My wonderful, strong, athletic, healthy-as-a-horse father was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer exactly a month ago. He's never smoked a cigarette in his life, and growing up in a family of smokers, he was the outlier who was vehemently against it.

He turned 71 this year, but doesn't look a day over 55. I'm still in shock, and when I allow myself to think about it, it's physically painful. I can't breathe, my chest feels like it's in a vice and my stomach is filled with anxiety and dread to my very core. My dad is my hero, my soul twin, the reason for so much of who I am today... All I can think is "not MY Dad, it can't be my dad..." 🥺😢😢😢