Entry Twenty Six: "If you're going through hell, keep going." - Winston Churchill

These past three days have been hell, granted, that is what life normally is. However seeing the temperature rise this high is very rare, normally throws me fire and brimstone in waves (key words "in waves"), in fact I get that a lot. But this week is different, it has erupted all at once in just three days, like Krakatoa. And I have been hiking in it since Monday -just like the wise man said to do. But now that I have an opportunity, I must jot it all down.

It began just two days ago (although it feels like a week), on my first day of school... with a phone call from my grand mother. She notified my mother who notified me, that my grandfather was being moved from the retirement home - unfortunately being checked into the Emergency Room. I was told that he could not hold fluids or food, and couldn't breath. So Immediately after getting out of class I rushed over.

I didn't really grasp how serious the situation was until I arrived and saw him lying in the ER. Because he has parkinson's I assumed to find something, well, more related to that. Instead of being correct... he was unconscious, sweating profusely through pale yellow skin, with a high fever. The only calm I found next to his bed, was the small increase in heart rate upon hearing my voice.

I spent the next few moments telling him some of my most fond memories, from picking peaches with him as a child, to the long walks we used to take regarding my old questions about God. I left soon after I saw he was stable, going back to the waiting room where my mother and grandmother were sitting. We were then told to go upstairs to the second floor where they would be taking him. Instead, I went to the cafeteria for some food.

The second time I went to say hello he was awake, and the nurses were getting him ready to be wheeled to a permanent room. I was the first one to see him awake, that, made it more difficult for me to talk. He looked very confused, and very alone. I tried my best to explain the situation. After telling him where he was I saw a calm come over his face, I asked if he wanted to see my grandmother, and his eyes shifted, then tears began to form, I immediately remembered that he couldn't talk, so I answered my own question with, "ill call her right now".

I told her what was going on, but she wasn't able to come down and see him, even though I insisted she did. I knew he wouldn't be awake much longer. When he arrived in his permanent room, and we were given the
(OK) to gather and say hello, along with a diagnosis... everything finally set in. The grim reality of the situation was finally shed light, and the small wave I summed this to be... became an explosion of pain, followed by ash and soot from hell.

The next day (Tuesday) we went back for a visit. Amazingly, he made it through the night and was awake when we arrived. Thanks to some powerful prayer, (but more likely the antibiotics) hope was finally restored. After a few hours of bed side story telling, all three of us went to the mall for a good family lunch... and this, is where the second volley fell from, (or so I thought until yesturday afternoon).

Me and my mother had some sort of Salmon spaghetti and it was delicious. I downed at least seven ice teas as well. But here's why this is actually important. A few hours later after returning home from my fathers, after getting ready for Armor (A church Event), my stomach began acting quiet odd. I thought at first I was just hungry again, so using my brilliant common sense... I went to the worst place possible - Dell Taco.

The next few hours I was only drizzled on, "paradoxical" ash fell. Being in the wrong state of mind to begin with made everything worse (Wondering the point of a man suffering two years, alone, unable to talk or move, when he dedicated his ENTIRE life to "god"). The absolute worst thing to wonder, when jabbing, or attempting to jab at ideas like predestination and free will, as if there's really a point to do that in the first place...

Imediatly after that, just fifteen minutes of being home, my stomach began imploding, upwards multiple times, and downwards multiple times, for hours. On two occasions I had to use the restroom and hold a trashcan in front of me at the same time... experience both... at the same time. Somthing I thought up untill that night, was physically impossible. Really, it lasted until I ran out. Which then lead me to a barley conscious delivery to urgent care, where I spent four hours receiving fluids.

I never knew how amazing an IV drip could be, it was actually a pretty awesome experience. After they inserted the needle (which I actually found out is only used for penetration - afterwards the only thing left in you is a 16 gauge rubber hose) - epic!) I could feel the coolness of the drip flowing through all my veins in the arm I was receiving it in. After about an hour my hand became cold, but my body relaxed, and I fell asleep.

That relaxed feeling vanished when my subconcious realized school was the next morning, and not just school, but my second day of school, a day of school where it would be my first day for specific classes. After waking up, the only thing which brightened my spirits from that obnoxious fact, was my doctor telling me It was food poisoning. Because by the sharp pain in my side, and fear of murphy's law being true, "if there is a possibility of several things going wrong, the one that will cause the most damage will be the one to go wrong", I could have sworn it was appendicitis.

The next day (Wednesday), I spent at home alone, asleep. Around 1pm I received a phone call from my mother, but this time, thankfully, it was about herself. She also contracted some sort of stomach flue. After talking to her for a few minutes about my adventure to urgent care and the prognosis given, we both concluded it was all because of the salmon spaghetti.

Unlike her, I was still unable to retain anything. However the fluids I received the prior night managed to keep me going through out the day. I decided around 6pm to visit urgent care once again, but this time I drove myself - I was given another round. When I left, instead of returning home I drove to my mothers. Where I have stayed until now.

Now today (Thursday) - I have almost recovered. I was able to get most if not all my reading assignments done, so the return to school wont be compleatly insane. But erlier, around noon depressing news came, which really is the climax of this Volcano. My grandfather is not expected to last past Sunday... the family is setting up plans to come down, to asess the situation. Regardless of there decision and regardless of the outcome of impending events... I will continue to fight, "sigh", continue to keep going... it is, the only option.