My father, Terrell Renea Gandy, passed away about a month after my 14th birthday. From that day to now, when someone asks how he passed, I usually respond with 'He had cryptococcal meningitis.' Most people won't usually ask follow up questions. Instead, they'll usually say 'Oh. Ok.' Or they offer awkward condolences, most likely because they aren't really sure what they should say because cryptococcal meningitis is not common like diabetes, cancer or heart disease. My reluct