Thanks everyone. Mrs R, my Grandma is 85 (I think). Her parents both lived to be around 100, so she's kind of young. She was doing well until a couple of years ago, but she started having mini-strokes and she started to deteriorate. My grandfather died in 1998. She remarried, then he died maybe 5(?) years ago. After he died she kind of gave up. She moved into an assisted living facility and befriended someone there. Then he died. She would really just keep to herself after that. Since my parents lived the closest (and my mom was a geriatric nurse), they made lots of trips back and forth (it's about an hour and a half away) and I know that causes them a lot of stress. I got an email from my mom on Monday that Grandma had been listless and not very responsive all weekend. They thought she had another UTI, which really causes personality changes. Mom called them again on Tuesday and she wasn't any better and now was looking jaundiced, so they were headed up after my dad got off work. My sister called me with an update last night that Hospice is in and my uncles were on their way from NC. They think it will be just another day or so.
She was a lovely Grandma who knitted lots of things for all her granddaughters, bought us our yearly pair of clogs, got us all matching shiny roller skate jackets (yes!), took us camping, made us yummy food, and thought her sons (my dad and uncles) walked on water. When my dad was a teenager he was hit by a car and broke his leg. She took over his paper route and got a picture in the local paper delivering the papers! She won all sorts of dance competitions as a teenager, and I get my blond hair from her. I have loads of great memories of visiting my grandparents.
It's been really hard to see her deteriorate and I know my dad has been really sad about it. I can only imagine how hard it would be to visit your mother and not have her recognize you.
I'm a lucky girl who has been able to have close relationships with all my grandparents. I'm so glad my husband has been able to know them as well since they were an important part of my growing up.
Sorry for the book, it's just hard knowing I'm not going to be able to go to her funeral and talk about her with my family.
