts, noing he is no longer in pain, and when I have a sad thought, I marry it to a good memory. I hope I have helped you in some way. I also am in Michigan. My thoughts are with you and yours.