It feels like ages since I’ve seen the lovely ladies of NHRD. It’s only been two weeks but it’s been an eventful two weeks and feels like a lot longer.
I received a text from my dad a couple of hours before heading to the airport last week to go to Philadelphia. “Grammie is not doing well. Go visit tonight if you can.” Unfortunately this was not an option. My paternal grandmother had been diagnosed with congestive heart failure late last fall and was given six weeks back then. Being the fighter she is she had managed to last six months.
I crossed my fingers and hoped she had enough fight left until I got back from Philly on Friday. I kept my phone with me during the entire trade show (which would have been much more effectively navigated on skates, by the way). I flew home late Friday night and went to visit when I got up the next morning.
It was an absolutely gorgeous day and my grammie had been moved to the living room so she could enjoy the weather as much as possible. She was sleeping when I got there but my aunt woke her up to give her some more pain medication. She said in a hoarse, groggy voice, “Boy, I feel drunk!” It was one of the handful of cases where I got to see grammie being grammie for the last time.
My aunt asked her if she could see any angels yet. She opened one eye to look over and pointed at me and smiled a weak smile. She had lived a good, long life – it’s in the Giarizzo blood. She was 94 and her mother (my great-grammie) was 96.
I have her as big a hug as I dared in her fragile state when I left. I knew it would be the last time I did. I flew to Appleton, WI for work very early the next morning. No sooner did I land in WI and settle into my hotel room than I got a text from my dad, “Grammie just passed away :’-(“ Less than 24 hours after I saw her. I made it just in time.
I still went to skate with the Paper Valley Roller Girls that night to help take my mind off it. I knew it was coming and I knew that she wasn’t in pain anymore but it doesn’t really make it any less sad. I didn’t really think about it too much until just now as I type this, teary-eyed, as I wait for my connecting flight in Detroit.
The funeral is tomorrow morning – about nine hours after I get home. I’m looking forward to finding a sense of normalcy again; Seeing Mr. Carnate, working at MY desk, and of course, NHRD derby. Hopefully only a few more weeks until my skates come in!
I’m sorry for this diversion from mostly derby stuff… I just wanted to get this strange but fortunate sequence of events out of my system. We now return you to your regularly scheduled freshie story program.
5 comments:
I know exactly how hard it can be. My Grammy flew to SC last May to attend my wedding, it was her first plane flight ever, something she said she would never do. At that time she was in very delicate condition and very sick throughout the whole stay. Even though she told me, she wouldn't have changed anything and it was worth the sickness. Days after returning to NH she went into the hospital due to failing health and passed less than two months later.
My wedding day was the last time I got to see her, but I know that is was what she wanted.
I am very sorry to hear about your loss. I will see you Sunday night.
I'm glad you got to see her before she passed. That, in and of itself, is priceless.
My condolences! :(
. Wishing you tons of good memories that help you get through.
Muahxoxox. Glad you got to see her and hug her one last time!
Post a Comment