Today my grandmother loses her leg to diabetes.
Gammy was diagnosed with diabetes when I was still pretty young; by "pretty young" I'm estimating I was a pre-teenager. I remember plenty of years when Gammy was perfectly healthy and ate whatever she wanted. Even after she was diagnosed, most of the time she seemed just fine. Meal time was challenging because Gammy always had a taste for sweets. "Just a sliver of cake for dessert. Just a sliver!" That's what she'd say, but I knew she always wanted more.
Through those pre-teen years, Gammy took my cousin and me to the outlet malls when we visited and we'd walk for miles, it seemed. We tried on clothes for hours. That is the last time I remember enjoying shopping. Trips to the mall are an eye-roller for me now, but at least I have fond memories of such trips with Gammy.
In recent years things haven't been the same. Changes in living situations have made it more difficult for my cousin and me to spend time with our grandparents. (I should mention that our grandfather, Papa, has played a huge role in our lives as well, but this post is about Gammy.) And in recent years, Gammy and Papa's health has been on the decline. It's been a slow downhill, with few specifics I can report. Gammy still wants that sliver of cake for dessert, but her appetite is too meager for her to finish it. In the past couple months, their health has deteriorated to the point where both Gammy and Papa had to be moved to a nursing home. And years of diabetes, plus long hours in bed, has brought Gammy to the operating table today. At noon, Gammy is having her right leg amputated.
It's more symbolic than anything else, as her future doesn't involve any trips to the mall regardless. But it wrecks the psyche. I always knew that I'd never go shopping with Gammy again for many reasons, but this seals it. Of course I could wheel her through the mall and have fun while doing it, but that's missing the point. It reminds me that it was never going to happen again anyway. And it's a win for diabetes, isn't it?
Diabetes resources:WebMD Diabetes: Support & ResourcesCDC Diabetes: The Elder YearsCDC Diabetes: Disabling Disease to Double by 2050National Center for Health Statistics: DiabetesNational Diabetes StatisticsNational Institute on Aging: Diabetes in Older PeopleLabels: family, health
