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Julie Strain seriously ill

This was posted on her FB yesterday:

"Julie says hello and sends everyone her love.

I am sorry to report that Julie is currently in poor health due to a traumatic brain injury she endured in her 20's. This injury was mentioned in her biography "six foot one and worth the climb". Injuries to the brain can cause cognitive difficulties later in life, and Julie is currently experiencing these types of problems. We will try and provide weekly updates on her condition.

Thank you for keeping Julie in your prayers and supporting her with positive thoughts. She continues to be a very kind person with a very special heart and misses interacting with all of you."

I want to extend my upmost sympathies and condolences towards Ms. Strain and her loved ones.

I wish her well. I hope she recieves the best treatment that's available to her.

More:

Hello Julie Strain Fans,

I want express my deepest appreciation of your warmth and care for Julie. I met Julie about 10 years ago at the gym. We became friends and two years later became boyfriend and girlfriend. We have been together for eight years. At that time her disability was hardly noticeable. But as I spent time with her, I noticed certain peculiarities that indicated that something was wrong. Many times I became confused by her behavior because I had no idea of the severity of her initial head injury in her mid to late 20’s.

Our first four years were a joy and I often get extremely saddened by the loss of those wonderful years together. The past four years, her condition has worsened and she currently is on hospice care with a home healthcare person providing added care at our home. Julie cannot be left alone at this point.

I will continue to care for Julie, and up until now, I have tried to keep her condition private. She has a wonderful persona and image: kind, strong, brave and courageous. Not only are these characteristics her persona, these characteristics are Julie. It’s not an act, she a very special person. And the outpouring of support by her fans is testament to those personality ideals. I have never heard her speak ill of another person.

Julie is the nicest and kindest person I have ever met, and I have been blessed to have her in my life for these short eight years. The past three years have been difficult, but I love Julie and will protect her until I die. I cannot do otherwise.

Best wishes to all,
Dave Grams

This is from Dave.

I have read various posts and want to clear up some confusion or speculation about Julie’s health. Please know that dementia is an unpredictable disease. I knew very little about this illness until Julie was struck down by it. There are times when her condition has scared me to death. Other times I am hopeful. Your comments in Facebook have raised her spirits and I am so thankful for that.

As with any disease we are to some degree helpless. The fact that we have the disease cannot be changed. How we deal with it is something we do have some control over (emotions are hard to control). And how we deal with the disease is a great deal related to the people that support us. You, Julie’s friends and loved ones, are absolutely the best.

Julie continues to be funny and entertaining at times. Other times she is in complete confusion and requires medicine. There are behavioral patterns, but they are not fixed patterns. My job is to keep Julie happy and comfortable and seek out any way possible to help her. Brain injuries are NOT good, and we are learning more about their impact as we read of athletes experiencing mental problems later in life: mostly football player and boxers specifically. If there was a cure to this disease, I’m sure Muhammad Ali and Ronald Reagan would have been with us much long to provided us with good advice on how to help one another.

For a long time, I struggled on how to communicate her health problem to her fans. Late, last Friday night, I began writing and knew it was time to communicate openly about Julie. Somehow we just know when the right time arrives. I was concerned that if I waited any longer, Julie could be gone and that would be disastrous to all of you. At that point, I asked myself, “what would Julie want me to do” if she was thinking straight. So, I entered her Facebook for the first time, and made the post.

I am brought to tears each each day as I watch this wonderful women be inflicted by this awful disease. I read everything on Julie’s Facebook to her, even this post. Each time I write and read, I must pause as tears fill my eyes and I can no longer speak. I am experiencing this as I write you this post this very moment. This disease is sometimes called “the long goodbye”; I understand that completely.

Once again, thank you for uplifting Julie,
Dave

Very bad news:

Hello Julie Stain fans and friends,

Julie’s care at home has become more intensive due to complications of dementia, and she is entering final stage.

Currently, She is in the hospital and is due to return home this week. Her condition continues to worsen, and once again I am letting you know that her time here on Earth is limited.

She will return home, hopefully this week, on Hospice care once again. I don’t believe she will be removed from Hospice going forward.

All my time is devoted to Julie’s care safety. I will update you in several days.

Please be respectful to Julie on Facebook and please understand that her life is ending.

Dave

That's rough. Real shame.

Thanks for the update, Andrew. Very sorry to hear that sad news.

This is so not the time for this to be happening. Not that there's ever really any good time for it.