Grandma

 

I know all my regular readers are probably wondering where I’ve been lately.  The past month has been a complete whirlwind.  It started off with our quick trip to Busch Gardens to finish up our ambassador program with them.  While on the trip, I learned that my grandmother had been diagnosed with a very aggressive stage 4 lung cancer.  There was no treatment options other than making her comfortable.  We upped our visiting trips to my grandmother, who fortunately was only about 45 minutes away.  Each time we visited, her health was obviously declining.

Last Tuesday, she was in a more aggressive decline.  Confusion, irritation, sleepiness, etc. We were still able to talk and I knew she was in her final days.  It was a very painful time and I’m so thankful for my assistant Edith for keeping some things rolling for me.

On Wednesday, she took a sharp turn for the worse.  Her O2 dropped to 80 for a bit and took a while to recover.  I got to her house as fast as I could and made it just in time for the transport that was taking her to hospice.  The transport guys were super sweet and allowed me to ride with my grandmother to the hospice.  That ride was so emotional but was a great time of bonding as well.  I held her hand as tight as I could the entire trip.  The rest of Wednesday seemed to go ok.  Hospice made her comfortable and I didn’t leave her side until late New Years Eve night.

Thursday, New Years Day, I arrived back early to the hospice.  She was unresponsive.  She briefly woke for a few seconds later in the day but went back to a state of unconsciousness.  Occasionally we could get her to mumble a yes or no or an “I Love You”.  New Years Day around 10:50pm, when all was nice and quiet, Grandma breathed her last.

This was a really hard and trying time for my family.  Cancer is such a horrid disease that is taking far too many of my loved ones.  I thank you all for your patience and encouragement during the past month and for sticking with me on this journey.

Erin