Nursing

Well, I'm in California! Easy trip.

And Grandma is out of the hospital so I kind of wonder why I'm here. I mean one day I get a call that Grandma is in intensive care, and I fly here and I find she's left the hospital already! Certainly not the way things would go in Japan! If one gets put in the hospital they usually stay a couple weeks or a month or two. I remember telling my mother when I first came to Japan that if I ever ended up in the hospital she wasn't to think I was on my death bed just because I was in for a couple months, that's just the way it is done in Japan.

Marcy didn't tell Grandma that I was flying in early and wanted to surprise her. Is a surprise such a good idea for someone her age who isn't in such great health? But Marcy felt an extra jolt would perk things up a bit so when we trooped into Grandma's bedroom Marcy says,

"Grandma~~ Look at the new cleaning lady I picked up for you."

Grandma took one look at me looked back at Marcy and said,

"Am I awake?"

It has been nice having the computer and all the pictures in it with the wide screen so that Grandma's failing eyesight can see them. We've gone through quite a few of the picture folders in here and always she wants to stop and look at the kitties. That's nice.

Mostly Grandma sleeps. And she needs help to get up, to move from bed to bathroom. To eat. She doesn't want to be left alone so I stay sitting beside her and I took a nap on the floor in the next room. Even that panics her to think that she is alone. I can see how Marcy will be very happy to have me take over nursing duties but I don't know how things are going to go once I have to leave again. No, Tanya, that is thinking way too far ahead. You just got here.

Some humor... I helped Grandma to the bathroom with the use of the walker and making sure her legs held her. She wobbles from side to side and sometimes falls backwards.

"I don't know how I can get so wobbly so suddenly like this. I feel like an old woman."

"Um... You ARE an old woman at 87."

"Am I 87? No wonder I feel like I am 80!"

"If you feel like you are 80 then you are doing good. That's 7 years younger than you really are!"

We'll see what the first night brings and hope we can slip into a routine.

"Because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed,

for His compassions never fail.

They are new every morning; Great is Thy faithfulness."

Lamentations 3:22-23