I just got back from the hospital.

My grandfather called me last night in a panic, asking for me and my brother to get to his house quickly.

My grandmother had blacked out for a second and fell. She was bleeding and beat-up from the fall, but seemed ok.

Got her to the hospital last night. She had a CAT scan, and it showed bleeding on the brain and a possible tumor.

Another CAT scan today reveled the bleeder is active, and more blood is present.
While we were visiting today, they took her for an MRI to get higher resolution images of her lungs and brain.

They are thinking cancer. Probably started in the lungs, and worked it way to the brain.

Her high blood pressure, and her prescribed blood thinners were probably a good thing.

I allowed the blood to "leak" without a high pressure rupture.

The pressure slowly increased. She was just sitting for dinner last night, when she decided to get something. When she stood, she blanked and was on the floor.

She stayed conscious the remainder of the time, and has a little slur, but her personality and memory do not seem much affected.

She has a little numbness in the left palm, but she says its not "really" numb. It feels more "thick skinned" than numb.

If you have ever slept on your arm wrong, and had "pins and needles" or you arm was "asleep", that is more of the feeling....she says.

There was some minor blood loss in to the brain, but like I said, it was a slow leak.. not a BURST. So luckily, the doctors do not think there is any brain damage.

As for the cancer, they are speculating now, as they have no resulting blood work to show cancer markers, no biopsies and what-not.

I guess there may be a craniotomy in her future, and hopefully she recovers.

My folks flew up from Georgia on a moments notice, and another aunt of mine was there. This is my moms, mom. My moms has one other sister who just moved to Hawaii a few months ago, and I expect she will be heading back shortly, if not en-route already.

Emotions are some strong things, I tell ya.

 

Sorry to hear this, hope her recovery is quick.

 

Those calls from a hospital about a family member will really do a number.

Best wishes as to the outcome.

 

Blessings to your family,hope for a full recovery.
All things are possible.

 

I emphasise with you reched. I really do.

Please, make your grandmother feel she is the best thing in the world.

 

Amen brother. I've had similar situations, my Dad stopped answering the phone about 3 years ago, I drove 180 miles like a maniac, and found him on the floor in the bathroom.

My prayers are with you, her, and your Dad.

 

Thank you all.

Talk about exhausting.

It will really take it out of you.

Shes a great person... After all she gave me my genetics


She has always been showered with love and attention, and that increased 10 fold.


Kind of nervous about what tomorrow will bring. I really dont want bad news.

I dont deal with it so well. Longevity is almost a trait in our family.

My fathers father lived to be 94. His mother is still alive at almost 90.

My mothers father is 78 and mothers mother is 77.

So, I have not had to deal with much in the "Departing this Earth" department.

I have lost a non-related aunt (Moms best friend, I didn't know we were not related until I was almost 16), and My dads dad. In 33 years.

Not that Im ready to let her go, or that she is READY to go.

Even though the 'C' word (cancer) has been thrown around, nothing is in stone. Cancer has never been mentioned in my family. Everyone related to me that has died, has been from "natural causes".

The doctors were talking about sending her home already, to get her left side back to full strength, then taking on whatever may be.

This is only 1 day old. The results from many of the blood/fluid tests and the MRI wont be detailed to us until tomorrow(Wednesday).

And to top it all off, I cant use my Blackberry while visiting her to check AAC.


Thanks again, all.

 

I saw my father's father when I was at home,he is 84,still look health ,but he cant walk stably now.old is scared,death is scared.

 

I understand. My mom lasted a lot longer than any doctor gave her, and it wasn't pleasant. Death can be a mercy, sometimes.

 

Sorry to hear that. Hope she recovers, like your elbows. 77 is far to early.

 

Hey... I pray that she recovers to good health.

Wish her to be around to see little retched's running around.

 

Im hoping for the opposite.

I dont want to have to pray for death just to end her pain.

Quietly pass in the night?

I dunno. I dunno. I dont know.

I cant even imagine little retcheds right now.

 

U know retched..It's not actually for us to decide when to end any one else life.

What comes with such prayers are pretty bad.

Instead pray to end her suffering. Every one dies when his/her time comes.

Some die with ease, some die with pain. Even though I know why people live long and others suffer death, I cannot tell those to friends. Cause I know nobody likes to hear those reasons.

I can only tell why those who suffer is because there is a reason to it. I have a grand ma who is suffering and she's about 80. She sometime recognizes me, sometimes I'm her sister and other times I'm the brother. And sometimes she's just impossible to handle. Every one hopes her to die without pain. And we know why she is suffering too but we can't help it. I just pray to end her suffering.

 

Like the other's I hope for a good out come.

I had two of those strokes like that in May 2010. They are really scary.

Again best wishes for you and your grand mother.

 

Hope everything goes well. It's not much fun.

 

No. Fun it is not.

shortbus, you recovered already? From May?

That is really good. Were you walking past the hospital when they happened?

It's weird, but only a day or so into the hospital, and she has already started to "recover". Her speech is less slurred, although it was barely slurred to start with. So that has improved, but she still talks a little slower.

She got the dates right when asked, but she was off by a millennium. 1011 was a LONG TIME AGO.

I didn't get any information today, because she was too nervous and fidgety in the MRI machine, so it must be re-done under sedation.

So, I still have no further info.

She says the only pain she has is a minor headache..which is good considering her brain is swollen and bleeding.

Luckily she broke nothing in the fall. Being confined to a bed can cause this to go downhill much worse.

An occupational and a physical therapist came in today, to get her out of bed and into a chair.

I feel that is a good thing. They said she will likely be moved out of MICU and into a standard medical ward.

I dont know what news they are basing the move on, but hopefully its good news.

 

No. Fun it is not.

shortbus, you recovered already? From May?

That is really good. Were you walking past the hospital when they happened?

They happened on Mothers Day week end. One on Saturday, one on Sunday. Didn't know what happened. First one I went to get up to let my dog in and next thing I knew it was an hour later and I was on the floor. Second one I was on the computer and woke up on the floor with the chair turned over.

Didn't feel good but didn't really know what was wrong. Monday night a friend called and he asked if I was drinking, said I was slurring my words bad. Tuesday went to DR. and she put me in hospital. BP was 250/160, and cat scan said stroke.

Slurred words and lost strength and motion in right side but it slowly went away,OK now but no stamina any more.

Had uncontrollable high BP whole life even on pills it was 170/90. But when job went under I lost health insurance and stopped taking pills. Take them now though, 9 different kinds 17 pills total a day. Ahh the golden years

 

Well. Bad news.

3 Brain tumors. Two are candidates for cyber knife, one is not.

Lung Cancer. They are talking about radiation/chemo.

Kidney Cancer. They haven't said much.

I dont know about how far along anything is.

The doctors seem to talk about fighting it. She had a clear exam 3 years ago, so I suspect it isn't extremely progressed, but who knows how thorough they were with her 3 years ago. I suspect it was only a chest x-ray. Thats all it sounds like they did. I suppose that is what they do.

I dont think she wants to sign up for the fight.

I think she is sick and tired of being sick and tired.

I find it hard not to be selfish. I just want her around.

I almost feel myself disregarding her discomfort, just to keep myself from having to experience the loss.

I dont want to miss her.

 

We will always miss our loved ones.. that is what makes us who we truly are.

 

That sucks, man. Eat some chocolate or something.