Last Friday I attended the funeral of my uncle, who had had Alzheimer's for some 10 years but ultimately died of stomach cancer.
It was doubly distressing as, on reading the newspaper obituary, I discovered that his wife (my auntie), had died in April of this year, on the same date as my late father's birthday. The family claimed at the funeral last week that they had tried all ways to contact me about my auntie, but without success, even though we're in the phone book and they could also have phoned my mother's care home, who obviously have my number. That's my family all over.
But I digress. The point I want to make is one that all of us on these threads make - my uncle was the brightest, bubbliest, funniest, gentle man I have ever known. Yes, I know we all say that about our relatives and that's fair comment, but this man was, for many many years, a Senior Electrical Engineer for some of British Industries biggest names, regularly travelling all over the world in his work, until this evil disease cut him down. To see such a person deteriorate in front of your very eyes is frightening. I'm now going through it again with my mother and it's very painful. When I tell people about my mother, you can see that they either don't really care or that they cannot fully understand what I'm going through. I wouldn't wish this horrible illness on anyone, but it would certainly shake a few people up if they did experience its effects on a family.
That's 4 funerals so far this year, with my father, 2 aunties and an uncle all leaving. 2003 & 2004 have been hell and I can only hope that my mother lives for a fair few years yet.
Peace and love to you all and keep your heads up!!!!
It was doubly distressing as, on reading the newspaper obituary, I discovered that his wife (my auntie), had died in April of this year, on the same date as my late father's birthday. The family claimed at the funeral last week that they had tried all ways to contact me about my auntie, but without success, even though we're in the phone book and they could also have phoned my mother's care home, who obviously have my number. That's my family all over.
But I digress. The point I want to make is one that all of us on these threads make - my uncle was the brightest, bubbliest, funniest, gentle man I have ever known. Yes, I know we all say that about our relatives and that's fair comment, but this man was, for many many years, a Senior Electrical Engineer for some of British Industries biggest names, regularly travelling all over the world in his work, until this evil disease cut him down. To see such a person deteriorate in front of your very eyes is frightening. I'm now going through it again with my mother and it's very painful. When I tell people about my mother, you can see that they either don't really care or that they cannot fully understand what I'm going through. I wouldn't wish this horrible illness on anyone, but it would certainly shake a few people up if they did experience its effects on a family.
That's 4 funerals so far this year, with my father, 2 aunties and an uncle all leaving. 2003 & 2004 have been hell and I can only hope that my mother lives for a fair few years yet.
Peace and love to you all and keep your heads up!!!!
