Last week, my husband, Todd, considered canceling a dentist appointment to get a crown placed over a broken tooth. “Is it really necessary?” he asked. “What’s left of this tooth will probably last me for the rest of my life.” Todd has had ALS for nearly 12 years, far exceeding…
Joyful Sorrow - a Column by Kristin Neva
A couple weeks ago, when my husband, Todd, told me he wasn’t going to attend our kids’ end-of-the-year events at school — including our son’s band concert and our daughter’s choir concert and dance recital — it was a reality check for me about where we are in this ALS…
In the summer of 2010, my husband, Todd, stopped at the mall after work. It was my birthday, and he hadn’t gotten me anything yet. His mind was still swirling a month after receiving an ALS diagnosis. The shock of it. The grief. He walked through the mall…
A couple weeks ago, one of our toilet tanks developed a crack and started leaking. I turned off the water, and while we waited for a new tank to arrive, we filled a bucket with water from the tub to flush the toilet or used the other bathroom. On Saturday,…
Columns
Living With ALS Takes Courage
Editor’s note: This column discusses suicide. Please find resources for help at the end of the column. In the “Safety Training” episode of the sitcom “The Office,” Michael Scott, the boss, wants to prove that working upstairs in the office is just as risky as working in the…
Author and counselor Douglas C. Smith wrote in Health and Happiness U.P. Magazine about five types of grief people are experiencing through the pandemic. As I read through the article, I realized I have experienced all of them — anticipatory, general, disenfranchised, ambiguous, and vicarious grief — with my…
My husband, Todd, gets twice-weekly physical therapy, which significantly improves his quality of life with ALS. Six years ago, Todd was having pain in his shoulders, and his elbows would not fully straighten, making it difficult for him to use his wheelchair. His doctor ordered physical and occupational therapy evaluations…
I got away for a couple of nights during spring break with my 12-year-old son, Isaac, and 16-year-old daughter, Sara. It was good to have a mini-vacation, although I was sad my husband, Todd, couldn’t join us because his ALS progression makes travel too difficult. Three years ago, we all…
An old friend stopped by with a gift of homegrown microgreens. She’s a retired nurse, and she used to help with nighttime care for my husband, Todd, who has ALS. She visited for a while, and we updated her on Todd’s health and decline in lung strength. I…
Last Sunday, the temperature was in the high 40s, making the tracks in the cross-country ski trail smooth and fast. A gurgling brook carried away snowmelt from a long winter. Birds sang. Two chipmunks scampered up a tree, one chasing the other. Spring skiing is one of my favorite…
Recent Posts
- Feeding wildlife reminded me what’s important in life after ALS
- Inflammatory bacterial sugar in gut may drive ALS risk: Study
- A dream takes me back to a time before life with ALS
- ALS ONE joining ALS Network to strengthen research, services
- Rollator revamp needed because design matters for living well with ALS