"Let him know that you know best"

You have no idea how happy I am that this weekend is over. It was maybe one of the most stressful weekends ever.

It started out with my Grandparents coming up for Brian's basketball tournament on Wednesday. My 73 year old Grandpa has Muscular Dystrophy, so his muscles are getting weaker and weaker. He is in a wheelchair and he can't do much by himself. He can barely hold a fork and lift it to his mouth to eat. Because of his disease and how hard it is for him to get around, he and my Grandma don't travel much. So it was huge that they were ready and willing to come visit Flagstaff and stay at my parents house for five days. Well on Wednesday they were supposed to arrive in Flagstaff around 5 in the evening and then I was going to take them out to dinner because my parents were in Phoenix. They didn't end up getting here until about 7:30 or 8 that night because of highway construction. My poor Grandpa was sitting in the car for 7 straight hours, without as much as a bathroom break. When they finally got to Flag, my Grandma came into the house, but left my Grandpa in the van because it takes to long to get him in and out. Then we went to get some Mexican food because New Mexican's can never get enough green chili. By the time we got done with dinner, got home, unpacked the car and got them settled it was almost 11pm. Then the next day, both my parents were at work and Brian was at school and my Grandpa fell out of his wheelchair. Grandpa is a very big man, so my 115 pound grandma could definitely not help him get up. The only thing my Grandma could do was help roll him out of the bathroom where he fell. When my dad and brother finally got home they tried lifting him up, back into his chair, but like i said...Grandpa is a large man. They ended up having to call the fire department to have a few guys come in and lift him. They came and were studs. They got my Grandpa back to normal and were very tactful about it. In the process though, he hurt his feet and ankles. He told everyone he was fine, but the next day the pain was too much to bear so my mom and Grandma had to call the ambulance to take him to the ER. He was in the ER all day on Friday and then they finally decided to admit him into a regualr room so he could regain some strength, be properly taken care of and try to rehabilitate his legs so he could maybe move them again. So, unfortuantly Grandpa has been in the hospital since Friday and they weren't even going to start working with him until today. The poor guy has been so bored. He isn't the best at cooperating either, and I have found myself apologizing to the nurses for him. Its hard because they know what is best and safest for him, but he doesn't want to do anything their way. He wants to do everything the way he always has and it scares the living daylights out of the nurses. I feel so bad for them.

I am really worried about him. Just watching him try and do the simplest things breaks my heart. It is the hardest thing for someone to give up their freedoms. Its even worse for my Grandpa. Growing up in the era that he did, he was the provider, the man of the house. He took care of his wife and kids and all of their needs. Now he can't even write his name. I'm sure he feels completely helpless. It hurts so much to see his life hanging by a thread.