This has been a hell of a week. Last weekend, Grandma (my mom’s mother) wound up in the hospital with chest pains. They gave her some medicine and sent her home, only to have her back in the emergency room a the next day about a hair’s breadth from a heart attack. Despite her strong desire to avoid surgery, there was no way the doctors could release her in the condition she was in, so she underwent a triple bypass on Tuesday.
The thing that scared me the most about the whole situation was that it was enough to get my flying-phobic mother on an airplane so she could be there with Grandma and my aunts and uncles. My mom despises flying and avoids it as much as she possible can. Funny that she has a volunteer SAR aircrew daughter and a Naval Aviator son-in-law, huh? It wasn’t until Mom told me that she was buying a plane ticket to get to Texas as quickly as possible that the situation and its implications began to sink in for me.
The good (excellent, wonderful, delightful) news is that Grandma came through the surgery very well and is on the road to a smooth recovery. I got the news that the surgery was a success in the middle of a dinner out with the other squadron wives. Relief!
That was Tuesday. Bright and early Wednesday morning, my dad got into town for a long-awaited visit, after which the kitties and I were to accompany him back up to DC for a family visit. We had a fun day that included a trip to the farmer’s market, a sushi lunch, doing some yardwork, and grilling a delicious dinner. Yesterday was great, except for the call we got from my uncle that recent test results had determined that my grandfather (Dad’s father) has a tumor in his colon. Surgery was scheduled for next Wednesday. I felt like I’d been sucker-punched.
We decided pretty much immediately that with everything going on, it would be a lousy time for me to come up and visit, but Dad was going to stay as planned with me ’til Saturday. Then this morning we got a frantic call from my aunt, saying that my grandfather was in the hospital with severe nausea and dehydration. My dad left immediately thereafter to get back home and be there for his mom and dad.
So, I’m alone here with the kitties and feeling more than a little off-balance. My emotions are being yanked in all different directions: north to my grandfather, southwest to my grandmother, and a long way east to my husband, whose deployment cannot end soon enough. I’m drained.
I apologize for the less-than-cheerful tone of this post. I really am trying to focus on the positives, like how well my grandmother in Texas is recovering. I just dread having to find a way to handle another roller-coaster week like this one.
To the Nth 
You have absolutely every reason to be a bit down and say some negative things. It’s been a crap week for you! ((hugs))
((Hugs)) are very welcome just now. Thank you.
Aw, I’m sorry you’ve had such a tough week! Hang in there… you’ll get through it. You and your family will be in my prayers.
Thank you — I really appreciate it.
That is awful, I am sorry to hear about everything going on. I don’t think there’s much worse than having someone you love be far away and undergoing scary, urgent surgery, much less two people! My mom had an emergent surgery and hospitalization several years ago and I will never forget how horribly helpless I felt being so far away. You’ve had a doozy of a week indeed. Don’t apologize for being down, give yourself some time and I think you’ll feel more like you can handle what life throws at you. My heart goes out to you and your family, I’ll be thinking of you!
I truly appreciate your kind words and thoughts. Thank you so much.
If you feel lousy, let yourself feel lousy for awhile. Just keep hanging in, there isn’t much else within your power to do at the moment, as much as that sucks. I’ll be thinking of you and your family. ((hugs))
Thank you so much for keeping my family in your thoughts — means a lot to me.
definetly been a rough week for you…I am so sorry that all this is going on. It is so tough being away from your family especially during times like this. Do not apologize for your tone..it is completely understandable.
Thank you, Jessica. It does make me feel better to get reassurance that it’s okay to be “not okay” with all this stuff going on.
Thinking of you and hoping for the best, or at least a light at the end of the tunnel to lift your spirits! And venting is what blogs are made for 🙂
Ain’t that the truth! Thank you so much for your kind thoughts. I did get some good news this morning: my grandfather is rehydrated and doing well enough that he should get to go home and stay there until his surgery on Wednesday. He hates being in the hospital, so a respite at home is a very good thing!
I’m so sorry that you’re being dealt a stressful hand this week – I’m glad to read that your grandmother is doing better….hopefully we’ll get to read a post from you that says the same about your grandfather, too!
Thanks so much. If all goes well, my grandfather should be leaving the hospital today so he can rest at home ’til his surgery on Wednesday. Here’s hoping everything goes smoothly!
Wow, rough week. I had one like that two weeks ago. (Pregnant sister in the hospital and cousin was run over by a bus.) I hope that your grandparents recover quickly and fully!
Yikes! Sounds like June was way too “exciting” for a bunch of us. Thanks for your thoughts, and I hope all is well with your family.