Back for good

Big Changes~Welcome to Life✌

Well y'all. I did it. I graduated on May 24th. I'd started part of my college earlier that month, then 4 days after I graduated, I was supposed to start my second class, but they screwed up my financial stuff. So I put in to be enrolled in fall semester instead. I guess the man upstairs knew what he was doing when that happened. Cause see, my Nannie had fallen and broken her hip and had surgery a few days before mother;s day in May. She was in rehab to regain use of her leg for a month. However, we did not expect what would come in the next 2 or so weeks after graduation. On June 9th, we received a call from the rehabilitation center saying we needed to get there fast bc Nannie was seizing. 911 was called and she was transported to the hospital where she remained in ICU for a week. She'd sustained significant brain damage from lack of oxygen during the seizure (she seized for over an hour and a half.) plus a stroke. During the process upon the ambulance arriving there, we had to choose to sign a Do Not Resuscitate order in the event she were to stop breathing again or if they were to exhaust all measures. Miraculously, after a week-long ICU stay, the physical therapist was able to get her out of bed and into a chair! However, she did not know any of us, which was heartbreaking. She was transferred to what's called the step-down unit (basically a regular room). She was fine when we went to see her the second day in step-down, but she suddenly got this look of fear on her face like she was scared for her life. Her right hand and arm began to tremble then shake. She began having mini-seizures, or focal seizures. After an MRI, we learned what we'd witnessed was her literally having a stroke right in front of us. Fast forward to days later; She couldn't eat. They put in a feeding tube which had to be removed because she couldn't tolerate it. Fast forward a few more days, all other options are out. We were faced with the choices. We chose to put her in the nursing home a town over from ours. One of the most difficult decisions to ever have to make. Slowly, very slowly, but surely, Nannie eventually begin to regain some of her memories. About 3 weeks later on July 10th, the nursing home called us saying Nannie had been seizing and they couldn't stop them (also, we'd called in hospice days earlier NOT bc she was gonna die or anything, but just for comfort). Ended up back in the ER. Things did not look good. She was admitted. We stayed there overnight every day almost. More than likely, Nannie had suffered another stroke. For that week, we watched and stood by her side as she had countless focal seizures. The doctor put in orders to give morphine and seizure meds. We knew that even without these, she wouldn't live much longer. Exactly one week from the day she was admitted, Nannie passed away, surrounded by family, all of us there. It was 11:45pm on July 17th when she took her last breath. The whole experience was beyond heartbreaking. We hated to see her go, but we know she's no longer suffering. Ever since Nannie passed, I've really struggled. This has been one of the hardest losses I've ever had to experience. But I'm slowly coming to terms. Even now, it's still hard some days. But Nannie always encouraged my dream of going to college to be a nurse. So I'm almost or right at a quarter of the way if not halfway through with my first semester. If things go as planned I'll be a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) by the end of December. Doing it for her💔🤞🏼

Sorry this was so long. Stay tuned for more updates!

-Emily