Update on Swaps

[TPCShauna]

Hi Ladies!

I am going to be MIA for a bit. DH's grandmother is having a really serious surgery and the family has been advised to be available so we left for Florida over the weekend.

I will not be online much. We have the pet sitter grabbing the mail so anything mailed will be picked up but I will not be able to post until we get home.

Sorry for any inconvenience.

[lewdyan1]

:wizard: I hope everything is okay!:hug:

[bigsis1970]

Oh Shauna - I will keep your Dh's family in my thoughts.. Take care.. Michelle

[AlexWyattMommy]

Prayers and Pixie Dust for your DH's Grandmother.
:pixiedust:

[BernardandMissBianca]

Hugs and Prayers Shauna! Let me know if you need anything.

[MazdaUK]

:hug: :grouphug: :flower3:

[happypooh]

more hugs and prayers....

[jennyL]

Hugs and prayers. :hug:

[TPCShauna]

Thanks, ladies. We are both pretty stressed about this. She is 85 and fainted while driving last week. Fortunately, she was OK and didn't have a terrible accident. She just kind of rolled to a stop. The doctors have said that she needs a pacemaker because her heart is not beating regularly any more and they have to do something else with the valves or something like that.

She's the closest thing to a blood grandmother that I've ever had and I'm closer to her than DH is. I'm so worried about this whole thing. After the surgery, she's going to have to go into an assisted living facility and I know how much she doesn't want to. We'll be spending part of this week helping with packing.

I forgot to add in my earlier post that I left a couple of packages for my pet sitter to mail for me on Wednesday.

Thanks again for the PD and hugs. We can use all we can get at the moment.

[MazdaUK]

OMG! She was so lucky not to have had an accident:scared1: The headmistress of DS(7)'s school lost her husband that way - he was only in his 50s with no heart history, then one day wihout warning had a massive coronory and crashed his car. Luckily no-one else was injured, but it was a terrible shock, he was a lovely man :angel:

You're in our thoughts and prayers

[rlovew]

Shauna,

I will be praying for you and your grandmother. Hopefully the pacemaker wil solve her problems.

Rebecca

[calanniebu]

:hugs: for you and your DH.

[TPCShauna]

Thanks again, ladies.

The surgery went well but she is in ICU now and we don't know when she will be downgraded.

I'm still here and checking in sporadically but the service from her house is dial-up and takes forever.

[NemoMom07]

It sounds like she did well with the surgery. That is great news. Now the hard part is the waiting. Stay strong. I know how much it takes out of someone in the hospital. My son has been in there way to many times. I will send out a little prayer for your DH grandmother and the rest of the family.

[PrincessNancy96]

Shauna,
Glad to hear surgery went well... :hug: to both you and DH..
Continued prayers and pixie dust for the family..

Remember to take care of yourself too... please let us know if you need anything..

[BernardandMissBianca]

Hey Shauna, just checking in on DH and Granny. How are you guys holding up?

Just thinking about you today. :hug:

[TPCShauna]

We are doing the best we can. Someone from the family is at the hospital round the clock. We're all pretty stressed. We lost Grandpa a few months after we got married and Grandma has been living by herself since. She's really adamant about staying in her own home but she just can't anymore. She spends the winter in Florida and the summer in North Carolina and she is super-isolated both places. DH's aunts check in on her pretty regularly but she needs more help than that at this point. She really shouldn't be driving any more and it's just such a blessing that her accident wasn't worse when she fainted.

Honestly, her vitals are looking really good and they are talking about downgrading her to a regular floor late tomorrow or Friday. We are planning to be here through the rest of this week and then we'll come back for Thanksgiving.

Of course, given all the time we're spending here, our Disneyland trip has been postponed. We just want to spend as much time with her and the family as we can. It's so hard to get out to Florida very often when we live clear across the country. We are both feeling really guilty that we haven't seen her more often.

DH is holding up OK. He is feeling very stressed about being around the family so much. He's kind of a loner and we get along great together out on the west coast doing our own thing but too many people stress him. His mom is giving him a guilt trip for not moving back to Florida before now so he could be closer to the family. I swear, she NEVER misses an opportunity to pick about one thing or another.

I'm trying to stay strong. I've gotten really close to Grandma since DH and I've been together. DH is the oldest grandson and there is only one granddaughter. She and I hit it off immediately - sort of "kindred spirits" to borrow Anne Shirley's phrasing - and she calls me her granddaughter also. She and I spent a lot of time just sitting together and knitting after Grandpa passed away. I know how much she doesn't want to move but I really feel like it's for the best. I know she's going to be upset by us packing her up to move but we'd rather make sure she is taken care of.

Thanks so much for checking in and for the hugs and pixie dust. I'm just trying to stay busy. I can't sleep and I'm exhausted. DH, of course, has no trouble sleeping but my mind won't slow down. I only have dial-up here so it takes FOREVER to check email or post.

I'll update y'all again when I can. I'm going to try to sleep some more. It's almost 4:00 am and I haven't slept since yesterday and we are headed off to the hospital again at 8:00. And, to make matters worse, I'm still on west coast time. At least I can get a Steak 'n Shake milkshake whenever I want one and I've had Cracker Barrel twice already this week.

Thanks again everyone. I really appreciate the support. :flower3:

[AlreadyexcitedGrammy]

Prayers and hugs ...........

my DMIL went into assisted living 2 years ago and hoping that your experience can be as "smooth" as ours. MIL - did NOT want to go but it was a must (she was 80) (we thought she was overmedicated and she had no idea when she was taking her meds or how much). Anyway, we were so fortunate to have a nurse that I went to high school with (lots of years ago) appear on the scene! She said - it will take about 3 weeks for her to adjust - and then it will be fine - and in our case that is the way it worked out. I think once she figured out that she actually could - stay in her room - or visit - or just walk - etc etc and that she was still "on her own" she was okay. We took her furniture and tried to replicate the rooms as best we could "to home" and most of all - we/I kept saying you know how much we love you and this is the only way I can be "relaxed" knowing that you are safe.

