Grandma's death
Another backdated entry taken from FB. January 15, 2017
My grandma died Thursday. For the last 3.3 yrs, she'd been living with my parents, which is where I stay when in the US. Even last summer, her mind was reasonably good. She occasionally got confused, but generally was able to handle simple things. When I came home this time, it was mostly gone. She could follow simple instructions, but didn't really know what was going on.
Wednesday night she went to bed early (which she NEVER does.) I went with her to help as either Mom or I habitually do. She walked down the long hallway to the bedroom, and then just couldn't go any farther. My parents and I managed to get her in to bed, and I slept in her room that night. At that point, we didn't know for certain that it was the start of the end, but we knew it was very likely.
By the next morning, it was clear. We wanted to keep her at home, and so I spent the next hours cleaning out her mouth so she could breath, and giving her morphine/comfort meds until she finally passed at 3:30 pm.
I was fortunate to know both my mom's parents because they lived ~45 minutes away, but my grandpa's mind went when I was in my midteens, and he died when I was in college. My grandma was the only one of my grandparents who I knew well when I was an adult and had proper adult memories.
She was a simple person from farming land in North Dakota. If you've read Little House on the Prairie, that was her life. I often talked to her about her life growing up, and the family and cultural history was always fascinating.
She always was hard working, and was always willing to do anything to help people. She went out of her way to watch for things she could do to help, or that people wanted.
Considering the quality of her life the last few months, it's a relief that she's moved on, but she will be missed.
My grandma died Thursday. For the last 3.3 yrs, she'd been living with my parents, which is where I stay when in the US. Even last summer, her mind was reasonably good. She occasionally got confused, but generally was able to handle simple things. When I came home this time, it was mostly gone. She could follow simple instructions, but didn't really know what was going on.
Wednesday night she went to bed early (which she NEVER does.) I went with her to help as either Mom or I habitually do. She walked down the long hallway to the bedroom, and then just couldn't go any farther. My parents and I managed to get her in to bed, and I slept in her room that night. At that point, we didn't know for certain that it was the start of the end, but we knew it was very likely.
By the next morning, it was clear. We wanted to keep her at home, and so I spent the next hours cleaning out her mouth so she could breath, and giving her morphine/comfort meds until she finally passed at 3:30 pm.
I was fortunate to know both my mom's parents because they lived ~45 minutes away, but my grandpa's mind went when I was in my midteens, and he died when I was in college. My grandma was the only one of my grandparents who I knew well when I was an adult and had proper adult memories.
She was a simple person from farming land in North Dakota. If you've read Little House on the Prairie, that was her life. I often talked to her about her life growing up, and the family and cultural history was always fascinating.
She always was hard working, and was always willing to do anything to help people. She went out of her way to watch for things she could do to help, or that people wanted.
Considering the quality of her life the last few months, it's a relief that she's moved on, but she will be missed.