I can’t believe Saturday is almost over!
Nan update
On Friday Gran, Mum and I visited Nan (the grandma I mentioned before, who has cancer). I think we were expecting her to be awake, not feeling so great, possibly in bed, but capable of getting up and around. It was quite a shock when we found her sprawled out in bed, repeating “I don’t want anything” (I don’t think she knew it was us at that point), with barely enough energy to open her eyes.
It was hard to tell how much of her state was caused by pain, pain killers or dementia. She was fairly restless at times, in pain and unable to get comfortable. Other times she was just fading in and out, but she seemed to know we were there; I got her to drink some water and eat some jelly.
We stayed with her for most of the day. Dad came over from work and organised for one of her oldest friends to visit too. It was pretty strange seeing her like that. I’m not sure if I’ll see her again before she goes.
Later in the day my cousin visited with his partner and kids. Only his two girls were there because his son started chemotherapy for a brain tumour. I could hardly believe it! We don’t have much contact with them, so we didn’t know… what a horrible thing, for a six year old boy to have a brain tumour.
Attempting creativity
I wasn’t quite sure what to do some of the time while visiting Nan. We spent some time looking at the photos we’d brought to show her (that she was unable to look at). I went out to find us lunch, we had some tea… I grabbed my sketchbook/notebook and started drawing the tapestry that is above her bed (which she made).
I always get to a certain point when I’m painting or drawing, where I’m not sure what to do next. I wonder whether to leave it or do a bit more. In this case I started to shade the hill behind the house and I wished I hadn’t. So I removed it; yay for image editing. 😛
I also wrote a haiku:
One more day, one more
One more year, some more wrinkles
Then one day, no more
Next post won’t be depressing at all. I promise. 😉
Update 29 June 2008: Nan died today at 6:30am. Thanks everyone, for your thoughts and prayers and wishes. My family and I are thankful that we got to spend Friday with her. Everyone had a chance to say goodbye as best they could (except for my brother, but I’m not sure if he wanted to). Her minister visited her on Thursday and she was quite lucid, she told him that she didn’t have much time left, they read the bible and prayed. When I saw her, all I could really pray was that she wouldn’t be in pain; God has answered that in his own way.
It’s never easy seeing people in ill-health, especially when it seems that time is coming to an end. My thoughts are with your nan, you and your family.
My girlfriend works in Scotland’s main sick children’s hospital, and it saddens me the stories she comes home with.
Life can be tough sometimes, and it’s always good to have family around to help (if possible). That’s one of the reasons why I’m moving back to Northern Ireland after the summer. Pretty much all my close family are there.
Thanks David.
Good luck with your move! Is your girlfriend going with you? I’m sure it’ll be good to be able to see your family more often.
I’m glad that you got to see your grandma before she died. Also, as someone who had a close family member go through chemotherapy himself, I wish all the best to your cousin’s son.
Thanks, Kris.
My girlfriend is going with me. We’ll spend a few days pitched up with my parents and little sister, before moving into our own house or apartment (whatever we can find). Not sure how long it’ll be for (permanence-wise) as my feet itch quite often.