Bad News

So it begins.....  My parents have both passed, now, the first of my siblings is gone, as well.  My oldest sister, Juanita, passed away at 3:45 today.  My brother and sister-in -law were there, so she wasn't alone.  My sister had polio when she was 8 years old, so I never knew her as anything but a paraplegic.  For me, it was normal.  She could walk a short distance with braces and crutches for a long time, then when she was around 40 years old, she lost all movement in the lower half of her body, so she couldn't swing that leg forward any more.  She had an "attack" about 5 years ago that resembled a stroke, but turned out it was post-polio syndrome.  Whatever you label it, the result was the same.  She had already lost the use of her legs for most of her life.  Then she lost speech and became paralyzed on one side.  All she really had left was minimal movement of one arm and she could still turn her head.  That got her placed in a nursing home.  She was cared for quite well there.

I don't do loss well.  I really don't.  But, this sister and I were not close.  She has been very ill for 5 years.  I didn't know when it would happen, but I knew.  So, I have had time to grieve the loss of a sibling for a long time.  It is easier when you realize that now she won't suffer any more.  It has more to do with your own mortality.  Sad.  Making the phone calls was hard, but had to be done.  Rest well, sis.