10 Minutes To Midnight

Light blogging this weekend... not much in the mood for levity and general snarkiness.

I got word last night that my grandmother was taking a sharp downward spiral, health-wise. She's refusing to eat or drink, and has been pulling out the IV lines once she was admitted to the hospital. She's been hitting her caregivers and being abusive verbally.

It's not that this is unexpected, as she's 90-something years old and Alzheimer's disease has had its nasty claws in her for the better part of 10 years. Still, we all were hoping she'd just peacefully fade out, but her behavior has gone from its usual sullen pout to increasing rancor and violence. She was never happy with getting old, and all those years of suppressed rage at her infirmity and loss of independence seem to be unleashed via the effect of a decaying brain.

She & I were never all that close, but I owe her a huge debt for making a return to college possible. It'll hurt a lot when she goes, but for mercy's sake, I hope it's sooner rather than later. No one deserves to die by inches every day over a long period of time.