Caregiving Story

My Grandma was told she had colon cancer when she was 69-years-old. She was given 6 months to live. Thankfully, doctors are wrong most of the time, at least about your life expectacy. She lived for another 3 years before she passed away this last July. It was hard to go to work and watch some many other families loosing their loved ones and realizing that at any time that could be my family loosing our loved one. It made me value my time with her that much more and made me more sensitive to the families I work with. My Grandmother was the Mother of 2 boys and 6 girls. She was the Grandmother of myself and 21 of my cousins. She was the Great Grandmother of my 2 children and 10 of my cousins children, and we ALL loved her. There was not a person in my family who did not put their lives on hold for her. We all felt her pain - every bit of it. I will forever remember what it felt like for me to watch her go through that and will never forget what the family members at work feel when they are in the hall yelling at the nurses because of thier Grandma. It is very hard to watch and you are just upset that no one can actually take that pain from the one that you love so much! It put my whole job into perspective. I love you Grandma!