When my father was sick, there were a lot of things he had to experience that we all would have thought would make him/us say exactly what you have said. However, he spent much more time thinking about his kids and grandkids and how he needed to tell him he loved them and spend as much time as possible with them as he could before it was over.

No, it's not nice, but mindsets can change drastically when faced with the actual prospect. It's likely he is focusing more on how loved he is and/or how much he loves you.