Another Scare...

While I was at work on Monday night, I got an urgent call from my husband letting me know that he was on his way to the hospital with Ma. He said she had a lot of blood coming out of both ends of her and it just wouldn't stop. Ova called 911 to send an ambulance because he thought it would take too long to for them to get her into the van and drive her themselves. The firetruck showed up within minutes of the call and about 10 paramedics/fire fighters came in to assess the situation. As soon as they walked in the room and saw all the blood, and smelt it...the head fire fighter said they were not waiting for the ambulance to come, that they would just rush her to the hospital in the fire truck. They loaded Ma into the fire truck and took off to the hospital (Ova and Tea followed behind them) She was in the emergency room for what seemed like FOREVER, and after several hours, they finally admitted her into the CVICU. Come to find out she had a bleeding ulcer in her stomach and that's what was causing all the blood. While she was in the emergency room, they had to give her some blood because she had lost so much. Once she was admitted, they gave her 3 more bags. I wanted so bad to leave work early to make sure she was okay, but Ova was on the phone w/ me constantly and told me to just stay because I would just be sitting w/ him in the waiting room if I left work. It was a LONG night at work that night! Finally I was off and I headed straight to the hospital.... Ova was there waiting for me and we went into the room so I could see her.... as soon as I walked into the room she started crying, which of course made me completely break down (I was trying really hard to keep my composure, but there was no way) I bent down and kissed her forehead and asked her if she was okay. She just kept telling me that she's ready to go now. Her body was weak and even though she had tons of blankets on her, she was so cold.... I just stood there and cried while her and Ova were talking. She just kept saying over and over that she was ready to go, the whole time with tears running down her cheeks. Ova asked her to hold on.... at least until baby Lautala was born so she could see her. Ma looked over at me and asked when I was going to have her, and I told her next month. She just shook her head ok and continued crying. I walked over to the side of her bed and she rubbed my stomach and talked to Lautala. It was a very very overwhelming experience, and so so sad. We all stood there in silence for about 15 minutes, just crying and then we kissed her and told her we'd be back tomorrow. I couldn't help myself that whole night, I just cried all night long....while Ova comforted me... it should have been the other way around. Tea stayed at the hospital that night with Ma and we called her bright and early in the morning to see how things were going. Tea said Ma was acting really strange all day night long, and especially that morning. Sau Lahi stopped by the hospital to see Ma before he headed out to Portland for work, and she broke down crying asking him why he would leave her when she's so sick. Sau started crying too and made arrangements to not have to go to Portland...he stayed with Ma at the hospital. Namu flew in from San Francisco to be with her mom, and Tea and Pisila were at the hospital too.... they said that Ma started singing, staring off into space, and the tears were flowing down her face.... Tea asking her why she was crying and she was telling them that she visited the place that she's going to... it was so beautiful... she was telling them that it was so bright and peaceful, and she didn't want to come back. She said it was the place that her husband prepared for her. It's just so crazy to hear her talk like that, the last time she got sick it was a total scare for all of us because of the way she was talking.... this time it seemed to be multiplied.

She ended up staying in the hospital for 4 days and was finally released last night because they fed her some soup and jello and she was able to keep it down. Ma is an incredible woman, so loving and caring and soft spoken...she's the backbone of the family and the one that keeps everyone together. All of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren are so blessed to have her around and you can see how much she is loved.... we had a full house last night, tons of family there to welcome her home. It was Pisila, Line, Namu, Tauafu, Sau Leka, Ova, me and our boys.... and Mele, Li & Leka are flying in tonight. Sau Lahi stops by constantly to check on her, and Ova Lahi is trying to come out. She is very blessed and always surrounded by her loved ones. It's kinda crazy, because even with her going in and out of the hospital, she seems to be so healthy....she walks around, she laughs, she can hold a conversation, she remembers everyone.... it's just different because of the way she's talking. I think her body has a little while longer, but she wants to go. We are grateful that she's doing well enough to be at home and continually pray for comfort that whatever the Lord has planned for her, we will all be ready!

As you know, the swine flu outbreak has everyone all wound up...and the hospitals here in Utah are super strict with their new policy of only 2 visitors per patient and nobody under 12 allowed in the hospital. We were going to try to take our boys to see Ma while she was in the hospital, but watched as like 4 vehicles were turned away because they had little kids. We decided not to even chance it. Makai wasn't so happy, he really wanted to see his Ma. I explained to him that Ma really wants to see him too, but that there's a lot of sickness going around right now and it's really bad if kids get sick...so the doctors won't let them go to the hospital. I went and bought him and Mone some paper and crayons and markers and told them to write a letter to Ma and we would take it to her when we went to see her. They spent pretty much 4 days straight writing letters and drawing pictures for their grandma....




We took a couple of their letters to Ma while she was in the hospital and hung them in the room so she could see them.... and when she cam home last night, they gave her ALL the rest of them...

This is Makai explaining one of his letters to Ma

This is Filimone explaining his letter

All their letters and drawings

They sure do LOVE their Great-Grandma!