I had an annual meeting to talk about my disabled sister with her day program. Short version: she's doing great, and even in the last year, she's made surprising improvements. She's better with transitions, she's calmer, and she's made a good friend. (That last part has me choked up.)
My sister is in her late forties, and she can't speak. Several years ago, she had a seizure, and we've seen signs of possible brain damage since then. It's easy to believe that it's time to shrug and accept the worst possible outcomes, but it doesn't have to be that way, and it's not fair to assume that it must be.
My husband and I have made amazing strides with my sister...in no small part because she was being treated so lousily. My mother kept her from hurting herself in an accident, but not much above that. Changing my sister over to a plant-based diet is probably responsible for half of the improvements we've seen; she's lost at least forty pounds, she's calmer, and she feels better.
Her hygiene is also significantly better. Her hair is clean, and her teeth are brushed. We will never be able to undue the damage she suffered from years of not having her teeth brushe, but we have kept it from getting worse.
She is more physically active--and that's almost certainly due to being more comfortable with less weight. I think that, combined with being calmer, has made her more open to change, and that can be little things, like having a door opened in her classroom.
Most importantly, she is happier, and that is really the whole point.
If my sister's life can improve, believe that it's possible for other lives. That's not being a Pollyanna--that's not letting people tell you that you're doomed.
Deb in the City
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