Chrys and I got back from Port Alberni yesterday. If you read my entry a few entries back you’d know that we had to make a hasty run to Port Alberni to visit my grandmother in the hospital. She has been in and out of the hospital for several months now as she has a very nasty disease known as COPD or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease which is essentially a combination of chronis bronchitis and chronic emphysema that causes blockages in the airways and lungs. It’s not a friendly disease at all and it almost always results in death or causes death via lowering the immunity to things like Phnemonia.
My grandmother has smoked fo years and years and years and has had emphysema for years, so it’s no surprise she got this but it’s hard to deal with. I’ve had a really special relationship with my grandmother all my life and she’s been more of a mother to me that me real mother has, so it’s hard to see her slowly dieing.
When we got to the island she had been stuck in her bed for 14 days and had not got out of the bed at all during that time. The Dr’s found a blockage in her lung and were convinced it was a cancerous tumor (she’s had cancer 4 times already), her lung was collapses and highly infected with phnemonia, so things were not looking good at all. Luckily they determined the blockage wasn’t cancer, were able to blow it out of the airway and now her lung is slowly reinflating and she’s taking in anti-biotics to kill of the phnemonia and fluid built up in and around her lungs. She took her first walk the day we showed up, a bunch more walks the next day and thankfully was let out of the hospital the day after (Fri). Things are certainly getting better, she’s not out of the woods by any means or doing great, but she’s out of the hospital (which she despises) and home again, which is where she needs to be and needs to stay.
I can’t believe she made it through this one to be entirely honest, I thought she was going to be gone for sure. I’m really happy she got through it, but it’s hard to get to excited when you know in the back of your head the end is getting closer and closer and can come at anytime now.
I’m just happy I have her for a little longer.
Learn more about COPD @ lungusa.org
