I just got home. We have been at the hospital all day. The surgery
went well. Thank the Lord. When I got there and saw her I have to
say she looked like a ghost. I literaly thought she was dead. She
was so pale and frail unlike the grandmother I had seen a few weeks
ago. So very differnt than the pictures in my mind of how she was so
viberant when I was a child. Funny that is how I still remember her.
Walking me home from school, quizzing me on WWI and WWII history. I
mean everything that you forget as you get older somehow seems all
knew again in my mind like it was yesterday.
After we got there, and we saw her she was peacefully sleeping in
this ghost like state. I felt as if this was it. About four hours
later when they were coming to get her for surgery they woke her up.
She had been on morphine until this point so she was relaxed.
Happily when they woke her she reconized my mom, aunt and uncle. She
didn't know me or my uncle's wife but that was fine because she
still knew her three children which was the most important. She was
so much better from the last night. She has demsnsia (sp) as well as
the bladder cancer but given the situation she seemed ok. She was
more alive to me now as she was talking. She asked who I was and I
would say Karen and she would say "Yes Sandy's Baby" ( my mom).
There were complications with the woman before my grandmother in
surgery so by now it was even later.
When we took her down for the surgery we went over the same
questions with her at least a hundred times. Mostly why she was
there, what happen, who was I and so on. This is good because this
is how she usually is.
We had wonderful nurses and doctors. I have to say a few of the
things she did made me laugh and also amazed me. Every doctor would
ask who she was, when she was born and her ss#. She knew it every
time. Then when they asked her where she was she said, " I must be
in the hospital because of all these beds or a big hotel." Then they
asked her is she smoked ( never a day in her life) and she said Oh
yeah I like to have one every once in a while. We said Busia (
polish for grandmother) you don't smoke and she said " yeah I don't"
The mind really is something, to remember her ss# but not know when
she ate or if she smoked. It was really nice to see her in that
light. She was very upbeat but at the same time very child like.
Just as if you had a baby who was so helpless and needed comfort.
Then they went and performed the surgery and they said eveything
went as well as it could. They had to put her under but she came out
ok. The doctor said this is the hard part coming. Either way I'm
happy she is alive but at the same time sad to see her this way. She
is 89 and the last of her 8 sisters. It was a hard day but my girls
were so happy that she was still here. I have to prepare them for
the worst but I still hope for the best. I want her quality of life
to be good. As I was driving home I thought of all of you and how
you have helped me and have become my friends. Thank you for all the
support. I will keep you posted.
One more thing that she did that I loved and will always remember.
The doctor said is it ok if your children answer for you if you
don't know and she said yes. So they said when did you last eat. She
said I don't know. So my aunt said last night at about six she had
some boost. My grandmother very loudly said I ATE A MOOSE. We said
no Busia you had some boost. That was a great moment and a perfect
way to see her off into her surgery. Thank you all. Karen
karen
www.picturetrail.com/karenvictoria
...as I do know you I also know that you will do great with your kids thru this tough time. These times are hard as I know, and you are doing a wonderful job...my thoughts and prayers will continue...