Loyd died today. I wish I could say that I'm wracked with grief, but I think it's a bit of a relief for everybody. Loyd has suffered for so long. I look back on all the things he's been through in the past couple of years and I'm just amazed that he's fought through it all so long. I respect that on a level that's hard to explain. They wrote Loyd off many times. He was in the hospital several times before when the doctors had sort of prepared his family for the inevitable. And each time Loyd rallied and went home. Even this time, there was a feeling that he might pull it off again. And even though he didn't, he lasted a lot longer than anything thought he would.

The Hospice nurse told the family several days ago that it would only be a matter of hours. When I heard that, I told Mama that they didn't know Loyd. It quickly turned into a death watch, but I told Mama that Loyd would leave when he was damned good and ready. And in the end, that's exactly what he did.