Again, hope that it just is a very easy transition - hang in there :love:

[ddavis860]

Sending more PD :wizard: for Gradma's recovery...

:grouphug: and :wizard: for you that you can get some rest!

[TPCShauna]

Good news!

They are moving Grandma to a regular floor tomorrow morning. If everything goes well with that, we will be flying home on Sunday. She's doing really well. The doctor says she has adapted really well to the pacemaker and her heart is setting into a normal beating pattern so that is great. The incisions are healing nicely and she is starting to feel a bit stronger. She is even getting back to her old feisty self.

We haven't told her yet that we are packing her up. The plan is for her to stay with one of DH's aunts through Thanksgiving and we will all move her in when we are there for the holiday.

I never did get any sleep last night but I got a lot of work done on the afghan I am knitting for her. I plan to finish it by Thanksgiving so I can give it to her for her new apartment.

Thanks again for the support, everyone. It's been so nice to have y'all here with kind words. This has been a tough week.

[MazdaUK]

I'm so glad things are looking up! I dread having to move MIL (or my mum for that matter) out of their own homes:scared: but it can be for the best. We have a sheltered block next to DS(7)'s school, and all the residents get invited to school events, they get to watch rehersals for all the school plays and music events and the choirs sing to them at the major fesitvals like Christmas and Easter. They have their own appartments, but there's also a lounge and a garden so no-one need feel lonely, and a caretaker on call for things like changeing lightbulbs :thumbsup2 My mum always says she wouldn't mind being there, or else a really expensive care home :scared1: so lets hope she stays fit;)
:pixiedust: and prayers you can get home and sleep soon:goodvibes

[AlexWyattMommy]

:cheer2: I am so glad she is doing better. :cheer2:

[BernardandMissBianca]

My MIL resisted moving and giving up driving but she is a lot happier where she is now. We got her tons of help to do food shopping and to take her to the DR and such.

Don't let your MIL give DH a hard time, Im learned a long time ago that you can't stop living your life because you are too far from family.

I'm glad Grandma is doing better. Give her hugs and kisses from me!

[mommy2mrb]

Shauna, I hadn't been on line for the last week and am so happy to hear Grandma is doing so much better and so quickly!

My Grandma fought tooth and nail to go into assisted living....after the first week she was totally in LOVE with it, all the new friends, card games, outings and someone to cook and clean for her.

send you all :flower3: :hug: :goodvibes get some rest and take care of yourselves too.

Lisa

[TPCShauna]

Well, she didn't end up getting moved this morning. Her vitals aren't as stable as the doctor would like. Her heartbeat is fluctuating again and she has stopped eating.

We're not sure what is going on and the doctor won't say much other than she needs to be closely observed.

Thanks everyone. We're taking things one day at a time.

[BernardandMissBianca]

Oh no Shauna, hugs and prayers being sent that this is just a little set back.

Keeping you in my thoughts!

[momx3boys]

Thinking good thoughts for you.

[AlexWyattMommy]

More prayers & pixiedust!

[MazdaUK]

more prayers and :pixiedust: and lots of :hug:

This has been quite a week!

[SusieStone]

I will be thinking of you

[happypooh]

more prayers.....

[Mickster]

I know all too well the ups and downs of recovery. Patience is key. My mom has a plaque that hung in our kitchen when I was a kid and it is back in her kitchen now. It says "Keep me going, Lord". When I was a kid I totally didn't get it, but now I do. Take a deep breath. We're here for you if you need us.

I'm thinking about you. Prayers and Pixie dust to you, your family and your grandmother. pixiedust:

[YodasMom]

Shauna....Just wanted you to know I'm thinking of you and sending many healing wishes and pixiedust your way. Don't forget to take care of yourself, too!

[TPCShauna]

Thanks ladies.

She's doing well. They are moving her tomorrow morning for sure as she has been stable for 2 days now and they aren't worried about the fluctuations since they've been normal for 2 days.

We are flying out Tuesday afternoon. We are both exhausted and are not looking forward to getting caught up at home.

Thanks again for all of your support. It has been so amazing to come on here and feel the warmth and support. It's so incredible to realize that bits of paper brought us together and created so much more.

Y'all are the best! :flower3: :grouphug:

[New England Eeyore]

I'm just seeing this now, Shauna. Much hugs, prayers and pixie dust! I'm glad things are looking up! :grouphug:

[mommy2mrb]

happy to hear things are better, have a safe trip home and get some well deserved rest.

Lisa

[Michellepooh]

Glad to hear things are looking up. Take care of yourself! :hug:

[lewdyan1]

:grouphug: :wizard:

[TPCShauna]

We got her all settled this morning and she is doing well. She is reallly tired all of the time and the doctor says she'll be in the hospital for another week.

Thanks again for the support. I really appreciate it!

[ohMom]

more prayers from ohio....

[TPCShauna]

We're home! And exhausted. And there is a copy paper size box of mail here for me to go through including a couple of large packages so I might have an SS gift or some swap items for the WDW event swap or some returned swap items but I won't know 'til tomorrow 'cause we are going to bed.

Thanks everyone. Grandma is doing well and should be going home on Friday if things continue to improve. I appreciate all of the support and well wishes. Y'all are the BEST! :flower3:

[New England Eeyore]

Welcome home! Glad to hear Grandma's improving!