AND or DNR

On Wednesday afternoon, we came home and I knew something was wrong. Grandma was shaky and chilled, but according to her, she was "just fine". Grandma was one of the toughest women I know, and was always "just fine". She went to bed early and we made an appointment the next morning at the clinic. They diagnosed her with an infection and sent us home with antibiotics. That night, grandma helped prepare dinner and entertained us and James' parents with the story of the drunken pig and many others. We helped her to bed as she was pretty tired. The next morning as she slept in (VERY late for a farm gal) we knew something was wrong. James and I helped her into the car and we went to the hospital. She was diagnosed with a myriad of issues and admitted to the hospital. We later found out it was a very serious staph infection combined with a small heart attack and her children from AK and VA rushed in. By Sunday grandma had slipped into a coma-like state and we decided to bring her home. The nurses at the hospital were absolutely wonderful and the hospice care was just as supportive.
As hospice put it, we didn't "Do Not Resuscitate" we "Allowed Natural Death" as grandma had wanted. Grandma made it very clear to all of us that she wanted to go in her sleep, and her advanced directives were very clear. The hospice service allowed her to go in her home, in a dignified fashion, the way she wished. More importantly, the hospice service was an asset to the family, letting us know what to expect and how things might happen. At 6:30am on Sunday, grandma passed as I was cuddled up next to her, forehead to forehead. She went peacefully and in her sleep, surrounded by family and friends in her final hours. I can't think of a better way to pass than with a loving family around. Though grandma would have preferred to have gone while taking a nap like Uncle Bud, we hope that this was second best. Her obituary can be found here: Casper Star Tribune