The first time I heard the term "Parkinson's Disease", I had absolutely no idea what it was. Honestly, I still don't know much about it. To me, Parkinson's is the illness that stole my grandfather and broke my heart. I decided to write this in honor of my grandfather.
Dear Parkinson's,
You snuck up on me and my family. You changed my grandfather before my eyes. With his diagnosis, his entire life changed, as did the lives of his entire family. My grandfather was independent. He did everything for himself and his family. He was outgoing, loud, hilarious, kind, generous, and the most loving man.
I will never forget when you started to change our lives. It started with the little things. I had to tie shoes and button shirts. I started to take him to therapy. After a while, he truly seemed to be doing OK. Then, I had to help him get out of bed and to get in and out of chairs. I had to pick him up fall after fall, because my grandmother and mother were too weak to do so. I would like to say that this happened gradually, but the truth is that the deterioration happened so quickly that I did not realize how serious it was until it was too late. Because of you, we experienced countless trips to the hospital, so many tears, oxygen tanks, and hardships.
My grandfather had to give up his greatest passion: fishing. He fell into a state of depression, as he quickly lost the ability to do everything he loved. It broke my heart to see him lose himself because of you.
I no longer had the joyful grandfather who picked me up from school with oranges and water in the car. I didn't have the grandfather who grilled steaks and made the world's best roast beef. I didn't have the grandfather who took care of me when I was sick in bed. I didn't have the grandfather with the energy and ability to hold me when I was crying and upset. Because of you, my grandfather was a man who became thinner with each day, a man who was in constant pain and the man who left his family before any of us were ready.
You stole my grandfather from me. He passed just a few weeks before my 17th birthday. He didn't get to see me graduate high school: an accomplishment that he wanted to be there for more than anything. He won't get to see me graduate from college, he'll miss my wedding and will never meet my children. You stole hundreds of moments, memories, laughs, and good times from me. Although my grandfather was an older man, he was healthy, except for you.
Although you stole my best friend, you will not win. There will come a day when you can no longer break hearts and steal lives.
Sincerely,
a girl who lost her best friend much too soon.
