My grandmother died yesterday.

[Locutus of Bored]

Maybe it sounds cold, but the primary emotion this has evoked in me is relief. She'd been in the final stages of Alzheimer's for a couple of years now, and she'd been very confused and disoriented, almost in a state of panic most of the time. I saw her on Saturday, and she was unconscious, but flailing her arms around and moaning. That wasn't her, the person she once was. She was someone who greatly valued dignity, and for her to end up like that, wearing a diaper and everything, well that just sucks, and I'm very grateful that her suffering has finally ended. I choose to treat this as a blessing rather than a sorrowful event.

Not cold at all, NM. My grandpa is in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's as well and my grandma is at a moderate stage where her short term memory is virtually non-existent so she repeats everything. It's a cruel disease, and so hard to deal with for family members because you remember how full and vibrant their lives were before the symptoms began.

My condolences to you on your loss.

 

[Nerdius Maximus]

Maybe it sounds cold, but the primary emotion this has evoked in me is relief. She'd been in the final stages of Alzheimer's for a couple of years now, and she'd been very confused and disoriented, almost in a state of panic most of the time. I saw her on Saturday, and she was unconscious, but flailing her arms around and moaning. That wasn't her, the person she once was. She was someone who greatly valued dignity, and for her to end up like that, wearing a diaper and everything, well that just sucks, and I'm very grateful that her suffering has finally ended. I choose to treat this as a blessing rather than a sorrowful event.

Not cold at all, NM. My grandpa is in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's as well and my grandma is at a moderate stage where her short term memory is virtually non-existent so she repeats everything. It's a cruel disease, and so hard to deal with for family members because you remember how full and vibrant their lives were before the symptoms began.

My condolences to you on your loss.

Exactly. Sorry to hear about your situation. Cruel, that's as accurate a term as any to describe it. Hopefully we'll someday find a way to prevent such illnesses.

 

[melancholymecha]

Ive read that the reason many might feel relief is b/c in some ways the loved one affected has already half "passed", you have actually been going through a very slow greiving process as opposed as to when someone dies suddenly & all the grieving is done right after they died. Its like youre in a limbo of grieving for years & you cant move on.