Granny

As many of you are aware, my sweet Granny is in the hospital. Last Monday, she began experiencing such severe abdominal pain that the nurse at her retirement community called my mom to say she thought Granny should see a doctor. Mom took her first to urgent care, and then to the ER at DeKalb Medical Center. Tests revealed that she had an intestinal blockage. Her doctor/ surgeon ultimately determined that she would need surgery to remove the blockage after a couple days of failed attempts at non-surgical intervention. The doctor had wanted to avoid surgery because of Granny's age. This would be a major surgery and my Granny is 88. Nevertheless, the doctor determined last Wednesday that surgery was the only option, so at 7:30 last Thursday morning, Granny had surgery to remove the blockage. Surgery revealed a build-up of scar tissue (from prior surgeries) that had wrapped around the intestine over time, so the doctor removed the scar tissue to relieve the intrusion that was causing the pain and blockage.

After the surgery, Granny was placed in ICU to begin her recovery. For the first couple of days, she struggled mostly with hallucinations, confusion, and frustration, but very little pain or physical repercussions. Sunday, though, my mom noticed what she described as a gurgling sound in Granny's breathing that concerned her. The doctor assured my mom and Aunt Lynn that the breath sounds were normal and that blood oxygen levels were good and there was no cause for concern. So, we had been waiting patiently for Granny to be moved from ICU back to a regular room to complete her hospital stay before returning to her apartment.

However, this morning, my mom received a call from the ICU saying that Granny's condition had deteriorated overnight and asking mom's permission to place Granny on a ventilator. Mom told the nurse that Granny had a living will, but the nurse (or doctor - not sure which) assured mom that this was an interim measure toward recovery and was not a circumstance that would invoke the living will. So, mom agreed to have Granny placed on the vent and hurried to get to the hospital.

Granny has been mostly non-responsive today, but has been conscious at times. Mom has been able to ask her questions and get her to answer with a nod or shake of her head, though she can't talk due to the placement of the ventilator.

All that said, I would just ask you to pray for my Granny. She is a woman of strong faith and lots of spunk, so I trust that she is going to make it through this. And, I know God answers the prayers of His people, so my family would greatly appreciate your prayers.

Pray specifically:

1) That Granny will be as comfortable as possible while she is on the vent;

2) That the doctors will be able to get her strong enough that the vent may be removed;

3) That Granny will be restored to her former state of good health and nimble mind and social enjoyment;

4) That God would comfort my mom (Nancy) and her sister (Lynn) regarding the decisions they have made affecting Granny's care; and

5) That Granny and the rest of the family will feel the presence of God moving and working among us during this difficult time.