My Grandpa

 

It's been a while since I blogged.  However, today a memory made me think of my Grandpa. My Grandpa was my man.  He was very special to me and as I may have mentioned previously in other posts.  He seemed as though he was always a grumpy old codger, but to me he wasn't.  He treated well and he would joke around with me or play jokes on me and then he would laugh to himself. He didn't bother me, and he didn't nag me.  He would also let me play a joke on him also. He was the man who taught me to play softball. I have so many stories I can tell about my Grandpa.  

My Grandpa passed away from an abdominal aortic aneurysm.  One of the main causes or reasons why a person will get an Aortic aneurysm is from smoking, smoking weakens the walls of blood vessels.  

We were stationed in Alaska when he started to get sick.  I went back to Michigan when my aunt and uncle called and told me that he was very sick, and they (I think hospital medical staff) said he would be best in a nursing home to provide him around the clock care.  I went to visit him while he was in the nursing home.  I spoiled him a little bit and bought him candy to eat since the aneurysm was growing so quickly that he couldn't eat and basically, he didn't want to eat.  I also bought him pajama bottoms with beer mugs on them so he could easily get them up and down when he had to use the bathroom.  He thought they were hilarious!  

In the meantime, of him getting sick our family PCS'd to Colorado.  I got a phone call from my aunt and uncle and they let me know to get home because he was moved to a Hospital and the hospital was trying to keep him alive until I got there. At that time I remembered a promise to my Mom. I told her that I would get her home if either of my Grandparents were very sick so she could see them before they passed.  I got my Mom tickets to Michigan and met her in Detroit.  She was nervous.  

We got to the hospital at night.  My aunt and uncle told me that the hospital was trying to keep him alive until we got there.  I remember this image a clear as it was yesterday; we walked into the room, my Mom yelled with her scratchy voice "DADDY" and I said Hi Grandpa! My Grandpa took a breath, and it looked like he wanted to open his eyes. He raised his eyebrows like he knew the voice. Just a few minutes later, my Grandpa passed away.  It was almost like he waited for us to come so he could pass on.  We stayed for about an hour after before the rigor mortis set in.  

We stayed at my aunt and uncle's place while we were in Michigan.  That night was my Mom's first episode.  Her first "fit" of the stay. You know the fits I described in other posts?  She paced back and forth, she made her hands ball up in fists, and she started yelling, sticking out her bottom teeth while she was yelling, etc.  The stress probably made it kick in. Or the fact that she didn't bring her methadone or mental health meds she was supposed to bring!  I called my brother the next day and told him what happened, and he then told me about her not bringing the meds.  He says so nonchalantly "she didn't want to bring them". What? How did he send her to Michigan without such important items? Wait till you hear about the rest of the visit.....