A Letter to My Son.(from a mother with ataxia)

Dear Friends,

This is lengthy and emotional, so if you all are not up to it, stop reading now. I have been thinking of posting my struggles with my son Chris to Internal for a week now. An e-mail from him (23 years old, at 50% risk for SCA6, living in Colorado) prompted the following response from me. I wanted to share it with you. It deals with his attitude that suicidal intention is for "weak and insensitive" people. He had heard that I had considered suicide. He is deeply disappointed in me, and frightened.

What follows is my letter to him. I know that some of you will be able to relate.

To those of you who make it through this long and painful passage, my deepest gratitude.

Lorraine

Chris,

I am so grateful for your message and finally, an open channel of communication.

I am not sure that you completely understand what Lee was saying to you about my contemplation of suicide. As I was not there, I really do not know what he said.

But it is true that there are some very dark times when I have thought that I …