Present Suffering, Future Glory

by Diane S. Abernathy

On August 12, 1995, James Abernathy, fifteen-year-old son of Larry and Diane Abernathy, was playing Marco Polo in a neighbor's swimming pool late one night when he dove into the shallow end, breaking his neck and becoming permanently paralyzed from the shoulders down. In this book, Diane chronicles the tragic event and the years that she was his primary caregiver. She also shares candidly about her struggle with borderline personality disorder and her attempted suicide in May, 2017, which initiated a horrific experience in a rehabilitation facility. Six months after that experience of her own, her husband of forty-three years was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and died four weeks later.

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Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted to read this book to learn more about the author. Journaling has always been a wonderful therapy for me and clearly, this is also true for Diane Abernathy. I learned what someone who struggles through life, falls several time but continues to get back up can come out of the tunnel with the support of friends, prayer and faith. Ms. Abernathy was very candid and honest in her self-published journal of her journey through life. It is a must read for any person who is a caregiver - you are not alone. It is not easy. You will go through a full range of emotions, including anger, ugliness, rage, sadness - this does NOT make you a bad person. It does not mean you are at fault. You WILL learn who your true friends are. You WILL go through ups and downs. You MAY resort to coping methods you never thought you would. However, if you reach out to your true friends and hang onto your faith, you will make it through. I hope that the remainder of Ms. Abernathy's life is free from struggle and she experiences the joys that she may have missed in her earlier days.