Last Friday night, I pulled a prescription bottle out of the cupboard, preparing to take my daily antidepressant — just one half-pill of the smallest dose, but that’s been enough to take the edge off and help me cope with the ongoing grief of living with my husband’s…
I’ve written before about how my late husband, Jeff, drew inspiration from Lou Gehrig, even before his ALS diagnosis in 2018. Today, I’m sharing how I now do the same through Live Like Lou, the ALS organization that bears Gehrig’s name. When I met Jeff,…
Since the point where my husband, Todd, needed a wheelchair because of his ALS progression, he’s had to navigate a less than perfectly accessible world. Todd is particularly challenged in our old community, which was built up long before the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in…
My introduction to ALS followed the same path as many other patients. After months of worry, I was relieved to finally receive a diagnosis. But that was the tip of the iceberg. I then had to understand what ALS was and how to cope with my symptoms,…
We often feel isolated now that my husband, Todd, is homebound because of ALS. He’s paralyzed with weak lung function, and it’s just too difficult for him to get out. So we were delighted when some friends planned a game night with us at our home last weekend. We…
One of my duties as a moderator for the ALS News Today Forums is to encourage new members to discuss their worries about living with the disease. I often find myself repeating the same advice over and over: that they be open to changing their perspective, that they…
I have always been a summer person, relishing how everything in nature quietly comes to life — lush, green grass, abundant wildlife, and densely leafy trees. To me, summer evokes peace, calm, and lazier days. My late husband, Jeff, on the other hand, was a winter person. As much as…
My husband, Todd, is homebound due to ALS and I am his primary caregiver. That often makes our lives feel small. While I appreciate the small joys of life at home — watching birds perch in the tree outside my kitchen window, enjoying a cup of loose-leaf tea,…
As my husband Todd’s ALS progressed, trips to the doctor’s office became increasingly difficult. When he was still walking, we used to travel four hours from northern Michigan through Wisconsin to the closest ALS clinic in Duluth, Minnesota. We turned those trips into mini-vacations, bringing the kids along and…
Living with ALS for the past 14 years has taught me an important lesson on adapting to a new way of life. Before ALS, my life was filled with carefree movement. I spoke with ease and enjoyed endless physical energy. Now, even though my…
