Grandmommy (my mom's mom) was the rock of our family. She loved hummingbirds, teapots, sewing, Jesus, and her family. She helped raise my older brother and sisters. My daughter's first name is in honor of her (and also my husband's grandmother who has the same name). We are all eternally grateful for her kindness and stregnth.
Today would be her birthday. She passed away in 2010 of a cruel, little-known disease, PSP, or progressive supernuclear palsy.
I wrote the following on Facebook just 5 days before she died, and it describes this disease better than I can now, nearing 3 years later:
"'Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a neurodegenerative brain
disease that has no known cause, treatment or cure. It affects nerve
cells that control walking, balance, mobility, vision, speech, and
swallowing. PSP displays a wide range of symptoms including:
* Loss of balance.
* Changes in personality such as a loss of interest in ordinary, pleasurable activities or increased irritability.
* Weakness of eye movements, especially in the downward direction.
* Weakened movements of the mouth, tongue and throat.
* Slurred speech.
* Difficulty swallowing.' - www.psp.org
PSP is something that has taken a strong, loving woman, and turned her into a person that cannot eat or drink, bad lungs, and loss of most verbal communication. It's taken a woman who went to church and prayed for others regularly to someone who prays for death. It's taken a woman who spent days cooking up holiday meals, raising children and grandchildren, and hardworking, to a woman no longer able to do anything but just lie there in the bed and listen to everyone around her, and try her best to let us know what she needs. She sits and talks, but we can't understand her.
Grandmommy is an angel on earth for her her 3 children, 11 grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren, and a great great grandchild. If there was a list of people who deserved this, she'd be at the bottom."
 |
| source |
CurePSP if a foundation for PSP, CBD, and other related brain diseases that uses its funds towards research, cure, and prevention for these dibilitating diseases. In honor of her birthday, I will be donating to this cause (and I hope some of you will research PSP, and be moved to donate as well).
I love and miss you, Grandmommy,
P.S. If you knew my grandmother, I highly encourage your wonderful memories of her in the comments.
I don't know your grandmother, and I'm very uneducated about this disease but my heart aches for her and for your family. Once again, I am very uneducated about the illness but my boyfriend has Cerebral Palsy and there are times that I can feel an ache so deep in my bones where I wish there had been a cure found so long ago. It does not affect him the way PSP does to people so I can not truly understand what it was like to see your Beloved grandmother go through this but I'm just trying to say I know what it's like to see someone go through something they do not deserve.I hope today your family found a way to celebrate her life as you remember it from before the disease stole her days.
ReplyDeleteMy heart goes out to you and your family.
I sent the Lord a little prayer for all of you, and I hope you can feel his presence today as you remember your Grandmother.
God Bless,
Valerie
Thank you, Valerie! I am sorry you have to watch someone undeserving go through terrible health ordeals as well. :( At least your boyfriend has someone so kind to help him through it. Thank you for the prayers, reading this, and following my blog!
Delete