I found out last night that my grandmother broke her hip and is going to have surgery. It was supposed to happen today at noon, but they're transferring her to a hospital with better facilities, such as an ICU for her post-surgical care.
I've told three women I work with that this is going on. Every one of them told me how bad the odds are of her making it out of this..whether tomorrow or six months from now. It's bad for a woman her age to go under, and most people who break their hips die within 6 months. I don't fault them at all. They're great people, and I think just want to make sure I'm prepared--she is 86, after all. And I don't even think they're wrong. (They all did offer hope, since some people do beat the odds, and my grandma has always been a pretty strong person--in spirit, if not always in body.) We just can't know what's going to happen. She's a believer, and I think she's ready no matter what happens.
I called her and spoke to her for a few minutes. She told me how her hardcore athiest son said that he would pray for her, so she wants us to help tend the flame... (or she put it something like that). (He's been a lot less hardcore athiest lately...I think the old wounds that turned him off from religion in the first place have dulled with time.) It's like she wanted to tell me whatever she could in those few minutes...parting wisdom, I guess. Just in case.
So I don't know when the surgery is going to be... or if they'll need to put her under.
And I'm worried...but not in a paniced way... like I know it's going to happen eventually... but I still don't know how well I'll handle it.
And I worry because if something does happen, I'll want to travel up there..and I don't know if it is possible.
Edit: And I don't want to cry. Because crying means I have given up and that's bad luck or something... but at the same time... I feel like crying.
Posted by Theaca (Member # 8325) on :
A lot of people do have bad outcomes after hip fracture. Personally, I think a lot of that depends on the mental state of the patient and how well able they are to do the physical therapy afterwards. The sooner they can be up and around, the less complications. Your grandma sounds like the kind of patient who can do very well.
I'm sending an 86 year old for hip replacement next Tuesday, and the surgeon told her his oldest patient, 92 years old, did fabulous with her surgery last year. Age is not necessarily a risk factor the way other medical problems are risk factors.
Posted by littlemissattitude (Member # 4514) on :
My mother had hip replacement surgery after she broke her hip in a fall at the end of January. She's 80, with a couple of existing health problems (she had a small stroke a couple of years before her fall, is on medication for high blood pressure, has short term memory problems that the doctors will only say is age-related , which is more frustrating for me than it is for her). She came through the surgery with flying colors, was their star pupil in rehabilitation, and as far as anyone can tell is only bothered by the things that were already existent before the fall.
I still worry about her every day (I'm her sole caregiver), but I did that before the surgery as well.
I hope everything goes well for your grandmother; I'll be sending good thoughts her way. Posted by Katarain (Member # 6659) on :
Thanks.. I guess it's just waiting now.. Maybe I'll be able to visit next year. That'd be real nice.
Posted by romanylass (Member # 6306) on :
My gram is 89 and has two-three surgeries a year at this point. I'm hoping and praying you're Gramma comes out OK.
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
, which is more frustrating for me than it is for her). She came through the surgery with flying colors, was their star pupil in rehabilitation, and as far as anyone can tell is only bothered by the things that were already existent before the fall.![[Smile]](smile.gif)