September 15 - 19 - Dad In The Hospital

My sister Vita and I arrived in Texas on Monday. She flew out of San Jose, and I flew out San Diego, and then we met up in Pheonix, Arizona and from there we flew to Austin together.

Like always, Nina Irene was right there when we needed her. She picked us up from the airport and took us to the hospital.

I didnt get to see my dad right away, because they had only certain hours as visiting hours. But my sister got to see him a little while after we got there, and she didn't even want me to see him. He was that bad. She warned me that when I saw him, it would be bad. It was. I don't wish it on anyone to see their parents like my sister and I had to see my dad. I wont get into detail on how he looked or anything like that, but it's something I will never forget. I had never seen anyone in that state before. It was just too bad that it had to be my own dad.

That week was awful, and was at that moment and time the worst week I had ever had in my life. It was a week of seeing my dad going through this struggle to stay alive, a week of no sleep, sitting on hospital chairs and floors, a week of not being able to shower everyday, a week of not eating much, just an awful awful week.

But at the end of the week, by Thursday, my dad started to look and feel better. It was so great. He seemed to be back to normal (as normal as he can given the circumstances). He was making a turn for the better and it was noticeable. When Friday came around, it was time for Vita and I to leave. Leaving was one of the hardest things we had to do, but given that it looked like he was doing better, it wasnt as bad as it could have been. We all (my sister, myself and my dad) said what we had to say to eachother, and talked about what we had to talk about, and were in a good place with eachother. All we had to do was wait for my dad to get better so we can have a second chance having a relationship with him. It was time for us to go to the airport, so we said our final goodbye to our dad with a hug, kiss and an I love you. Little did my sister and I know that, that would be the last time we would see our father alive again...

**I do want to thank Nina Irene for being there that week WHENEVER we needed her. She offered anything she can do for us and give us. When she said anything, anytime, she meant it. I will always be indebted to her for that.

**Also, my Tia Olivia. We only saw here once, but the day that she was there for us, was the day that we needed someone the most. I think that at that point we needed our Mom, and she was the closest thing to her at that moment. She was there just for us, and she gave us a shoulder to cry on, and I can't express how much I appreciated just that one visit from her.