Giving Thanks With 2020 Vision
“I am a rock, I am an island, And a rock feels no pain.” In 2020, there have been none of Paul Simon’s “rocks” to be found in the social circles that I inhabit. Everyone that I…
Columns
Growing Up With a Parent’s Illness
I cried as I listened to an episode of the “Everything Happens” podcast. Writer Samantha Irby described growing up with sick parents. When she was 9, her mom was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and her dad struggled with heart problems for years. They both died when she was…
Adapting With the Hope That a Tradition Can Be Toppled
“Put me in, coach, I’m ready to play today, Look at me, I can be center field.” John Fogerty’s homage to an aspiring baseball player is reminiscent of my pre-ALS relationship with nearly any game of skill. It was the rare…
Banishing Thought Loops and Living One Day at a Time
As one of the moderators for the ALS News Today Forums, I get to welcome new members and learn a little bit about each person. Many of these new members are newly diagnosed patients. Besides wanting to learn as much as possible about ALS, they also tell me they…
How ALS Affects the Hierarchy of Needs
I’ve written before about how the world has been shrinking for my husband, Todd, and me. Some activities, such as going on vacation or visiting people in their homes, became too difficult, even before social distancing mandates, due to Todd’s worsening ALS symptoms. But we still made an effort…
Enjoying the Vagaries of Life’s Carnival Ride
“Run away, run away/ It’s the restless age/ Look away, look away/ You can turn the page/ … Take away, take away/ This house of mirrors/ Give away, give away/ All the souvenirs.” The other night, I awoke to a…
Finding the Funny Moments in Caregiving
ALS is certainly a serious condition, and there is nothing funny about it, but many funny moments can happen. For my caregiver husband and me, holding on to a sense of humor is such an important part of our relationship that we can’t imagine letting a day go by without…
‘Once Upon a Time’ Becomes ‘Once When He Still Could’
My office offers retreat, in that it only has wall décor we acquired before ALS upended our lives. Over my book case is a framed painting of Maine’s Bar Harbor that my husband, Todd, and I bought on our honeymoon. We purchased the piece from a local artist who then…
We Are Family: The Case For Reciprocating Care
“Your lifelong membership is free, Keep a-giving each brother all you can. Oh, aren’t you proud to be in that fraternity, The great big brotherhood of man?” Those lines, written by Frank Loesser for the musical…
During National Family Caregivers Month, We Say Thank You!
Although it’s hard to find much to celebrate in 2020, this year happens to mark an important milestone for my husband and me. I’m celebrating achieving 10 years of living with ALS, and for my husband, 2020 marks a decade of his role as a caregiver — to me. I…
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