3 weeks to the day, 2 people we loved

Yesterday morning my great-aunt passed away. I am sad. I was not technically named after her, but my name is Kahla Ann and hers was Ann Kahla so she liked to claim I was. She was a wonderful lady, beautiful inside and out. She was 87 and had been married to my Uncle Joe for 70 1/2 years, literally a lifetime. The last report we had gotten, she was doing better. I can't help but picture that her husband, children, and grandchildren are going through what we did just three weeks ago. Waiting and thinking, "Oh good, things are getting better." And then suddenly they are not better, they are a zillion times worse and can't be fixed.

Once again my heart is aching for my Nana. When she called yesterday morning it was early, we were all still asleep. I knew something was wrong before the words were out of her mouth. She is devastated. Nana was the youngest of three and the only girl. She was 6 when her brother married Ann. She was literally like a sister to Nana. She watched her grow up and they became very close friends. As Nana cried over the phone and said, "I just lost my husband, now I've lost my only sister," I cried silent tears for her, for my other family members, for the pain that is running rampant in our family right now that can't be stopped.

I am leery that things are not going to be better any time soon. Jeff's grandfather, Greatpa, is in the hospital and not doing well at all. He has been losing weight, not eating, and wanting to sleep a lot. He got what they thought was thrush in his mouth, but even with treatment it continued to get worse. To the point he 100% would not eat and his mouth was bleeding and oozing. They took him to the ER and they were told it was throat cancer. Fortunately it's not. Instead they believe he is having a reaction to something, possibly his arthritis medicine. He was admitted to the hospital immediately, put on morphine and re-hydrated. They've done some blood work, but we have very little information right now and apparently the doctors are not answering questions or even really talking to family like they should. We do know his platelet count is an 8, which is much too low, and that he is at an extremely high risk for infection which could be fatal. Because of this, visitors have been very limited and we have not been up there. There is no way he could see the kids, which I hate, but 100% agree with and understand. If anyone knows how germy kids are, it's me! Jeff and I are going to go up later today and can see him if we where masks, gloves. I'm going to take a picture of the kids up to him. I'm so worried. Jeff does not think his grandfather will make it out of the hospital, I have that same fear. I pray we are both wrong.

****I am grateful for
1) any prayers sent our way
2) family that is always there for you
3) pictures, because I can take him that
4) my husband, having him by my side always makes things a little more bearable
5) the love between my children