Family Update

As some of you know, and if you ready past posts, the family aspect of my life is crazy.  Well, within the last 30 days it got even crazier.  First of all, just to refresh your memories, my grandparents were moved into an assisted living home as my grandma has developed dementia and her and my grandpa basically stopped eating.  My uncle and aunt live on their property and have done the best they can to take care of them, but it was too much and sustain full time employment. 

I went and visited with my mom for Christmas and saw how sad it had gotten with my grandparents losing so much weight and my grandma not remember who any of us were most of the time.  After long talks and brainstorming, my mom decided to quit her job and move in with them to provide 24 hour care in their home.  We are hoping that getting them back into their own environment will help.  I went to their house this past weekend and helped my mom clean their house before they came home.  It was a very long and tiring ordeal, but finally they came home on Friday. 

Here's where I start to cry because we went to visit them on Thursday and my grandpa said he hasn't seen me in years!  I was just there at Christmas! He had forgotten and when we went to get them on Friday he kept asking my Aunt Barbara who I was and that I look like Paula (my mom).  He didn't say these things in his typical joking ways and was very serious.  Finally after a time of us visiting, it came back to him.  It's hard for one grandparent to forget who you are, but for both of them to do this was one of the most difficult things for me to face.  Dementia is a very cruel disease and I sympathize with anyone who has had to deal with it. 

I have the highest respect and love for my mom as she begins this new chapter in her life and pray for her everyday as takes care of her parents.  I love my grandparents dearly and can't imagine my life without them.  I'm going to do my best to visit them often, and it's a 5 hour drive one way.  I should look into taking the train.

I hope to post more updates on their progress now that they are home and want to say thanks to those I've poured my heart and tears out to ... you know who you are.