I'm somewhat on edge today, to put it mildly. My dear sister, age 72, is momentarily going into surgery this morning for work on her left knee. I think they're going to replace it. It's been causing her pain. She's married to a great guy who has been taking good care of her. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary a year ago. She's been struggling with non-Hodgskins lymphoma for about 15 years, has had two rounds of chemo, and is currently in her second remission, and has been in this remission for several years. Additionally, their daughter died 3 years ago of a sudden heart attack at age 46. Then the ALZ began, although it probably had been going on for a while before the daughter's death. She's in probably Stage 6 now. She still knows me, but her memory is very bad. We have no siblings. She's always been my big sister, yet now with ALZ, I'm now the big sister, even though she's 2 1/2 years older.
Anyway, I just needed to talk to you all. Thanks for being there for me.
Hanging On, that is what you are doing right now - hanging on.....at least knee replacements are generally successful, and recovery and being able to walk without pain after having been in pain for so long, is usually the result with most people, we all know that Alzheimer's patients react differently, and recover differently. Hopefully your sister will be one of the fortunate ones and be walking again soon. She's apparently had a very good life - 50 years with a great guy! That is rare and special! And you two have had each other.... I'm an only child, so I missed out on all of the sibling things.....teasing, telling on each other, giggling late at night, confiding in each other, helping each other with homework, sneaking peeks when they came home from dates, and all of the other fun things sisters do....I always regretted not having a sister.
Your sister and you will be in my thoughts and prayers. Please let us hear from you after her surgery....
They're going to do a spinal tap, due to not wanting her memory to worsen by using a regular anesthesia. However, they're also going to give her a sedative, to calm her. I'm guessing that this sedative will be similar to that type that we get for colonoscopies, where we're out but we're really just mildly sedated. Don't know, tho.
Thank you so much, Zibby and Mary, for your postings. I appreciate your support. I'll let you all know how the surgery goes. She's going to be in that hospital for 3 days, and then transferred to a rehab hospital for pt, for two days. Then home. This assumes that all goes as planned.
My brother-in-law just called me. My sister is out of surgery, and the doctor said it went well. She is in the recovery room. She will be in that hospital for a couple of days, and she may go home from there, or she may be transferred to a rehab hospital for a while, depending on how she's doing. I'm hopeful that there will be no aftereffects mentally for her. They've done everything they can to avoid that.
Thank you all, so much, for your surrounding love and support. I value you so much. And I send you much love.
Hangingon: glad to hear that all went well for your sister...prayers are with you....Mary I also missed having a sister, do have two brothers...thats why I was happpy when I had 4 girls..they are all close, even though there is a span of 12 years between the oldest and the youngest..I am truly Blesses...