Posted on 08/23/2011 1:56:31 PM PDT by libstripper
For such a strong figure, Pat Summitt was feeling almost helpless.
Months of erratic behavior had left the Tennessee women’s basketball coach bewildered, scared and asking herself “What’s wrong with me?”
Summitt went to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., in May. She underwent a series of tests and received a stunning answer. The diagnosis was early onset dementia, Alzheimer’s type.
(Excerpt) Read more at govolsxtra.com ...
Very sad. Prayers for a breakthru in a cure for this tragic disease.
What a sad piece of news. So young, too. God bless her and her family and friends who face incredible challenges ahead. Sad news for the sports world, too, as we will lose one of the all time greats.
Prayers for Coach Summitt, and her family.
I know what you mean. My mother died of this disease in March of ‘09.
There are things worse than death. Contracting this disease is one of my fears.
Very sad, I hope this disease doesn’t progress and she lives a relatively contented life for how long she has left.
For those of us who are part of the Vol-nation, this is devastating. It is a shame, as you mentioned, when so many of our good people get hit so hard by tragedy. She is a fighter, but she still needs our prayers.
I'm sorry to hear this.
I'm sorry to hear this.
My mother July, ‘10.
Prayers up for her and family.
Just Damn libstripper,
She is one class act and besides John Wooden, about the best basket ball coach ever.
My father got the late onset version a little after he turned 85 and died at 93 1/2 of congestive heart failure. The Alzheimer’s destroyed his relationship with my mother, who lived to 88. Pat and her family are going to go through pure Hell.
My stepdad about 27 years ago. My mother-in-law now has Alzheimer’s and is in a nursing home. She doesn’t know anyone and doesn’t speak much now. So very sad. I feel for her family and friends. So horrible to see a loved one go downhill, but especially sad that they don’t know family members any longer.
This is hard to fathom. Its gonna take a while to process. Pat Summitt has been such a consistent and strong point of pride for the whole state of Tennessee. An unbelievably great coach, and an inspiration to everyone. We get attached to our coaches around here. But will not hesitate to extricate them from our midst if they don’t get some good seasons. Mrs. Summitt has delivered. And delivered with gusto. And has been a class act and a great role model along the way.
I won’t pretend to speak for everyone or anyone in Tennessee, but I think I can safely say that the whole state be a bit stunned and defintely saddened.
G-d bless you Pat Summitt.
I am sorry about your father. My mother’s wasn’t actually early onset. She started showing signs in ‘08 when she was 75.
My mother also suffered from late on-set dementia. She and my father were always somewhat hot spoken with each other but their love lasted through the troubles of the dementia and his stroke that made him bed ridden his last year.
She went first and six months later he followed. His last day was Valentine’s day a few years ago. His stroke had left him very little ability to speak. On that morning he was showing his nearness to the end and his discomfort. His favorite nurse asked him what was wrong and what he needed. He struggled out the words, ‘my wife” which was the last understandable words of his last day.
Their last years, of their 90 years, were very tough ending with that final year of nursing home confinement for them both. But they sure taught me how to live by their firm example. I know they were blessed with path that your folks didn’t get from these afflictions and my heart goes out to you.
I hope the Summeralls are blessed, and indeed, they may be.
Summerall, of course is the sportcaster and I meant Summit
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