Grandma Update

*big sigh*

They tested her heart yesterday and there is an issue with one of the valves. It's causing her heart chamber & lungs to retain more fluid. They could go in and fix it surgically. However she's 93. Most likely not a good surgical candidate. So they are working hard to figure out a medication regimen that will help her body get rid of the fluid and let her breathe easier.

And if that wasn't enough, when they were testing her heart they found that she most likely has Chronic Lukemia. I say most likey because in order to diagnose, they'd have to go in and get a bone marrow sample. Pretty invasive for a 93 year old. The thing is that it's totally curable with chemo. But again, she is 93 and doesn't know if she wants to go through all of that.

So the social worker told her and one of my aunts that they needed to have a family meeting this weekend with her and all her children. She needed to make her medical wishes known to everyone and come up with a living will. It's the beginning of the end for her.

I guess my Dad is having a hard time with it. And rightly so. I think when someone in your life is sick, you think about all the would haves, should haves and could haves. You wish you could have done things differently. You wonder what your relationship would have been like. But my Dad is kind of a stoic guy who doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve and keeps his emotions close. It doesn't help that it's the busy time of year for him with school getting ready to start and with all that comes from one of your children about to get married.

At any rate, please think of the family. I hope that the living will process is an easy one, as easy as it can be. I hope that they can get her medications regulated so she can come home, where she is most comfortable. I hope that she still has many days left in this world.