Pretty shitty Christmas... 
Got a phonecall last Friday (the 22nd) saying my Nan had collapsed and was in hospital. Didn't know whether to be terribly worried until I got another phonecall the next morning (Saturday the 23rd) saying "You'd better come down here.." in that ominous way people sometimes talk on phones when they think someone is going to die soon.
Operating on no sleep, unshowered and hungry, I threw a few useless things into a bag and was on my way to Somerset (200 miles away) ten minutes after hanging up the phone.
I got back late yesterday. Nan is still in hospital and is very frail and, worse, mostly psychotic. The doctors don't really know what happened, could've been a stroke or a series of small ones, could've been something else entirely. But where once she was my Nan, now she is a crazy old lady who bites nurses, hides toothbrushes up her sleeves to fight off the "actors" with, tries to peel people's hands like bananas.. etc.
My Mum, cousin and aunt are still down there visiting her twice a day in the coronary care unit. I came back home to take care of the cats and because my brothers spent Christmas all by themselves.
Waiting for someone to die is about the least fun thing in the world. Second only perhaps to watching people you love suffer and deteriorate.. then get a little bit better, then deteriorate and suffer some more.
Bah humbug?
Got a phonecall last Friday (the 22nd) saying my Nan had collapsed and was in hospital. Didn't know whether to be terribly worried until I got another phonecall the next morning (Saturday the 23rd) saying "You'd better come down here.." in that ominous way people sometimes talk on phones when they think someone is going to die soon.
Operating on no sleep, unshowered and hungry, I threw a few useless things into a bag and was on my way to Somerset (200 miles away) ten minutes after hanging up the phone.
I got back late yesterday. Nan is still in hospital and is very frail and, worse, mostly psychotic. The doctors don't really know what happened, could've been a stroke or a series of small ones, could've been something else entirely. But where once she was my Nan, now she is a crazy old lady who bites nurses, hides toothbrushes up her sleeves to fight off the "actors" with, tries to peel people's hands like bananas.. etc.
My Mum, cousin and aunt are still down there visiting her twice a day in the coronary care unit. I came back home to take care of the cats and because my brothers spent Christmas all by themselves.
Waiting for someone to die is about the least fun thing in the world. Second only perhaps to watching people you love suffer and deteriorate.. then get a little bit better, then deteriorate and suffer some more.
Bah humbug?
abracadabra
Seattle, WA
April 2004
DEC 29, 2006 01:17 PM
sorry to hear the bad news..try and remember her as she was before..my gramma turned 95 awhile back and so i asked her what she wanted for birthday..she said , "i want to die"..and i told her i couldn't do that but would get her anything she wanted..she says.."okay , get me a new body".. 
..it's tough but happy new year anyway
DEC 29, 2006 01:36 PM
ah shit, that's terrible. if i were you, i wouldn't go back. you don't want those to be the last memories you have of her.
treat yourself to something awesome and get all fucked up or something.
take care and try to have a great new year!
texax7
Atlanta, GA
January 2005
DEC 29, 2006 04:46 PM
JAN 07, 2007 09:17 PM
