First signs of trouble

My sister, Becky, has always been a very persistent girl. So, it was no surprise that the second she overheard my dad saying things like, "Linda, I don't feel right..." and "I'm scared I'm not going to wake up tomorrow...", she practically forced my dad to go to the ER and get checked out. It was then we received the prognosis - my dad's liver was on its last legs.

My sister called me crying - saying that dad was in serious trouble. That's when it hit me pretty hard. I started saying things like, "I'm too young to loose my dad." and "But, I haven't done such and such with my dad yet". Isn't it funny how it takes dire circumstances to reveal what's must important in life? In that moment, I felt so damn guilty for all the times I favored work over spending time with my family. In the end, I feel that this situation will probably impact my perspective when setting priorities.

The ER ran some tests and sent him home the same day with some diuretic medication (medication that will that will help drain some of the excess fluid in his system). The ER also made an appointment for my dad to see his Family Doctor.

Once my dad returned home, he invited me over to his house to talk. I left immediately.

After a few minutes of small talk, the room went silent. I've never seen my dad this scared before - or my mom. I could tell by the look in their eyes that this was different - this was life and death. All my dad said was, "Its bad, son. Really bad. I want you to prepare yourself..."