Thursday, March 18, 2010

As a kid I had a really cool grandfather. I didn’t know him much in my adult life, but have the greatest memories of going to the park, riding his bicycle built for two to the candy store and him always talking baby talk to all of us grandkids. I think the four older ones got the best of his time. He was a funny good guy and everyone loves him. I last saw him in 2006 and have pictures of that day. It as the first day I had seen him in a decade-I suppose. He had just moved in with my dad and been recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, an evil disease. For all those years he has been living with my dad and his girlfriend. He took care of him where his four siblings didn’t seem to have the time. Which also seems common with that disease. He was progressing to a state where he was going to go to a home as my dad didn’t feel he could give him around the clock care he now required, something that bothered my dad who has not had a life of his own for many years. He didn’t want his dad to be scared and in unfamiliar territory which scared him greatly. May 1st was the date he was going to move into a unit where they could care for his disease.


Today when my dad got home from work my grandfather asked him how his day was like he did everyday, and then my dad asked his dad about his day.
My dad went to warm up his dinner and in the time it took to hit the microwave button my grandfather was gone. He died in his chair after having his last ritual exchange with his eldest son. My dad says he knows he waited for him to get home, and I hope he is finding peace with that as I believe it to be true. He performed CPR on him until the ambulance came, but he was already gone in the 30 seconds my dad had left the room. I can’t imagine the pain my dad is in, but do know we have great peace knowing that he left this world taken care of, loved and so very quickly that he felt nothing, and will now never have to experience being scared in a home that was unfamiliar to him. So many families watch their loved ones deteriorate with this disease, and even with a sad heart I feel blessed for my dad and his, that he was able to leave this world in a flash with some of himself still left, and all the great memories he left behind.

2 comments:

The Edge of London said...

So sorry about the loss in your family lovey.

Sonya said...

I am so sorry for your loss. It is a comforting thought like your Dad said knowing that he was taken care of,loved and felt no pain at the end. Thinking of you..