@kathrynhill5796

2 years ago

That was really beautiful. Two months ago from today, I just recently lost my grandmother against a disease that’s far cruel than COVID-19: dementia. She used to be a sweet, kind, fun-loving woman who was beloved by everyone around her. When my siblings and I were little, we’d go next door and spend the day playing. Whenever I was sad or lonely, she gave me a shoulder to cry on. She took us to school every morning and to all kinds of fun places we’d love to go to like my favorite fast-food restaurant: Arby’s. She even made me feel welcome when I joined a youth organization made for young girls: The International Order of Rainbow For Girls. Oh, she was the best woman I’ve ever known in my life. But sadly, in 2011, she got lost while driving one day. My mother became suspicious that something was wrong with her. So, when she took her to the doctor, we learned that she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. As time went by, all of a sudden, she couldn’t remember our names nor do stuff she used to do by herself anymore. She never bathed, did her own laundry, cooked for herself or her family, dressed herself, brushed or combed her hair, brushed her teeth, use deodorant, use the toilet, nor drive her car anymore. It was like she became a totally different person. The grandmother I grew up with just completely disappeared right before my eyes. So for years on end, my family was forced to take care of her without any help from my aunt and uncle. My uncle was completely useless when taking care of her because he’s been a whiny little brat since childhood. He was even spoiled by my grandparents as a kid and I’ve learned from my mother that nothing good ever comes from spoiling a child like that. But besides the point, her dementia started getting worse over the next several years. When the lockdown happened during the pandemic, she became more violent and animalistic, now desperately wanting to leave the house and go back to her parents who’s been dead for a very long time. She even punched me in my broken right arm when it was in the process of healing and bit me in the shoulder while helping her get dressed last year and it both hurt! I had never seen her behave like that in my life before. No sane person in the right mind would dare to hit someone who was already injured nor attempt to bite someone unless they’re threatened. Back in February that’s when the unthinkable happened. She went completely insane! She was biting, kicking, and hitting us when we were trying to get her to go to bed. But she refused to listened and insisted she go outside to leave the house. And it was in the middle of the night when it was freezing cold and my poor mother had to work the following day. Ugh! None of us couldn’t take it anymore! With no other choice, my uncle called the hospital and had her be taken away so we can sleep peacefully. The next morning after a peaceful night of sleeping, we learned from the hospital that she had a urinary tract infection and had to give her antibiotics for several weeks. After that, she was sent to Fairlane Gardens where she stayed there for a little while. But we still managed to get her into a proper nursing home called Phoebe. She loved it there because it was nice and clean and the nurses there were very nice and take very good care of their patients. Soon, we started visiting her under the COVID safety rules. But as time went by, she stopped eating and drinking and refused to accept any food they offer. Her breathing started to hurt her and it was giving her so much pain despite not being diabetic nor having a history of heart issues in the past. The last time we saw her alive was on June 2, 2021 that morning and we knew her time was coming. And then, at 7:35 p.m. that night, we got a phone call from the nursing home and we were sadly informed of her passing. (sighs) It was needlessly cruel for a disease like dementia to turn someone whom you’ve happily known since childhood into a miserable person who has no idea who you are or what’s going on. But all I can say is that she is at peace. She’s with her family again and reunited with her loving husband after 21 lonely years of being widowed. And most of all, her pain and suffering is over at last. She’s in God’s hands now and Jesus Christ granted her with eternal life and everlasting love in the kingdom of Heaven.

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