Our Families Journey Caring for a Mom with FTLD-MND

It is important to know as you read this journal that this was Cathy's life post diagnosis...

To know Cathy Truly you must know that she was: a Wife, Mother of 3 boys, Grandmother of 9, Sister, Niece, Aunt, Daughter, and Friend.

Our families journey began with Cathy's diagnosis the week of Thanksgiving 2006, Cathy was 52. Her original diagnosis was Pick's Disease/FTD. Looking back her symptoms most likely began 3-5 years before diagnosis. Most of the Doctors have told us that from onset of symptoms to death... the average timeframe is 4-7 years. (sigh) In the end her brain autopsy showed Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration with Motor Neuron Disease FTLD-MND. (Basically... Frontal Lobe Dementia with Lou Gehrig's Disease)

Monday, August 10, 2009

Finally... a place to go to Remember & Honor Cathy!




Finally... 6 months after Cathy passed away her headstone has arrived! It was ordered... but back ordered... and back ordered... etc... We have had Beautiful flowers there with her, but now we have a Beautiful headstone as well. Not exactly something I thought I would ever be excited about, but we all were truly grateful it arrived!!

Here are a few pictures. As we walked away I turned around & saw Mia 'hugging' Grandma. So I snapped a picture & our friend Steve got a few pictures as well. Such a touching moment.

1 comment:

Nichelle said...

Beautiful...miss you and hope you are all doing well.