Daddy is not the first in our family to receive this diagnosis. His mother, Grandma Buster, suffered with Parkinson's. As his health declined in recent months, our concerns grew. I was there for a week after Christmas and left with a heavy heart. Something was wrong!. It was more than simple aging or rebounding from radiation he received 18 months ago.
As I talked to Mother, almost daily, and kept in close sommunication via email, my concerns grew. Their winter was long and dreadful. They were snowed in for days on end. Daddy wasn't himself. When I talked to him on the phone, he wasn't cutting up or teasing me. Something was wrong. And I felt and feel so powerless to do anything.
In February, I had a bit of minor surgery on my finger and as I was talking to Mother on the way home from the process, I sensed that things really were not good at all. The next morning, I got a call to say that they had gone to see their Doctor. Dr. Carr sent them straight to the hospital for testing.
The initial diagnosis was Parkinson's. Something was wrong. But now we could arm ourselves. Daddy with medications and the rest of us with information. He has improved with meds and under Mother's ever vigilant care.
This morning, something wonderful happened. For the first time in 2 months, my Sweet Daddy went to church. Maybe your Daddy doesn't go to church every Sunday, but my Sweet Daddy is a preacher and has spent his life in the service of God...in the pulpit. Not just going to worship, but leading worship. In the past 13 years, during his retirement, he has been on staff part time at a local church. He retired from that back in October. And until he felt too bad to do it, he was still preaching the Word on Sundays, filling in around their town when needed.
Today, the sunshine is just a bit brighter and the songs of praise in my own church just a bit more joyful to me. I didn't know for sure until this afternoon, but I had a sneaking suspicion that my Sweet Daddy was going to be in His Father's house for Sunday Worship. And he was.
Here is the note that was sent from Mother, the Matriarch of us, to let us know that he had once again gone to the House of the Lord on Sunday.
This day dawned beautifully but cold.
But there was nothing this morning to keep us from Worship at our Church with our Friends together. Bob was in Worship this morning at First Baptist for the first time since January 9!
I could not keep from smiling....Folks seemed so glad to see him. When most of your life has been spent in the Meeting House" or living in close proximity, it was THE place to rejoice.
Big Daddy/ Papa/Bob is doing much better..Today marks the fifth day---in a row of feeling good. Been months since that could be said. Still has some back problems, get another shot on Friday. The meds for that "ol Parkinsons" [Grandma Busters term] are working. Bob can tell his stories and talk without hesitation, most of the time. The Doctor has upped the med for that and it should get even better. All this is good!
God bless you and yours.
Bigmama/Oma/Munner/Charlotte
~Mollianne
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