Mary Ford (Nanny) - Rest In Peace

As stated in the post below, Saturday July 4th was one year of my grandpa's passing. Nanny (my grandma on my mom's side) has been sick for about a month. She was admitted to the hospital because her intestines were filling with waste because she could not dispose of it. After a little less then a month she finally made it to St. Luke's Nursing Home for rehab. This is where my grandpa was. I had visited my grandma many times in the hospital. I was nervous to go up to the nursing home because I had not been there since right before I left for Boston, which was the last time I ever saw my grandpa. On Thursday after dinner my mom and I went up to the nursing home to visit Nanny and brought her cat with us. His name is Mr. Roberts. (There is a post about him a few down.) Nanny was so excited to see her baby boy. He laid with her and played with her. She didn't seem quite herself that day but she said her sugar had been funny all day. (She was a diabetic.) Friday I left for Spencerport to spend the Fourth of July weekend out at Jon's friends cottage at Canisus Lake. After a great weekend of swimming, boating, games, friends, sun, Transformers, and a dinner date with Jon I headed home. When I got home my dad came outside and asked if I needed help with anything. I thought it was somewhat strange because usually I'll come inside first then he'll ask if I need any help. Inside my house was my Uncle Bill and two suitcases. My Aunt Jackie and Uncle Bill (my mom's sister and brother in law) had flown up from Florida. I knew something had to be up. My dad told me not to be worried but Nanny had emergancy surgery this morning to get some of the waste out of her system and that her blood pressure was low. Nanny made it through the surgery but they had to give her fluids to bring up her blood pressure. She was now in intensive care. I wentto the fireworks with my cousin and her friend and got a phone call around 10:30pm from my dad asking if I could pick up my little sister from her friends house because they had to go back up to the hospital because Nanny had taken a turn for the worst. Kelsey ended up getting dropped off just in time to see me crying on the phone with Jon. I was letting him know Nanny was not doing well. All the fluid they had given her to help her blood pressure was invading her cells because it had nowhere else to go because her body was not functioning properly. Around 11:30pm my phone woke me up. It was my mom in tears. She said to bring Kelsey and get up to the hospital and to call Laura (my sister's fiance) and have her drive Courtney to the hospital. (Courtney and Laura live in Syracuse - about 45min. away) Kelsey and I hurried over to the hospital and got up to the ICU. Nanny was laying there. She was so puffy from all the fluid. My mom was crying, my aunt was crying. My Uncle Mark (mom's brother) was there and my dad, uncle Bill, and a few of Nanny's friends. I lost it. I balled. The machines were so loud. It sounded like the machine from Willy Wonka that makes the Ever Lasting Golbstoppers. I woke Jon up to tell him what was going on. I sat out in the hall with my little sister and my dad. I just couldn't look at Nanny. She didn't look like herself. My brother and his girlfriend came up to say goodbye to Nanny. Courtney was still on her way and Nanny was crashing quickly. Courtney made it to the hospital 5 minutes after Nanny passed away. No machines were unplugged or anything. She passed on her own. It was all so sudden and unexpected. I don't know which was worse, knowning for a week that my grandpa was going to pass away and being able to brace yourself a little bit, or finding out 2 hours before hand with no warning.

My mom is not doing very well with this. Her and Nanny were not on the best of terms and had just started to make ammends and start over. I told my mom she needs to dig deep down inside for her courage and strength to get her through this and that I know she has it in her. I told her I will do anything she needs me to do. At least her sister is here with her.

Nanny is in a better place now. She is up there with her husband Papa Rocky (he passed away when I was 3). She is not in anymore pain and discomfort. And I hope she looks down and watches over my mom and helps her through this tough time. And I hope Nanny sends messages to my mom that she does love her and that everything will be okay. My mom could really use something like that. She was a great person. She helped me pay for the car I just bought. Even though she couldn't hear well and she always talked to you for hours on and on and on and on... she was a lovely lady. She's going to be missed a lot and I love her very much.

RIP Mary A. Ford "Nanny" - July 6th, 2009