She was not terminal. Rather than treat her condition (a condition that is able to be treated, BTW) she was sent to a hospice to die.
e.g. How would you like it if you had appendicitis, but instead of being given an appendectomy, the hospital neglected to treat you and sent you to a hospice instead?
By the time Grandma's story hit FR, she had been receiving nourishment and it was already decided that she was going to Alabama. All the chest thumping was Mullinax getting himself some attention. He is a campaign/media guy for the Democrats in Alabama you know.