Grandma's Update: A Difficult Few Days
A Difficult Few Days
I picked up Grandma on Thursday (March 11th) and took her home, only to realize that she was not rehabilitated and could not be on her own. Knowing she needed more support, I took her to Dad’s house in Williamson, planning for her to stay there for a few days while I set up a room for her at my house.
However, since Thursday, we have watched Grandma go downhill. We saw this happen at the end of 2023—after months in the hospital, she was weak, had no energy, no appetite, and barely got out of bed. At that time, we discovered she had been missing her Aranesp injections, which she was supposed to receive every two weeks for her MDS (Myelodysplastic Syndromes).
We strongly believe that her current decline is again due to missing her Aranesp injections—the very treatment we were pleading with the hospital and rehab to give her.
Tomorrow, she has an oncology appointment to finally get the injection. If this follows the same pattern as before, we should see vast improvements within about three days. Last time, the difference was night and day after she got it.
Why Was Grandma Released from Rehab?
Grandma was released from rehab because she wasn’t responding to therapy, and insurance decided she wasn’t going to get any better.
However, no one explained this to us when I picked her up. It was clearly noted that she lived alone, yet no one told us she would need 24/7 care. Had we known, we could have been better prepared.
The Plan Moving Forward
I spoke with Humana (her insurance provider) and explained her situation. Here’s the plan:
✔ Get a preauthorization for Aranesp from her primary care doctor.
✔
Go to the oncologist tomorrow and get her first injection.
✔
Take her to the ER for readmission to rehab.
She has to go through the ER because that’s where the hospitals have caseworkers who handle insurance approvals. If we try to do this another way, we could be waiting weeks or even months for a rehab facility to become available. At least, that’s how it was explained to me.
It is
my hope that we can get
all the necessary paperwork to ensure she
continues getting her injections while in rehab. Once she
responds to the treatment, she should be strong enough to
fully participate in rehab and start
getting back on her feet.
Grandma’s Current Condition
Right now, Grandma is in a very bad state.
- No appetite
- No energy
- Sleeping most of the day
- Completely incontinent (she has to be changed every few hours, like a baby)
The level of care she needs right now is beyond what I, Desiree, Dad, or Deborah can handle. She needs a full-time nurse. We are all doing our very best, but she needs more than we can provide.
If it weren’t for
how badly she needs this injection, I would have
already taken her back to the hospital. I just
couldn’t risk her going back into a facility
without getting the Aranesp shot first.
What is MDS and Why Does She Need Aranesp?
MDS (Myelodysplastic Syndromes) is a condition that prevents Grandma’s bone marrow from making enough healthy blood cells.
✔
Without her Aranesp injections, her body shuts down.
✔ She becomes
weak, exhausted, and unable to function.
✔ Her
energy disappears, her appetite vanishes, and she can’t stay awake.
Aranesp helps her body produce red blood cells, giving her the oxygen, strength, and energy she needs to function. Without it, she declines rapidly, which is exactly what we’re seeing now.
Please Keep Praying
This has been a frustrating and exhausting process, but I’m hopeful that once she gets her injection tomorrow, we’ll start seeing improvements.
Please keep Grandma in your prayers—for strength, healing, and that everything goes smoothly with the oncologist and rehab admission.
Thank you all for your love and support. I’ll keep you updated. ❤️
