Yes, not a fun way to finish the weekend/start the week. I STILL have no voice whatsoever but I'm more coherent at least. I'm working a little bit from home, getting what I can done. Not being able to talk is wiping out most of what I had to do this week though, so a lot has been pushed to next week. The rest is definitely helping. My boss is talking for me in a couple of critical meetings that I couldn't reschedule so I have to write all that up for him tomorrow.
Found out that my grandma has all kinda of really bad health issues - very sad. I guess she's refused to go to a doc for almost 10 years now and has been saying she "just wants to die." She almost got her wish.. but the adult care worker happened to call and my uncle (who is mentally ill and likely would not have thought to call for help) told her it was good she called, that my grandma was very sick and he was afraid she almost died. (and no, he hadn't thought to call for help.. grr)
They sent the ambulance out and she has pneumonia, extremely low hemaglobin, dehydrated, and the scariest one (skip this sentence if you're squeamish!!) - a prolapsed rectum. I guess that's the main problem - she's got a lot of bleeding from that, and was getting close to bleeding to death. YIKES. She initially refused any treatment other than IV and oxygen, but is now agreeing to a transfusion. And the GREAT news, she's also agreed to take antidepressants! I really hope they work. It may be too late.. but she's been miserable for SO many years, I would be thrilled if they work and she gets some semblance of happiness back for awhile.
The pneumonia's pretty treatable but apparently if they don't operate on the bowel she will likely die in the next 1-2 months. Wow.. it's apparently a very easy surgery with excellent projected outcome and would alleviate a ton of pain and most of her other health issues. So far she is refusing, but I hope they can convince her. She's got this fear of going blind/deaf before she dies and would rather die before that happens... so she lets everything go rather than treat it, in hopes that it will kill her before her vision/hearing deteriorates more. Meanwhile she gets sicker, depressed, and isolates herself because she's not feeling well. Awful cycle. She has so many people who love her and have tried to be part of her life, I hope she can pull through this and have some enjoyable time, at least for awhile. And I will definitely visit her as soon as this virus is gone, glad I will have that chance.
It's a pretty striking reminder to keep focused on the POSITIVE, that's for sure. I don't want to live my last 10-20 years (or the next 10-20, for that matter) miserable with myself, my life, etc. She gave control of her life away long ago and never figured out how to get it back. I am consciously choosing to live my life differently, and I need to always remember that.
Me 35, H 38; Together 13.5 yrs, M 7 Bomb 1 10/07/06 Sep'd 1/14/07 - 4/15 Piecing: 4/07 - 9/07 Bomb 3 10/11/07: Never loved you, let's separate 2/08 slowly improving 7/08 Piecing (7/25/08 rings back on!!) Current thread
