Apr 11, 2010, 06:41 PM
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#1 of 7
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Dealing with soon-to-be loss
Over the past year my grandparent's health have gone south physically and negatively.
My grandfather was in an accident many years ago where the results took a toll on his body and now have taken an even larger toll. Last June he went into the hospital where doctors basically said they couldn't do surgery on him due to those injuries.
Since that time, his health has gotten worse. He saw a doctor last November who told him he had one to six months to live.
This proclamation has turned out fairly accurate so far. He now has to get around with a wheel chair. A few weeks back his oxygen got knocked off leaving him in a groggy state. As of the last few days he isn't eating nor using the restroom. They have him in hospice care at his home but we all know it's only a matter of time.
My grandmother on the other hand is suffering from advanced Alzheimer's. Her mind has steadily gotten worse as she began to confuse the past and the future, and facts with fiction. A couple weeks back she didn't really recognize my father.
I read up on what happens with Alzheimer's patients and the end result is grim.
Part of me has been so busy the last few months that I haven't had time to sort out my emotions on this. Part of me has also been wishfully thinking that my grandparents would get better. However, given what has happened the last two weeks and given i have had time to finally process what has happened, I have accepted the truth of the matter. However, this acceptance has been very hard. This leads to two things:
1.) Do you have any advice on how I can personally deal with what is going on?
2.) Do you have any advice on what I should do about my grandparents? Both are getting so out of it that I'm not sure visiting them would do much.
Jam it back in, in the dark.
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