Received news that my uncle (from my dad's side) had a cardiac arrest and is in critical condition now. Asked dad to head to the hospital but he said it is not urgent, until we received news at night that the doctor(s) declared that he will not wake up anymore, and told his family to inform all other family members to head down to see him.
Fortunately, as one of my managers was on MC today, it means there will be no one to call me at any random moment, and I could find time to rush down to the hospital with my parents during lunch.
As most of my friends will know, I am a very sensitive and emotional person. I cry easily. I can cry for strangers I don't even know as well. I am not close to my father's side at all, but I still teared like mad at the cremation of my other late uncle. When I entered the ICU, I was ok initially, until my dad started telling me that this brother of his looks the most identical to him, like twins, and I started crying for some reason.
Also, there was a brief moment where I was left alone in the ICU with my uncle, because my cousin exited the ICU to change shifts with my father. It was a truly odd feeling, to be left in an ICU alone, with someone who is not too far from being labeled as a stranger to me.
Actually, I do not know what the doctors mean when they say he will not wake up. Does this mean he is in a coma? Does this mean he is brain dead? What exactly are we waiting for? Does this mean there is a chance that he may wake up if the plug is not pulled? I truly have no idea. I asked around (to the adults) but nobody could give me an answer.
This is a truly strange family. Ever since covid and the passing of one of my uncles, this family has stopped gathering, and each time the full family is gathered, it is always the death of a family member. Even during weddings of a family member, it was never always full strength. Are my late grandparents quaking 6 feet under? I truly wonder. It is only through times like this where we get updates of each another's lives.
Today I found out:
- My cousin, Shanice, is currently doing her masters in dance in Germany.
- Her 2 brothers got married and 1 of them has 3 kids and the other has 1.
- My father's sister and her husband is back from Canada months ago.
- One of my uncles quit smoking and drinking after a stroke a few years ago.
- One of my aunt is still kept in the dark about my uncle's situation because she herself is battling cancer. Two kinds of cancer in fact.
- My younger cousin, Sheryl, is waiting for a job offer from NTU.
- No updates about another uncle and his wife because they have not visited their older brother at all. In fact, I don't even know if anyone told his family.
And of course, in every such gathering, there is always bound to have some sort of family drama. Today, my dad decided to pick the fight. He asked the uncle of my wife, unprovoked by the way, if he regretted marrying his sister and if he had ever thought of divorce. I was like wtf, this is not the right place nor the right time. Truly truly, this family is dysfunctional.
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