Grandma and Freeloaders

Sigh, my grandmother. Not my mother's mom but my father's mom. She's sick. She's battling yet another pneumonia infection... It's been five ~ six days now and Brother Otter usually says that it lasts a week before senior's die from it. So, I'm a bit afraid.

Here's the thing with my grandmother... In the late-80's, she had her first stroke which left her paralyzed on the left side from the shoulder and below so she walks with a cane and a limp but it doesn't stop her from anything. She travels, cooks, shops, cleans, showers and even took care of an adopted child from the moment she was an infant all by herself with no help of a stay-at-home nurse or maid.

In 2005 or 2006, she had her second stroke in our house in Fort Bonifacio and we rushed her to the hospital and even though she was all better, she was so tired and my father and his sisters thought it was a better idea that she come back to Los Angeles and see a doctor and stay at a senior home (because they "don't have room at their house") so the next week, she flew back to Los Angeles. Since then, I haven't seen her. When I stayed in Canada for six months in 2008, I got a message from a cousin who told me that she had her third stroke. THIRD. She was a little deranged and forgot some things but she was still living on her own. Then, she had her first pneumonia infection that ended up her being rushed to the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) but she ended up doing well and living well. Now, she's on her second pneumonia infection and people are thinking that this is it. Sometimes, it makes me think that it's not because she's been so strong already however, I know that she's struggling so much just to live that it's just too much for her... As much as I hate to say it, I think she deserves to rest. She's such a great grandmother who tries to be the best mother that she can be, who works hard even if half of her is paralyzed. I was always her favorite and she hated everyone else, she cared for my mom more than she cared for her own daughters and sons because she and I really understood her, took care of her and let her into our house even though we didn't have space. I lent her my room for months while I slept in the living room, on a couch and I was still in high school. For what she did for me (and my mother), sleeping on the couch was not enough to thank her, I guess you can say.