When the doctor came to check on her, he examined her again, drew blood, and the final diagnosis was still pneumonia.
"Doctor, my grandma had no symptoms before, and didn't cough at all. How could she suddenly have a fever and then pneumonia?"
In Yu Yin's memory, pneumonia wasn't just about coughing and fever?
“The elderly person is getting on in years and has a weak immune system, so they are prone to illness with the slightest changes. Let’s try medication first and see if the inflammation can be completely resolved and the fever can be brought down. Your family members need to keep a close eye on them and cannot leave them unattended.”
"Okay, thank you, doctor."
Lu Shurui thanked the doctor repeatedly, but her worries only increased.
Grandma is getting on in years. Although she looks healthy these days, she suffered from health problems during her turbulent youth, living in fear and having several children. Her body was damaged, though it wasn't usually noticeable. But once she fell ill, all the damage came out.
"Shurui, how is your grandma?"
"Dad, you're here. The doctor said it's pneumonia."
Mr. Lu hurried a few steps to the bedside. Looking at his sleeping mother and his elderly father who was keeping watch over her, he felt a mix of emotions and a bitter taste in his mouth.
Later, Uncle Lu and Third Uncle Lu also looked anxious. They were so old and still had parents, which was actually a great blessing.
"Alright, stop crowding around your mother, she needs some peace and quiet."
Grandpa Lu sent everyone away, and looking at his drowsy wife, he felt very reluctant to leave her.
Does your aunt know that Grandma is sick?
"I called, and my aunt said she'd be over later. I wonder what's going on at home?"
Lu Shurui only heard someone calling for her aunt to come home, but she didn't recognize who it was.
"Alright, let's leave her for now. Did the doctor say she needs to stay in the hospital for a few days? Does she need to be left alone?"
"Yes, the doctor said that the fever is still there and the inflammation needs to subside. Also, the patient needs to be cared for 24 hours a day and their temperature needs to be monitored closely."
After asking the question, Mr. Lu understood.
“Let’s talk about the nursing care. Shurui still has classes at school and can’t keep taking leave. Yinyin also has a lot to do. Let’s take turns, one day per family. Since we all have children, we can take turns, which will make things easier for everyone.”
“I think Second Brother is right. We can’t just leave Shurui and Yinyin to be busy. We are the ones who should be taking care of our parents in their old age. Shurui and his wife have already taken on the responsibility, so we can’t shirk the rest. What do you think, Eldest Brother?”
I agree.
Uncle Lu had no objection; as the eldest son, he was the one who should be most responsible.
The matter has been settled. Today, Mr. Lu said he would be here, tomorrow it would be Uncle Lu the Third, and the day after tomorrow it would be Uncle Lu the First.
"Okay, I'll have Aunt Hu at home cook the meal and have someone deliver it over."
Lu Shurui knew this was for the best, so that he and Yinyin could catch their breath.
Mr. Lu went into the ward and told Grandpa Lu about everyone's decision, and Grandpa Lu agreed.
"Alright, your mother didn't raise you all for nothing. It's time for you to show your filial piety."
"Grandpa, why don't you go home and change your clothes and get some sleep? You can come back this afternoon. Otherwise, if you get sick again after Grandma gets better, she'll worry."
Yu Yin wanted the old man to stay at home, but seeing that it was impossible, she had no choice but to settle for letting him go home and rest first.
"Yes, I'll be back in a bit. Your grandma's awake, I'll let her know."
Yu Yin and Lu Shurui glanced at each other and realized that was all they could do. She went back first, needing to take a shower.
In the ward, Uncle Lu had to go to work and left first. Uncle Lu was fine and stayed with Father Lu, waiting for their elderly mother to wake up.
"Excuse me, please move aside, a patient needs to come in."
The nurse led another group of people in. The woman in the wheelchair was also an elderly woman, around sixty years old, and several of her children had come with her.
"Hello, are there any wards available right now? Are there any private rooms left?"
Lu Shurui was worried that too many people would disturb her grandmother, so she wanted to change wards.
"I'm sorry, all the wards are full. There are no single rooms available. This double room is the least crowded one. The rest are five-person or eight-person rooms."
"Thank you, I understand."
Lu Shurui called his older brother to let him know.
"Shurui, I understand. I'll go over after get off work tonight. A ward? Our hospital doesn't have single rooms; the smallest ward we have is a double room."
Lu Shujin's hospital is also overcrowded and has a shortage of wards. Rather than going back and forth, it's better to get proper treatment at the original hospital.
Lu Shurui had no choice but to endure it, hoping they could understand each other and not make too much noise.
That night, only Grandpa Lu and his father were left in the ward. Grandma Lu had been awake for a while, but now she was asleep again.
"Dad, I borrowed a bed. You should lie down and sleep. I'll watch over Mom. You can't get sick again."
"Okay, I understand. I'll go back tomorrow night. I don't want to cause any trouble here. I need to get better and stay with your mother."
Grandpa Lu is very perceptive and understands everything, but he is worried about his wife.
Nothing happened that night. Although Grandma Lu's fever did not completely subside, it did not rise to over 40 degrees Celsius again, and she passed through it smoothly.
Grandpa Lu heard his wife's request while she was lucid.
“I want to go back to our home. I suddenly want to go back. We’ve lived there for decades, our children grew up there, and I want to spend the last days of my life there.”
“Okay, I got it. I’ll talk to Shurui and ask him to clean up the house. It’s empty right now and hasn’t been rented out. Perfect, we can see our old neighbors.”
After comforting his wife, Grandpa Lu was taken back to Yu Yin's house by his father, where he also needed to prepare for his funeral.
This time, he had a premonition that his wife might not make it. And his own health wasn't good either. He knew in his heart that everything that was due to be divided in the family had been divided up, and all that was left was their wages, which amounted to only ten or twenty thousand yuan.
The old man took out some writing paper and began to write his will...
Grandma Lu's condition kept fluctuating, with her body temperature rising and falling. The doctor told them that the old lady was too old, and her physical functions and various indicators were not ideal. After taking medication for so long, this was basically the end of her life.
"I want to go home. I don't want to stay in the hospital anymore."
Grandpa Lu made the decision to take Grandma Lu home. The doctor prescribed some medicine, but it wouldn't be very effective, as the chances of the elderly woman recovering her health were slim.
The old lady in the next bed looked at Grandma Lu, who was so old, and how her children took turns visiting her every day, and her grandchildren constantly came to visit, and she was extremely envious. Looking at herself, she realized that since moving in, her children had only shown up a few times.
I know they're busy, but I used to help take care of my grandson and granddaughter, running around like crazy every day. Back then, I was still useful; both my daughters-in-law would fight over letting me come over. Unlike now, sigh...
Lu Shurui has already tidied up his grandfather's old house. Not feeling comfortable with them living alone, he asked Aunt Hu to go and take care of them for a while.
With everything arranged, Grandma Lu happily left the hospital; she wanted to go home.
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