She's been having trouble breathing over the past few months and just recently returned from a one and a half week stay in the hospital, where she spent her 89th birthday. Mmm, mystery meat and Jell-O!When she returned from the hospital she was quite needy, though still as strong as ever. Her vital signs were constant and strong. Her will to get things done was even stronger. The VNA came a few times a week to check on her and she started on some physical therapy. She was doing arm exercises with two 20 oz. cans of tomatoes and lung exercises with a little blue gadget that when she inhaled she had to make the little white ball hit the top. She excelled at all of her exercises, but was mostly living in her bedroom at this point, which was on the same floor of the house as the bathroom. It was too exhausting going up and down the stairs, she was stubborn and just didn't want to do it.
Thankfully, Gram came downstairs and spent Thanksgiving dinner with the family. She got to see her kids, grandkids and great-grandkids. She ate a full meal and then went back upstairs to rest. Long days like that were beginning to tire her out real good.
Two weeks after Thanksgiving, a few days before she died, she wavered in and out of lucidity. One minute she was sitting there "playing the lottery" (in reality, she was sitting at the table with her hands resting on top) and the next minute she was smiling and telling us about her life when our Vava and Voovoo (great-grandparents) were alive. It was then that I knew she was starting the decline, though I was determined to deny it.
Wednesday she stopped breathing in late afternoon and was taken to the ER according to her wishes to be resuscitated. She was on a respirator and drugs to bring up her blood pressure, but her pressure was going down as her body was fighting to go. When the decision was made to provide comfort measures, the respirator and drugs were removed, and gram started breathing on her own and her heart rate went up from 52 to 77 beats/min. The doctor's mouth was agape; he was amazed to see her breathing on her own and have improved vital signs. She fought on for another half hour as we coaxed her on, telling her that it was okay, we loved her and we were ready if she was. My sister and I stood at the end of the bed, rubbing her feet. Dad was caressing her hair and forehead. My aunts were holding her hand and arm. We all took turns saying our piece, telling her who was there with her, wishing her the best. Father Michael came and gave her the last rites, anointing her with holy water. My gram was a devout Catholic. She was ever so faithful to her God and her church.
Eventually, gram passed on and we stayed on longer in the ER, not wanting to leave her just yet. There was also a little confusion and mis-communication about when to leave. We thought we were waiting for the coroner to come pick her up and the coroner was waiting for us to leave. Hehe, it was a nice bit of humor to top the night off. It also gave us time to decompress and sit around talking about her before we left the hospital.
When we brought my aunt home, to the house she shared with grandma, my mom said that the house looked different. I didn't see it at first, but when I watched my aunt pull her car in the garage and walk around the car towards the yard, everything changed. My gram's car was no longer in it's place. Her hands would no longer touch the clothesline. Her neatly folded newspapers would no longer be waiting on her chair in the kitchen. She would never again poke her cute little face out the door and wave to me as I pulled out of the driveway.
All of the little things that my grandma did were incredible. She cared so deeply for her family and was the matriarch of our very large extended family. Even our friends were instantly enamored with her upon introduction. Her sweet, sweet smile could melt any frost. I will always be thankful that I had so many years with her on this earth. I only hope that someday we will meet again. And until that time, I know she'll be walking around Heaven with my grandfather...flitting around with her new angel wings.
I love you Grandma, thank you for giving me the world.
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