Grandma Camille

My grandma was in the hospital again while we were in Utah. She has had incredibly poor health for like 45 years. She had her first stroke when she was 40 and two or three since. She has also had an aneurysm and broken her back at least three separate times.

It's hard to watch my spry, energetic grandmother go from being able to walk faster than I could keep up to barely being able to move (to being strapped to a hospital bed). She used to let me go for walks with her and take me school shopping. She bought me my first pair of Girbaud jeans (which were super cool in the early nineties and pretty expensive). We also used to watch the Sunday night movie every week at her house and she would rub her fingernails up and down my arm until she was eventually scratching so hard I had to ask her to stop.

Anyway, she fell a few weeks ago and broke her back again. Her doctor decided it would be best for her to stay in the hospital for a few days. She did not want to go and stayed in the chair in her hospital room for the entire first night. That was when she mentally checked out. The next day she could remember my grandpa but couldn't remember her kids. She was in and out of it for a few days.

I went to visit her on Saturday on my way to my parents'. She was so loopy and confused. I told her who I was but I'm not sure if she understood. She was quite taken with Morgan though.

The Delta care center was ready to take her on Tuesday so I went with my parents to pick her up before I went home. I was holding her hand and a couple of nurses walked in. She introduced me as her son, Wendell, and my mom as his wife, Sandra (the names and relations are totally accurate, if only I were a tall man with a southern accent). She kept telling us how much she loved us and my mom mentioned that although she may not recognize me, she did recognize love. I was content with that but God decided to give me a tender mercy when my grandma looked at me and said, "I love you, Kelli." I started to cry silently and told her I love her too. She is now in the care center in Delta for a while until we (the family and medical staff) know what to do. She has a few good friends that are there too so hopefully she does well. I love you, Grandma.