I wasn't with my family for thanksgiving. I should have been, but I had work. Anyway, my grandpa was having serious problems breathing that day. The next day my grandma rushed him to the hospital.
Fifty-five years of smoking catches up to you eventually, and for my grandpa that was the day that it all hit. It felt like everything that could possibly be wrong with him was wrong with him. The most unpleasant thing about this happening during the holidays is that I had finals coming up...I was really busy. I guess that thats sort of selfish thing to say.
My mom, her sisters and my grandma were there every day. They had everything organized into shifts so that he was never alone at the hospital. I came when I "could".
My grandpa was always an outspoken man. Now he had a tube down his throat. He was sedated for what felt like weeks. Every now and then he took what the doctors affectionally called a "sedation vacation", they would wake him up and give him an update about what was going on and make sure that he was okay. Soon enough they let him go home.
He wet home and had a stroke. It was a "minor stroke", whatever that means. I guess that that means that he didn't die.
Back in the hospital, he was doing terrible. I wish that I knew medical terms. I've never been sure how much prayer really helped, but he started doing well and they let him out of the hospital and into a rehabilitation clinic. My mom was a mess, she had hardly slept. She spent days worrying that she had picked the wrong place to put him into.
He could identify letters, but he couldn't read words. Since he had had the tube down his throat he couldn't talk. He had some motor skills, but his strength and endurance was at a minimal.
Rehabilitation went well, and on Christmas day he was allowed to leave for three hours to spend time with the family. He could say words but it was really difficult for him. Sometimes I felt like I was the only one who could really understand him. I guess that that was a blessing. Still, I can't even imagine being in a position where you can't dictate basic things to people that are close to you.
On new Years Day, they let him go home. He does sort of an outpatient thing now. Call it a New Years Day miracle.
There are still problems now. He can't always communicate the things that he needs to to my grandma. A few days ago he told my mom that he felt like he was "high". My mom talked to my grandma about the medications. He was taking WAY to much anti-anxiety medication. That's been settled.
Today I went to go visit him. he's doing great, but he's not perfect. Maybe I want too much.
5 comments:
I'm sorry. This is so terrible. But at least things are working out somewhat.
I always enjoy reading your posts; Your writing style just clicks with me it seems. However, I'm so sorry to hear about that! I'm glad to hear he is doing better now, though. I'll for sure be praying.
I'm so sorry this happened! I will be keeping your Grandpa in your prayers! Hopefully he continues to do better and better!
I glad to here that you gpa is doing better. It must be really hard to see your gpa go through that and not be able to be there for him. Being a busy person i could understand how that feels
Super intense. I remember when my grandfather had a stroke. He hasn't quite been the same (no more golf!), but he can still communicate with us, and we love him very much. Praise God that He is gracious and merciful in our lives. :)
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