TheBanyanTree: Gramps

[Monique]

My grandfather is 99. Ninety-nine. He turns 100 in September. I don't
know if I'll be able to get down there for his birthday party or not. 
 
My mom got an email from him today - I get emails from him now and then,
we correspond, but frankly, he's slowed down a bit. Yes, well, it was
bound to happen eventually. He is, after all, almost 100. Almost a
century. 
 
Seems Gramps has an aneurysm. He's had it since 1998, but it's just been
hanging around, not changing much. This year it's increased quite a bit.
He says it won't be long until it bursts, not at the rate it's increased
this year. Surgery's a possibility, but it would be difficult, with a
long convalescence. Did I mention he's 99? That, and he's worried about
what a long convalescence would do to his wife, assuming he even
survived. His wife has Alzheimer's, has lost touch with the world around
her except she knows her husband is there and taking care of her. Today
they went to Kiwanis and then saw a 2 hour movie. On Fridays they go
dancing. Mary likes to dance. If something happens to him he says
they'll put her in a locked dementia ward and she'll soon forget she was
ever married.
 
Her children are not a lot of help, from what I've heard. They've taken
her a couple of times for short visits, but she returns worse than when
she left, and they don't know how to take care of her. It's a job best
done by a 99 year old man I guess. He's been incredibly healthy all his
life, despite being a "blue" baby and needing naps every afternoon . . .
for as long as anyone can remember. Never slowed him down though. Spent
I don't know how many years being a lawyer, administering estates for
clients he'd had forever. Finally gave that all up in his 80's though.
Such an active swimmer all his life that he wore out three hips - they
finally stopped replacing them, told him he'd just have to make do from
now on.
 
He's tentatively decided not to have surgery. Just let the sucker grow
until it bursts I guess. He has an appointment with a surgeon to see
what he has to say about it, and he asked my mom and her sister, his
only surviving children out of five, what they think. He is not a
stubborn old man, refusing to listen to anyone. 
 
Has all his teeth. Well, he's lost a couple I think, but what he has is
his. And his mind? Still all there. Loves his new laptop too. We used to
compare computers, see who had the newest. He has more resources, so
he's usually had the newest. 
 
Damn aneurysm. 
 
Monique