Karen30 Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 Hi! i am new to the board! My name is Karen and my 87 year old grandmother suffered a severe stroke last monday. the stroke was so bad that it did a lot of damage to her brain. she can't eat because she can't swallow. she is hooked up to feeding tubes. she can't move and she just stares. Does anyone know if their is anyway at 87 she can come out of this? Thanks in advance!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fking Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Karen, I think I'm the first to comment to your post and I have no answer for you but I want to welcome you to the site and hope you can get answers or suggestions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisas Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 :welcome: KAREN, I'M SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR GRANDMOTHER. NO ONE CAN SAY FOR SURE IF SOMEONE WILL COME OUT OK AFTER A STROKE. ONLY TIME WILL TELL. I WILL SAY THAT MY 24 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER HAD A MASSIVE STROKE 2 YEARS AGO. WE WERE TOLD SHE WOULDN'T MAKE IT THROUGH THE NIGHT. I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT SHE IS STILL WITH US TODAY. SHE IS MAKING GREAT STRIDES ALL THE TIME. I WILL PRAY FOR YOU AND YOUR GRANDMOTHER. THE BRAIN NEEDS TIME TO HEAL. YOU WILL FIND LOTS OF FRIENDLY PEOPLE HERE AND TONS OF INFORMATION. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoenix Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Karen, Sorry to hear of your Grandmother's stroke. As Lisas says....only time will tell. Recovery is a long process but with therapy some gains can be made, and therapy is the key as well as hard work and patience. I wish your Grandmother luck...she will need you to be her strength so hang in there. We have blogs you can read for insight as well as daily chats, :yadayada: please check the schedule and join us...you can ask question there as well as post questions and we will answer as best as we can from our experiences. Please come back often and keep us updated on her progress. Welcome to Strokenet. :welcome: :friends: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kanderson Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 hi karen and welcome to strokenetwork. i am sorry to hear about your grandmother. but as lisa said, only time will tell, everyone is different in the type of stroke they have and their recovery will be different also. i can tell you TO NEVER GIVE UP HOPE, it takes the brain at least 6 months to heal but it can heal. talk to her as much as you can when you are with her. others here will offer suggestions and words of hope and blessings for your family during this very tough time. i will keep you and your family in my prayers. i wish you the very best in this long road to recovery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen30 Posted March 4, 2008 Author Share Posted March 4, 2008 Thanks for the warm welcome everyone! They moved my Gram to a different hospital lasnight and there she will be evualuated for Hospice care! I hope everything goes well for her there! Thanks again guys!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen30 Posted March 4, 2008 Author Share Posted March 4, 2008 someone told me hospice care means you're dying but that's not true, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dstraugh Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Karen, I have always been told and experienced that hospice was called in towards the end of an individuals's life in order to make them as comfortable as possible as there was nothing that could be medically done for the person. My suggestion to you is to speak to her doctor(s) and receive straight answers as to her prognosis. In the meantime, approach each day with her as a blessing and be sure to tell her how much you love her. Miracles can and do happen each and every day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danni3 Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 DEAR KEARN I AM VERY SORRY TO HERE ABOUT YOUR GRANDMA, THE ONLY THING THAT I CAN LEAVE YOU WITH THAT IS IF YOU, ARE A FAITH BELEIVING PERSON,IF NOT I HOPE THAT YOU WILL DO ANYWAY,THAT IS TO GET DOWN ON YOUR KNEE AND PRAY FOR YOUR GRANDMA,PRAY TO THE ALLMIGHTY,THAT HE HAVE LEFT THIS BEAUTIFUL LADY AND YOUR LIFE FOR THIS LONG, AND IF THE LORD SEE FIT,THAT YOU WOULD LOVE FOR HER TO BE AND YOUR LIFE FOR A LIITTLE LONGER, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edee Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Karen, I am so sorry to hear of your grandmother's stroke. There are wonderful, caring people on this message board that will give you support and encouragement. I have had experience with the Hospice program. I am the caregiver to mother who is 80 years old and had a severe stroke a year ago. They didn't expect her to live for more than a week so I brought her home to die on the Hospice program. The hospital and doctors can recommend Hospice but I believe it is always up to the family to make that decision. They gave me a choice between Hospice and Home Health nursing care. (However the difference wasn't explained very well to me at the hospital and I was given less than an hour to make the decision when she was being discharged). As mentioned above Hospice is for people who are not expected to live more than a few months. It is a wonderful program and needed by many but I quickly learned it wasn't right for us. Even though the doctors had given up on my mom, I DIDN'T! I did not feel that her stroke was a terminal illness like cancer with no cure (she also has several other serious medical conditions but none of them are life threatening). After a week at home I chose the option of having Home Health nursing rather than Hospice because it allowed me more freedom to make decisions regarding my mother's medical treatment and care. Hospice is designed to make the patient as comfortable as possible, however, they do not provide aggressive nursing care aimed at recovery. There is a big difference. One great advantage for some is the emotional and spiritual support of the Hospice program. Making the switch from Hospice to Home Health wasn't as easy as the doctor's led me to believe, but it was worth it. I have had mom home for 11 months now and with the help of a dedicated team of visiting nurses she continues to make slow progress. You didn't mentioned if your grandmother was going to be cared for at home or go to a "Hospice House" where she would receive 24 hr care by Hospice professionals. I know what you are going through. Try to spend as much time with her as you can and talk to her, hug her, hold her hand...whatever you can do to let her know that you are there and that you love her. She may understand much more than you think. I will pray that God will give you wisdom, peace and strength. Edee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen30 Posted March 4, 2008 Author Share Posted March 4, 2008 Thanks guys! My grandmother is in hospice as we speak. I am going down to see her over the weekend. You said that means short term life but is it at all possible that she can live for months down the road? I love my gram and she means the worls to me! not ready for this yet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen30 Posted March 4, 2008 Author Share Posted March 4, 2008 I wanted to also mention that you are doing a wonderful thing for your mother. You are a great person and I wish you and your mother well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edee Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Karen, Many times people are released from hospice care because they stabilize or improve. I know one dear lady who is 98 years old and has been on and off hospice care FOUR TIMES! Just because a doctor thinks someone doesn't have long to live...well...only God can know that for sure. I believe in miracles. My mom is living proof that doctors aren't always right!!!!! Your grandmother is very blessed to have such a loving family. Are there family members close to where she is? It sounds like you aren't in the same town as she is. I hope you will be able to spend time with her. Your voice and your touch will be very healing and comforting to her. I am sending you a big {{{HUG}}} and will continue to pray for you and your family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen30 Posted March 5, 2008 Author Share Posted March 5, 2008 Thanks! I live about an 1 1/2 away but the rest of my family lives minutes away and they visit everyday. I go down on the weekends. i will be going down on saturday to visit!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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