Growing up, my grandmother (mother's side) lived with us. She had her own room, and was basically a good all-around grandma type. About the time I was in 3rd grade, something just snapped inside her head and she was never the same since. Although she was never diagnosed with "alzheimer's disease" there were big time similarities. She withdrew from social interaction, was quick to get ill-tempered and wanted nothing more to do than sit on the shitty couch in the back room of the house chain-smoking Carlton Menthols. She also seemed not to remember anything, like she couldn't retain any short term memories.
Eventually, we had to place her in a guarded care facility. As a kid, I was fine to see her go, but I knew it tore my mom up inside. We would visit, but it was like she never really knew who I was, nor did she seem to care.
Anyway, after a few years there, her health took a turn for the worse, and she had to go to a more serious/hospital-ish facility. Mom and I went to visit one day, knowing the end was quickly drawing near. About half-way through the visit she looks at me and gives me a smile that I had not seen in YEARS.
Her: "Jason? Is that you?
Me: "Yeah, Grandma, it me."
Her: "I haven't seen you is so long, how have you been? It's so nice to see you!"
It was this moment that I knew that her "mind" had suddenly and unexplainably "returned." We had a lovely, but brief conversation about what my hobbies were, school, friends, my grades and such. I could see in her eyes that she understood me and that she cared. I left the hospital that afternoon feeling like she'd finally be "back to normal" again. Sadly, this was not the case, she died the next morning.
I was very happy to have had those few moments with her, even if I didn't (and still don't) understand how it happened.
__________________
If you have any poo... fling it NOW!
|