Conversation with Grandma Charlotte

I spent an hour on the phone with Grandma Charlotte last night and found it so amusing that I thought I'd share. First let me tell you that she is doing well and has had the dialysis port removed. Her defibrillator is working and she has responded well to the implant. Friday night she decided that she wanted to go back to "living on her own" and so she asked to be moved back into her mother-in-law suite that is attached to my parents' house. She has a separate entrance but is still close enough that my mom runs back and forth all day checking on her and bringing her meals and meds.

Anyways, she is enjoying her renewed freedom but is concerned about her weight! Yes, you read it right - her weight. Grandma turned 86 on Monday, is recovering from major surgery, lives on a renal diet and thinks that she needs to lose weight. We women are never happy, are we?! So I proceeded to ask her how much weight. Well, she thought that 8 pounds would be just about right. I'm thinking to myself some people have a good bowl movement and lose that much! Anyways, I asked her why she wanted to lose 8 pounds and her response was that she has several skirts in her closet that she would like to wear again. I inquired as to why and where she would be wearing a skirt these days and she said - "I want to go back to church again!" I was so encouraged to hear her say that, it's been quite a long time since she's been able to go to church. Initially her energy was so low that she couldn't even think about getting up and getting ready to go to church then her conditioned worsened and led to the defibrillator implant and it was absolutely impossible to take her. She's got a little ways to go but the woman has drive I tell ya! I hope she gets her wish and is able to get that skirt on and go to church soon - there are so many people waiting to welcome her back! Oh and by the way Grandma Charlotte, HAPPY 86 and here's to many more.....years that is - not pounds!
Leah