Donna Jean Burgette

1927-1997

MY WONDERFUL MOTHER

Mom was a very healthy and active 70 years old when Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease struck. It began with a day trip in September of 1997.

I remember getting so irritated with Mom because she seemed to be stuck to my side all day and everytime I would turn around I would almost step on her.

As the day wore on I knew something was not right. When we stopped to eat and she actually got lost in a restaurant she had been in before. I was very scared and as we drove home I was trying to think of a way to tell her I thought there was something very wrong. When we were about a block from her home she blurted out that she was not able to see. I was so relieved!! She said she would wait until she got back from a vacation she had planned about three weeks from then. I convinced her that she could not wait and she did see the eye doctor the next Monday. The glasses did not help! My sister Robin took her to another eye doctor to get a second opinion. He suspected a neurological problem and we took Mom to the emergency room.

A stroke was suspected and we were sent home with an appointment to see the neurologist the next day. This was the beginning of the most heartbreaking experience of my life thus far. The neurologist also suspected stroke and tests were ordered. None of the tests showed a problem but Mom was more unlike herself each day. Mom was set up for physical therapy but before we could go to the first session it was obvious that she would not be able to do the therapy. Mom was sent for more tests and the hospital told us it would be four days before the results would be back.

This was not acceptable and I called the neurologist and demanded an appointment. He was very baffled and irritated that she had not started the physical therapy. We wanted her in the hospital and he did admit her.

By this time Mom was sinking deeper and deeper into dementia and we were concerned about taking care of her finances. I called our lawyer and he came to see her. She was very upset that we were doing this and almost hit me. By the next day she could no longer write her name...the next day we were to admit her to the hospital and our dear lawyer made a trip to the hospital to once again see if she could sign her name to give me power of attorney. This was accomplished with much anguish on all of our parts. Mom worked so hard at the hospital in physical therapy. She was having more and more trouble walking and feeding herself and would say the strangest things. We were beside ourselves. Finally a spinal tap was performed and when that test showed nothing we asked to be referred to a teaching hospital. Her neurologist told us by now he suspected Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease.

We went to the library and were amazed at the lack of information on this awful disease. We took Mom to Indiana University Medical Center in Indianapolis where there is research on CJD being done. The doctors there confirmed CJD and sent us home in about a week. We took Mom back to the hospital and then to Hospice Home.

She died November 20th. By the time we went to Indianapolis she no longer knew her family and did not communicate at all. This whole process took seven weeks from the day she and I were on our day trip.

Mom is now in heaven with Jesus and she can walk and talk and eat again. She is with my Dad and her parents. I know it is glorious! I will never stop missing her. She was my best friend and confidante. She was not always right but her heart was. I thank God for giving me a mother like her. Linda Lesher


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