My Grandmother a Survivor

Just when a mother thinks her work is done, she becomes a grandmother,
that must had what grandma experienced when I was born because as the first
grandchild I am mighty proud to be the one who made her so. Grandma was kind a
terror to her kids but a gentle grandma to her grand kids. I grew up learning to call
her Mama Bebe or just Mama. I supposed I was a spoiled son and grandchild back
then.
Well, good and bad times passed and the world grew older to all of us. Then
lately she got sick, with pneumonia which complicated into a heart problem (atrial
fibrillation). Imagine getting pneumonia with only one lung and at the same time
having a heart problem at a fairly ripe age of 74. In my experience at the hospital,
many patients die with pneumonia alone, many succumb with a heart problem
alone too. However Mama was a bit braver, not a bit in fact but a lot, she had both.
Mama was admitted at the hospital for less than a month only. However, the
condition took its toll rapidly; she grew weaker and thinner, was eventually
intubated and finally had tracheostomy to help her breath. Many times she almost
faltered. My mom, aunts and uncles, and the rest of us were losing hope it could
have been easier to expect the worst. It was a dark time for all of us and only prayer
held our faith together. The physicians did all they could. Grandmas condition was a
grim one.
However, mama was not among those people who easily give up on life.
Gradually she recovered from her critical condition. She was later stable enough to
be discharge from the hospital but with a tube sticking out from her throat. I was
given the opportunity to take care of grandma. Aunt Jing taught me well on Mamas
daily care routine. A month passed and I have to go back to Cebu to process papers
for the Board Exam results. Over a month had passed before I was able to go back
to Mama. When I returned Mama had already stopped relying on the oxygen tank,
she was now also eating solid food, and she can now partially take care of herself.
But the best news was that she was also ready to have the tube remove. We went
to the doctor twice and on our second visit the tube was finally taken out.
Mama, I can say had recovered fairly well. Her will to live was stronger than
the temptation to give in and just let everything go. Our prayers were answered; a
Will higher than anyone of us had decided to let her win the fight, and to that I am
sincerely thankful. She was a survivor the second time around the first one was
having her one lung remove many years ago due to another disease. She had only
her upcoming 75th birthday to think of. As for me, I learned what a cartoon
character once said, Dying is easy, it takes true courage to live, which was exactly
what Mama showed. Prayers not only can move mountains but can also change
everything. I also got to have the complete tracheostomy tube set that was taken
out from her throat as a memorable souvenir.

They say that life begins at forty. But as for Mama, life begins again at seventy-five.