In Memory of Millie

I'm sorry that this has become when ever I can write......But everybody knows that I have been training. As Trac says, things get in the way.

This time it was my Grandma Millie. She passed away on Sunday, Nov 5th. Of course, Teresa was the one that called me and told me. As the good sister that she is, she wanted to make sure that I knew right away and called me from the hospital. Millie (that is what all the grandchildren would refer to her when we would talk about her, but to her we would ALWAYS call her Grandma when talking to her) was a main staple in my life. When my Ma started working again, we would go to Grandma and Grandpa's house to be watched until my mother got done with work.

We learned so many things with Millie. We knew that Bo really loved Hope while watching Another World EVERY DAY. We knew that 19 was under the I in Bingo. She would always take us to Bingo if we stayed overnight at her house. For the longest time, my brother thought that letters had to go in front of the number when counting!!!!

We all learned how to play cards and be the perfect host while having at Stanley Cleaning Product Party. I guess they never had Pamper Chef or Party Lite Candle parties back then, but at least 3 times a year Millie had to have a Stanley Party and the "Older" Grandkids (Michelle and I) would have to serve snacks and get drinks. All during the party my mother would be shaking her head and then comment to my Grandmother at the end of the party that we were not her "slaves". Millie would then tell her that she was preparing us for our husbands. So What happened to me then? But of course, I now know how to make an awesome Wine Cooler because of the party (I tell you later)

Millie had Arthritis so bad that she had plastic hips at the age of 55!!! That was back in the 70's. I think I was around 5 years old when she got them. (I'm now 37) Thinking back, I don't ever remember a time when I did not see Millie shuffle her feet, walking slow, or not being in some kind of pain.

I remember the time when she broke both of her wrist, because she tripped on the side walk because she could only pick her feet up just so high. I must have been around 10 years old, that would make Teresa 7 years old. She left my 8 year old brother Mike at her house (you could do that back then) because Ma or Grandpa would be home soon. She then told us to get in the car. Me in the back seat and Teresa in the front seat. She got in the drivers seat and told Teresa to start the car. We just looked at her. I wanted to call the ambulance, she told me NO we were going to drive to the emergency room. So off we went. We did what she told us to do, she was the adult!!! Millie did the gas and the brake. Teresa took the right side of the wheel. I had the left side of the wheel reaching over Millie driving her to the Hospital!!!! Boy did I want a cop car to stop us. But we made it with out hitting anything!!!! I think she got more than a few word from Ma about that.

The last few years have been heck for her, my Ma and Teresa (My uncles would come over to see her and take her places, but for the most part Ma did most of the work and Teresa would help her when she could because Teresa's schedule would allow it). The last few months have been Hell!! She kept on falling down because of all the other problems that she had, but because of her arthritis it would take her twice as long to get back to walking again. It got so bad that she broke her foot, and after that she was not able to really walk again. She had to go into a Nursing Home and was trying to get rehab, but it was just not working. Towards the end, she was not getting enough oxygen to run her body and having mini strokes and heart attacks all the time.

We all knew that it was coming soon and it was only a matter of time. Well the time was Sunday and she went peacefully, just the way we all wished for since she had been in pain for most of her life.

I remember a time when I went to the Dr's and I told him that I was training for a 5K. I really though he was going to tell me no, that I was too fat and I would hurt myself. He was all for me running. He told me that the exercise would probaly slow down the arthritis that I have or going to have. I think that made me want to do it even more. In the back of my head, I knew that I did not want to be in pain like Millie. I wanted to be able to run around with my grandchildren, something I don't remember Millie ever doing with us. But mainly I wanted to be able to walk up until the day that I died.

So even though I was going to run in the Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis trying to cheer on Tina like T did with me, now I am running in memory of Mildred Helstowski, my Grandmother. She might have not always done the right things, but she was there for us and loved us!!

I will miss you Grandma, but you will always be in my heart!!!