Dream Talking

Some days are tough. It's not pain or crisis, it's just getting through it. The burden for Gina is sometimes just too heavy. The daily routine of taking care of Gerri is busy and rigid, and any change in it brings problems. Case in point, Gina had requested that, if possible, the home care attendants should be ones who are known to them, and when a stranger showed up, there is more stress. Everything is set up to be a calm environment for Gerri, yesterday it just wasn't.

It became clear, as I visited her, that she has gotten a lot weaker in one week. She was sitting up and having a late lunch and we chatted. I showed her the printed pictures of Gerry Graber, the baby, and played an mp3 file a friend sent her, updated her on emails. Throughout the phone kept ringing with legitimate callers and it had to be answered.

When I asked how the week went, I learned about a humidity problem in the apartment that had to be tended to, not pleasant, and that harassing phone calls several times a day continued. I got the number from Gina last week and I found it to be located in California... Nasty business that, leaving messages that are gibberish, ringing several times a day. Someone called that number and it showed 'out of service'. Online responses about this number were numerous, a known problem caller/number others have also experienced. Shaw phone service  charges extra to block numbers, but to get some peace it is the only solution to stop this nonsense.

Another time on another blog I'll rant at length about what I think of Shaw phone service. I can tell you here, it ain't much!

Gerri is starting to zone out. Sometimes she is dream talking, hallucinating, all in a normal conversational tone. If it weren't so concerning, you could find some humor in it. It's a sign that she is sinking fast, starting to react to the heavy drugs she has to take. She is weak, has a hard time moving herself into her bed, lifting her legs, shifting her body.

Gerri said it herself many times, her body has become a burden that her spirit has to drag around. It won't be very much longer, Gerri, when you can let your body go.

Gerry Graber is right here in Maryland

The following email was received on 4 March 2011 04:26:
Subject: Gerry Graber is right here in Maryland

Dearly loved ones;

In the early hour of this morning (5:33am), the lord showered his blessing again. A baby boy was born at the Upper Chesapeake Medical centre, Maryland. The baby is named Gerry Graber Njizokokeh. He arrived a little earlier than expected. Both mother and child (not forgetting the father) are doing well but will have to stay in hospital for a while because of this early arrival.

Join us and granny, Gerri Graber in festive celebrations and prayers for health. Her greatest aspiration was to see the arrival of this little Gerry. Pictures will follow shortly.

on behalf of The family

Mokuh B

Introducing Vena, Gerry and Mokuh (looking a bit stunned). All are well, the baby was about 4.5lb and is breathing on its own. The father is breathing again too, and grandma Gerri is over the moon!

OK friends, read the last paragraph of the previous post. Oh, heck, read the whole post.

Isn't it just a tiny bit freaky how everything that happens in Gerri's life follows a perfect time-line? Well, we know it's not freaky, it's God's plan... but 'God's plan' is not in  everyone's vocabulary.

Granny Gerri doesn't have the opportunity to hold little Gerry, but she held her great-grand niece yesterday, who is also only days old.

I visited Gerri on Friday and we had a wonderful afternoon. The exciting news lifted everyone's spirit. Still, is is time for a reality check. It's so easy for her friends, including me, to forget how very ill Gerri is. As mentioned in previous posts, for now the crisis' have abated, but every day has its cost.

I didn't know that Gerri takes steam inhalations 6 times a day. Those sessions are each laced with steroids. Steroids make it possible for her to eat and helps reduce inflammation in her lungs. The steam helps her breathe. Pain meds are administered throughout the day, sometimes Gerri takes 4-6 pills at one time; she wouldn't be able to tolerate those pills without food, hence, the steroids. Now listen to this: Gerri told me that she is never sure that she'll be able to breathe when she wakes up in the morning, and, she is never sure that she will wake up at all.

Again, dear friends, Gerri gets her messages read to her, is shown her blog, is shown the blog comments. The visitors she receives now are only her family and some friends she specifically asks for. None of us want to loose her. But it is not our journey or our "wants". We can help her and ourselves best by leaving everything in God's hands—after all He has a plan—and, if you are so inclined, let's pray for her.