Grandma

Last Sunday, after much encouragement from my husband, I flew out to Utah to see my grandma one last time.

I'm so glad that I did. Nearly all of Grandma's descendants still live in Utah--I think my mom, my sister Shauna and I are the only exceptions, and the two of them have been with her for the last couple weeks taking care of her.

Because I flew out, ALL of Grandma's blood descendants came to see her last Sunday. All the kids, all the grandkids, all the great-grandkids. Grandma was still in good spirits there. She bore testimony to us that there is life after death, that she is not at all afraid of death and she knows she will reunite with our loved ones in the Spirit World. I am so grateful that I was here to hear her words.

I've stayed in Utah since then. Grandma is not scared of death, but dying is another matter. My poor Grandma is dying of starvation. She has inoperable tumors sealing off her intestines so no nourishment can get through. To make it worse.... she had kidney issues just a week ago that led her to retain water.... and her body is relying on that water now to keep from dying from thirst. It means that we get to keep her longer, but it is prolonging her suffering.

It's been so hard to watch her slip away. By now she is very far gone, hallucinating and not responsive to the people near her. She's on a morphine drip but she is still in pain.

She's still hanging on. The nurse thinks it will be another week. I don't know how she could go on another week in this condition.