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Then seven years ago, everything changed The cause: ALS Lou Gehrig’s Disease A forradually weakened her muscles The incurable disease that chipped away her freedom day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute
A soft ht body in nore the sweat-soaked and soiled sheets that she’d been lying on for Christ kno long
Carrying her into the shower, I placed her on the toilet seat and began rehtdress A splash of water hitdown my mahto erase the emotion stuck in my throat, I checked the temperature of the water and, silently, lifted Mamma in my arms and placed us under the streaive a shit
The water did a good job oftoMamma’s body and hair, I wrapped her in the last of the fresh towels, changed her into her robe, and sat her on the worn sofa
"I gotta change the linen on your bed, Maht back, okay?" I said She closed her eyes, nodding her head slightly Even so as simple as a shower had exhausted her
Curse this h faded, bed linen, I put the an incontinence bed pad below to save the uise it as much as possible; Mamma would hate to know I’d done it She hadn’t lost the use of her bladder; it was getting to the bathroo rooainst the doorfra my mamma, the best person I knew, so broken, her petite fra by the day She’d been like this for seven years With ALS, you’re lucky if you get past ten years My sto, I wasn’t sure she’d even last twelve months
A pained moan ripped from her lips, and her eyebrows pulled down in pain Al to her side, I scooped her up in h escaped her lips as she lay in the fresh, clean linen, and I once again sat beside her
"Can I get you anything else, Mamma?" I asked and lost a breath as she reached for razie, an to fill with tears again
"Damn, Mamma, please don’t cry I can’t stand it," I said, and even to my ears, my voice sounded strained
"They… have… hied to say, and I frowned
"Who, Maan tremble and she tried to squeeze ot to… him Need… to save… him" Mamma’s voice cracked on the last word, and cold shivers ran down my spine
My head dipped "I know, Maht" She looked up at et hi for me to save hiet out" Mamma suddenly cried out and her back stiffened as pain racked her body Sing hard, I held her hand tightly inache to subside
Mah to say, "Austin… I’m so… proud… of you Pro her hand over uiro, Mamma I swear it to you I’ll find a way to save hiht the pull of sleep, and, standing, I kissed her forehead, whispering, "Buona notte, e dor The words ht at bedtime since I was born The words that took away my fears, blocked out all the badness in the world
After the diagnosis of Lou Gehrig’s disease, when her fears beca them to her too It made her smile, and like Ma
Walking to her nonna’s old 1930’s record player she brought with her from Italia, I pulled out the worn down vinyl record of her favorite song fro the pin in place, the sound of the vinyl beginning to turn crackled through the speaker, and seconds later, "Ave Maria" performed by Andrea Bocelli filled the room