Since she was afflicted with Parkinson’s Disease for 24 years, we sadly watched as the disease robbed her of her quality of life.  A huge blessing occurred toward the end of her life.  The physical symptoms of Parkinson’s diminished.  She remarked, “I finally beat it.”

I hope that you will understand that today is an extremely difficult one for me.  If you would like to help, please pray for my family and I.  Thank you.

My mama with baby Andrew.

This is not a very upbeat article.  I know that before I even begin.  Last August my grandfather passed away.  When he died, he took us by surprise.  My grandmother has been afflicted with Parkinson’s disease for over two decades.  We always suspected that she would go first.

Joyce Holliday is one of my most favorite people in all the world.  Since I am the oldest grandchild, I have had the privilege of knowing her for a long time.  Out of my cousins, I have the most fond memories of her before Parkinson’s trapped her spirit in her body.

I remember her hula hooping with me outside.  She would tap dance in her foyer on the tile floor.  She would even do cart wheels in the yard.  She was a very active wife and mother of four.

She taught me to cook.  I converted her recipes to wheat-free ones in my book, Texas Homesteader Wheat-Free Cookbook.  She was an amazing cook.

As we have witnessed her gradual decline, it has been hard.  The hardest part is knowing that my children will not have the memories of her that I have.  I tell them stories all the time so that when they see her they will not be afraid of the feeble, hard to understand person before them.  Most importantly I tell them the stories so that her spirit and her beauty will play a role in my children’s lives.

Parkinson’s disease is absolutely awful.  I would not wish it on my worst enemy.  It is cruel to the person as well as to the family.  It robs one of his/her abilities and eventually any quality of life.  It is evil.

Hospice is now helping us cope with her situation.  They gave us a booklet to read about the dying process.  This booklet is very informative and easy to read.  My uncle called it a “commercial break read.”  That is about how long it would take you to read the whole thing.

Gone From My Sight: The Dying Experience by Barbara Karnes is a must-read for anyone watching a loved one die from natural causes.  It would not be useful for those who die from an accident.  Ms. Karnes is a registered nurse, who apparently has witnessed so many deaths that she was able to compile a booklet to explain the process of dying.

If you are going through something similar as my family, then try to find this book to read.  You only need one copy since it is so short.  You can pass it around to your family members.

If you could find it in your hearts, please pray for my grandmother, Joyce.  We are asking for peace and comfort for her.  Pray for our family, too.  It is hard to lose family members regardless of the circumstances.  Also, pray to find a cure for the horrendous Parkinson’s disease.