New Granny Update Space January 6, 2008
Posted by Chris in Family & Friends.Tags: family, gail, granny
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Havent left messages in Granny’s other entry for a while, mostly because Granny has been doing pretty good.
I decided to start a whole new and fresh entry for her here. Either mom or I talk to her almost every day, but at least a few times a week. Thankfully Rual stops by her house a couple of times a week and makes sure that she is doing okay with her meds, etc, and she really sounds spunky on the phone. Our plan is to get up there sometime in the early spring to see her.
Between Mom and I and Jay, we will keep this new entry updated with Granny reports as we talk to her.
I know, I need to get some new pictures of Granny scanned.
Granny called Mom today. Mom described her as “spunky” and “chatty”, going down her list of things she wants to talk about. Its cold up there, but she plans to go to the casino tomorrow, so we will check in with her to see if she wins the big jackpot.
I admire her casino skills. She knows when to quit. I just throw $40 on the floor and leave. Much easier. I got the nicest letter from her at Christmas and she was doing well. It tickled me that she took the time to write me. Nobody writes anybody anymore. What a good soul.
Mom hasn’t been doing a great job of updating the blog here but she has talked to Granny several times in the last week and can report that she is doing well and has even made a trip to the casino.
Right, I keep forgetting to update the blog. I talk to Granny a lot, and she sounds good. She’s gone to the casino several times and sometimes even comes out ahead!! The weather keeps her in, it’s been 0 degrees there, with snow. Rual sorts out her pills…she’s got so many of them it’s confusing to keep track. We’ve solved all of the world’s problems, argued about the political race, fussed about the weather. If they’d just ask us, there wouldn’t be any problems anywhere…..
Again, I keep forgetting to update blog. I talked to her yesterday and she sounds good. We’ve got the world problems worked out and even the presidential election. We know how to fix everything and if they would just let us, there would be no more problems anywhere. She’s doing some craft/painting projects and has her card table out where she can get to everything. It’s cold there, of course, and the weather limits anyone getting out much unless necessary. I will try to remember to update this more often…..
Talked to Granny this morning. The management at her apartment are preparing to remodel, recarpet, put in new windows, etc, so she is a little distracted with that. She spend a couple of days last week in Red Wing visiting her niece. She still has a cold and I am not convinced that it isn’t a dust alergy, because she does collect dust of various varieties. Other than all of that, she sounded good and had a few political observations as well ( as most of us do ).
Its been a long time since I posted a Granny update. Mom is supposed ot be doing this but she hasn’t kept up either. Granny is excited because her neice, Tinka, is flying her in to Phoenix to spend the week of granny’s birthday (june 4) with her sister, Short. The sisters have not seen each other in over a year and they always have fun together. Granny has promised to check in with the doctor before and after her trip, and her other neice, Heidi, will be flying with her and helping her to navigate the brutal TSA process at the airports in Minneapolis and Phoenix. This is a good time to go — any later and it would be too hot for granny who “doesnt do the heat well.” Granny will be 87 years old on June 4th…not bad for an athelete like her. She had to have a tooth puulled in the last coupel fo weeks so she is a little irritable about that, but she is otherwise doing well and, of course, very interested about the big move to New Jersey.
Granny wasnt able to make the trip because Heidi’s family wass affected by the horrible tornadoes in Minnesota. Our prayers go out to our Minnesota family in this tough time.
We talked to Granny last weekend and she was very excited about getting to go to a new Casino with several of her friends. She sounded very good, but was pretty mad that she had just paid $40.00 to put gas in her car. She also just purchased a new recliner/rocker for her living room! It’s about time!!!!
Great Granny News…… she is coming out to New Jersey to see the new digs in November when Roseanna comes. Thanks to neice Tinka for helping to make this happen! Her docs have given her the green light amd she is excited about the trip.
Granny came to visit in November right before Thanksgiving. It was a pretty tough trip for her but one that she wanted to make and it was good for her to make. (Many thanks to Rual, Roseanna, andn Tinka for helping to make it possible for her to travel)
After she returned home we learned that Granny’s kidneys are in Stage 5 (the worst) failure, with less than 15% function left. This is a result of her heart condition. Quite simply, her heart is sick and doesn’t pump well enough, even with the pacemaker, to feed the rest of her body. It has been a deteriorating situation for quite some time, and it is amazing to me that she has done as well as she has for as long as she has. Granny has decided not to undergo dialysis treatment. She also clearly understands what that decision means. Without it, her kidney function will continue to decrease until they fail altogether. It is not a painful situation and we are blessed right now that her symptoms are very limited. Since the diagnosis she has been taking things day by day, keeping her routine, although she has also agreed to making arrangements for hospice, a need the is inevitable and coming quickly I’m afraid.
While I was in Texas on Dec the 23rd she was admitted to the hospital and we were prepared for the worst. Her kidneys are failing and of course she has a bad heart. Her difibrulator has been also been disabled. I was dealing with being caught in Texas, bad weather in MN where she was, and not knowing exactly what to do since I am the POA for her.
The ultimate prognosis I described earlier has not changed but she is nevertheless amazing in spirit and will. It is very difficult to manage this situation long distance, something Granny knew could some day be a challenge when she decided years ago to live so far away. I had to make the hard decision to move her to a care facility last week in Roseville, MN. I just had to make sure she was safe, and she could not go home. The doctors say she is at the point where she has to be monitored constantly.
So, thanks for the ongoing prayers and best wishes. We know the near future is going to be tough but we still have a lot of hope, and so does she.
Granny is still at the LakeRdge Nursing Home in Roseville, MN, and she isn’t happy about it. When I talked to her this morning she said that she was going to start asking around there about going home, and she instructed me to to do the same. All of this, of course, only hours ater she woke up not knowing who she was or where she was until she wandered down the hall to the nurses station to ask. He cognative faculties come and go very quickly and I completely see why she cannot be alone.
Physically she is eating pretty well, but she is on O-2 pretty much all of the time. Family conference with the doctors on 1/13 – we’ll see what they say. In the meantime, just getting a handle on her finances and getting all of that under control has been a handful – seems she had been overpaying the electriic company for two years and has a huge credit at her apartment. I am very thankful for Rual, her nephew, who has been onsite helping out with as much as he can. I plan to get to Minnesota later in the month to see her.
Two things… First, your Granny is one lucky lady to have you as a grandson. I know you want to fix this and make everything alright. You can’t, but you are certainly doing everything in your power to see that Granny is treated the best she can be,
Second, you are blessed with a granny that is strong and fearless. If she were not the woman that she is, all of this would be far more difficult than it has been.
Remember that we are here for you anytime you need us. Nobody can go through this for you, but we can certainly offer a shoulder.
Chris, just want to say that your Dad and I are thinking of you, Jay and your Mother at this time when your Granny is so ill. This is a difficult time, for your Granny and for all of you. I went through this 2 years ago with my mother and it was very difficult. Your Granny sounds like a very tough lady. Your Dad has nothing but good memories of her. We both wish her the very best during these health challenges, and you all are in our prayers.
Much love……
Just found this page, you know how very slow my internet is. I know you are busy taking care of Granny but I was worried. You and of course, Granny are always in my prayers, I wish there was something else, I could do. If you have time tell her she is in our prayers and she has a great grandson who loves her every much. Call when you have any time. Miss you and Love you Judy