Catherine Grimes

When I was a senior in high school I got a new best friend. Most people in high school get new best friends every week. I was probably no different in some ways, but Catherine was different. Its hard to describe her because I know the way I knew her was different from the way others knew her. But I can say before she became my best friend I thought different of her. Maybe I was even a little judgmental of her.

Anyone that knew her will agree that she was beautiful. I mean seriously. Blonde haired, blue-eyed, charismatic, charming. BEST SMILE. Catherine's dad was a well-known dentist and she was considered pretty well-off. Maybe even spoiled  to some people. She was popular obviously and from the outside seemed to have everything. But Catherine was different. Unlike most of the popular girls she had a habit of doing things outside of her social circle. That's when I first heard of her. She dated a geeky trombone player in the band. It was a controversial couple. Catherine herself told me that her friends rejected the relationship and ultimately the pressure from both sides became too much for them. I would experience this to an extent later on.

There are a select few people in my life I can remember the exact moment we became friends. I was walking in the band room one afternoon and apparently in a terrible mood, looking sad and angry. Catherine saw me and just said "you look like you could use a hug". She literally didn't hesitate before wrapping her arms around me and embracing me like a best friend, a sister, unlike anything I'd ever known and especially from a complete stranger. Needless to say I was sold and we didn't really spend too much time apart for the rest of the year.

It was unfortunate that I really only met Catherine at the end of my senior year before I would go to college. I didn't know then that anytime at all would have never been enough. Being friends with Catherine gave me access to a life that I had always speculated and envied but never really known. I had become friends with the popular girl notorious for doing the unpopular thing. It was like being friends with a rockstar. She was in demand, she was an enigma, gorgeous and free. She loved to shock people and do the unexpected thing. But her sincerity was never lacking and it was always beautiful to encounter. She brought me a stuffed elephant after my knee surgery. We laid in bed and watched Pretty Woman and we named my new friend Edward after Richard Gere.

Catherine revealed to me one day in of our many note exchanges she suffered from Ulcerative Colitis. An inflammation in her intestine. She never complained about it, and I never understood its seriousness. After I left for college Catherine and I stayed close. She told me out of the blue she was taking some time off to be admitted to St. Jude's because her condition had worsened. I visited her at home and remember her sitting there in my Troy State Soccer shirt with a blanket, weak and feeble. I had to help her to the bathroom. I cried and she told me how ridiculous and sensitive I was. She made jokes and said she was fine.

We lost touch as most friends do. Catherine went to Auburn and joined a sorority and I came out of the closet. She told me she loved me and accepted me. We always promised to get together soon. She got married and I couldn't go because I was living in Florida and going through my own changes.

In November of 2006 I went home for Thanksgiving and saw an old friend out. She asked had I talked to Catherine and I said it had been a while. She said I should talk to her because she was going in for surgery that weekend, apparently her illness had progressed and part of her intestine was to be removed.  I went back home to Pensacola and wrote Catherine an email telling her I loved her, missed her, and prayed that she will be delivered from her illness once and for all.

She passed away that Saturday evening from complications during surgery. She was 22 years old.

Why does any of this matter? Paleo in so many instances has reversed the symptoms of UC. In my early study of it I read story after story of people with Catherine's condition who had potentially saved their lives through changing their diet. I don't know if it would've helped her. I don't even want to know to tell you the truth. But I know whatever you struggle with, mentally, physically, emotionally, if you can read this, it can help you. I believe it can save you and that's why I always talk about it, get so passionate about it and owe my own life to it. I have been blessed with 6 more years now than Catherine was and its my responsibility to her to make the best of it. These 30 days are for you Cat. Love you always.