I think my grandma is dying
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She has never said a negative word about anyone. And she's had plenty of people to hold her tongue about. She stood by her very grumpy husband, through the alcohol, through the meandering...and when he was done destroying himself, she was there for him, out of a sense of duty. And love. If I were married to someone like my grandpa, I wouldn't put up with that crap. But she did. She didn't stay with him out of subservience, or for lack of anywhere else to go. She stuck by him and didn't let his grumpiness affect her for the worse. Putting up with it made her strong and compassionate. It's like she wore a halo...that she earned through trial & error. It deflected the curmudgeon-ness that my grandpa was. He'd watch Benny Hill every night before bed. And my grandma would crochet at his side, turning a blind eye to the filth, but keeping him company anyway. Grandma cared for him while he lost mobility, while he was tethered to an oxygen tank. Emphysema took its toll on him due to decades of smoking. And osteoporosis. He was a tall, frail man as he left the world. Walking with labor, stooped over it was painful to watch him walk. He couldn't walk at all for the last few months. But he had increasing love in his heart as he gradually mellowed out the last few decades of his life.
I just got an email from my brother: Hey, Ang--some bad news concerning Grandma is Casper: About five weeks ago, she fell while getting the mail at her house and broke her leg and wrist. She was hospitalized for about three weeks and then transfered to Life Care Center in Casper. After a week in managed care she developed pneumonia and was put in the hospital again. After being treated she was then sent back to Life Care only to return to the hospital for an ulcer that was aggravated by aspirin. She is now back at Life Care where she'll be staying for about 2-3 mos. while undergoing therapy and recuperation. Her spirits are up and, although she hates the loss of her freedom, sounds good over the phone. I drove up to Casper the day that she was first transfered to LC to see her--she looked like hell, but she was and is in good hands. I don't have her number handy at the moment but if you have any questions feel free to call me this weekend sometime. Sorry this took so long to get to you--my access to the net is limited....c If you call me I also have some news about Mom. She's okay now but was also hospitalized a couple weeks ago. In her case it was a urinary tract infection. Hope all is well with you. - Chris
I backtracked in my mind...he said that, "About five weeks ago, she fell while getting the mail at her house and broke her leg and wrist." I don't know what he meant by "about five weeks ago," but about five weeks ago was her birthday! What if that happened to her while she was getting her birthday mail? How awful. I sent her something around that time, and I agonize to think that if the mail she received that day was just mine, then I BROKE HER LEG & WRIST. But I won't torment myself with those thoughts.
More realistic things to be concerned about are that...To get to the mailbox, she goes down a flight of concrete steps and across the front yard, over some tree roots, slightly uphill. If she fell outside near the mailbox and broke her leg and wrist, she surely couldn't have gotten herself back upstairs into her house to call for help. So was she laying there on the ground in late winter...broken and in pain? How long did it take for someone to find her?
Grandma has always been remarkably healthy. She just turned 80 years old on March 1st. (I had to look that up. I can't believe I missed wishing her a happy birthday!!! ~Angela kicks self really hard~) Over the last couple of decades she's been going blind from glaucoma, she's emerged victoriously from breast cancer, her bones have been weakening, and her heart gave her some trouble, but she is eternally good-spirited. Every time I talk to her she's very upbeat, and she always avoids difficult topics. By my experience anyway. My brother has better conversations with her than I do. Maybe he can get down to the nitty-gritty with her. I hope so.
I don't pray very often...it's been years since I've prayed regularly. But I'm praying for my grandma this evening. As I sat down to check my email I had some food cooking for me in the kitchen, but now I'm saving it for John when he comes home from work. I will fast for my grandma, for the purpose of wishing her comfort and peace in all circumstances.
I just got an email from my brother: Hey, Ang--some bad news concerning Grandma is Casper: About five weeks ago, she fell while getting the mail at her house and broke her leg and wrist. She was hospitalized for about three weeks and then transfered to Life Care Center in Casper. After a week in managed care she developed pneumonia and was put in the hospital again. After being treated she was then sent back to Life Care only to return to the hospital for an ulcer that was aggravated by aspirin. She is now back at Life Care where she'll be staying for about 2-3 mos. while undergoing therapy and recuperation. Her spirits are up and, although she hates the loss of her freedom, sounds good over the phone. I drove up to Casper the day that she was first transfered to LC to see her--she looked like hell, but she was and is in good hands. I don't have her number handy at the moment but if you have any questions feel free to call me this weekend sometime. Sorry this took so long to get to you--my access to the net is limited....c If you call me I also have some news about Mom. She's okay now but was also hospitalized a couple weeks ago. In her case it was a urinary tract infection. Hope all is well with you. - Chris
I backtracked in my mind...he said that, "About five weeks ago, she fell while getting the mail at her house and broke her leg and wrist." I don't know what he meant by "about five weeks ago," but about five weeks ago was her birthday! What if that happened to her while she was getting her birthday mail? How awful. I sent her something around that time, and I agonize to think that if the mail she received that day was just mine, then I BROKE HER LEG & WRIST. But I won't torment myself with those thoughts.
More realistic things to be concerned about are that...To get to the mailbox, she goes down a flight of concrete steps and across the front yard, over some tree roots, slightly uphill. If she fell outside near the mailbox and broke her leg and wrist, she surely couldn't have gotten herself back upstairs into her house to call for help. So was she laying there on the ground in late winter...broken and in pain? How long did it take for someone to find her?
Grandma has always been remarkably healthy. She just turned 80 years old on March 1st. (I had to look that up. I can't believe I missed wishing her a happy birthday!!! ~Angela kicks self really hard~) Over the last couple of decades she's been going blind from glaucoma, she's emerged victoriously from breast cancer, her bones have been weakening, and her heart gave her some trouble, but she is eternally good-spirited. Every time I talk to her she's very upbeat, and she always avoids difficult topics. By my experience anyway. My brother has better conversations with her than I do. Maybe he can get down to the nitty-gritty with her. I hope so.
I don't pray very often...it's been years since I've prayed regularly. But I'm praying for my grandma this evening. As I sat down to check my email I had some food cooking for me in the kitchen, but now I'm saving it for John when he comes home from work. I will fast for my grandma, for the purpose of wishing her comfort and peace in all circumstances.
