Sorry for being gone so long. It has gotten a little crazy around our house lately.
On Thanksgiving morning Pat's grandma had a seizure that was pretty serious, so we've been spending some quality time at the hospital. Luckily she was staying at Stef's (Pat's sister) house so that there was someone there to call the ambulance, or we would have lost her. She normally lives by herself.
They had to put her on a ventilator in order for her to breathe. She was in a deep coma for a day or so, then was awake enough that she was able to wink at us and squeeze our hands. It was pretty scary to see her like that.
Pat's parents drove all the way up from Yuma, AZ in one day to be with her. Once everyone was here, the decision was made to take out her breathing tube so that she could actually talk to us and tell us what she wanted. Once the tube was out, she started breathing just fine on her own and didn't need it anymore.
The doctors did lots of test and scans, and determined that she has a cancerous brain tumor. She elected to have brain surgery to try and remove the tumor. It took them several days to get the equipment to the hospital for the surgery. In the meantime, they discharged her from the hospital and sent her back to Stef's house for a few days.
She won't be able to live on her own ever again, and she is not very happy about it. There is a nice new assisted living facility near Stef's house, so she got a room all set up there and had a chance to get used to it for a few days before going back to the hospital for the surgery.
When they did the surgery, they determined that the cancer had spread enough that they would not be able to remove it, but it did seem to relieve the pressure on her brain a bit. They said no chemo for her, but that radiation is an option if she wants to look into it. She hasn't decided anything yet. She is just trying to get strong enough to leave the hospital again.
Her memory seems to be the thing most affected by the tumor, but in mostly minor ways (like not remembering a certain word). We thought we were going to lose her right after Thanksgiving, so we are very grateful that we get some more time with her, however long that might be.
We love you Grandma!
3 comments:
I'm glad to hear an update on her. I am amazed they did the surgery and am very glad to hear she is doing ok.
I will keep you all in my prayers. Thankfully you have a little more time with her! Thanks for the update.
I sure like Grandma Belle's name - it's so lovely and old fashioned!
Post a Comment