Alzheimer's: Finding Peace in the Midst of the Agony

My sister and I stood in the funeral home singing, one last time, for our grandmother.

“To the old rugged cross, I will ever be true

It’s shame and reproach gladly bear

Then He’ll call me someday, to His home far away

Where His glory forever I’ll share!

(Rev. George Bennard)

My grandmother was 84 years old when she died, having suffered over a decade with a terrible disease known as Alzheimer’s.  She used to tell stories of her life to anyone who would listen.  Alzheimer’s took away all her stories.  For the last eight years of her life, she didn’t even know my sisters or me when we visited.  She rarely recognized her own children – my dad and aunts and uncles.  Her communication had regressed from mumbling to moans to silence.  Her facial expressions had long since been replaced with blank stares by sunken eyes.

The summer before Grandma went to be with Jesus, we took a family caravan to visit her in the Owen, WI nursing home.  My husband, two-year-old daughter , and four-year-old niece accompanied my parents and myself on the trip.  We even timed the trip to coincide with Grandma’s 84^th birthday that July.  During the seven-hour drive from Springfield, IL, the girls drew and colored numerous pictures and birthday cards for their great-grandma.  Shortly after our arrival, we all strolled through the garden courtyard surrounded by the four walls of the nursing facility.  Sitting together on a large swing, the girls presented their precious gifts to Grandma. 

My grandmother hadn’t spoken or made eye contact for at least a year by that point.  She barely stood upright, causing us to wheel her through the gardens on our “walk.”  But at the presentation of those beautifully colored cards and signs, Grandma reached out and smiled as she gladly accepted the beloved gifts.  Then, as two toddlers sang “Happy Birthday to You” at the top of their lungs, my grandmother looked up at them, smiled, and reached toward them.  Tears filled the eyes of every adult as we realized God had just given us a precious gift of a moment’s time interacting once more with the woman we used to know and love.  It was the last time I saw my grandmother alive; God planned the perfect timing of that precious memory for each of us.

John 16:33 (NIV) says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”  We can expect trouble as part of life.  Some suffer more than others.  But Jesus can take away the troubles in our lives because he “overcame the world!”  My grandmother suffered for 10 years, losing her memories and all sense of those who loved her.  But, praise the Lord, she is at peace now!  She is in His Home, sharing in His Glory forever!  I’m so thankful that God chose that summer day to give us a glimpse of that peace He knew she would soon enjoy with Him.  Now I can find peace and comfort as I think of those memories and of my grandmother dancing on Heaven’s streets and telling all of her stories to anyone she meets!

If you would like to learn more about Alzheimer’s, and the amazing woman I called Grandma Lottie, please read Finding My Smile.  Over five million Americans suffer with Alzheimer’s right now, as you read this blog, possibly as you suffer with a victim in your own family.  While there is no cure for Alzheimer’s at this time, perhaps this story will give you and your family a little bit of peace and encouragement during the difficult days.  God is still there in your loved one’s life; He’s still there for you.  He never leaves you or your loved one; His comfort is infinite if you trust in Him.

Author Bio:

Janice’s passion for researching Alzheimer’s began with her grandmother’s diagnosis.  Through God’s infinite patience, she was able to find comfort and answers during the regression of two additional family members suffering with Alzheimer’s.  Today, Janice is dedicated to writing stories that provide this same peace and comfort to others struggling with this disease.  If you'd like to read more, take time to read Janice's newest book, Finding My Smile. You can learn more about this book and Alzheimer's at:  http://www.findingmysmile.com.