Thursday, April 3, 2025 - Day 233
Thursday, April 3, 2025
Good morning family, friends, and curious readers.
I have to smile and shake my head at some of the comments I get from friends who are reading this blog. The latest one made me wonder, “Where did Andy go? Who’s ghostwriting this thing?” Here’s part of a comment I got yesterday:
“I just think it’s funny how you can take a mundane task like dealing with Comcast, leave a cliffhanger, and somehow make us all desperate to know the ending. Makes me laugh.”
I mean, that’s fair. If you’ve ever had to deal with Comcast, you know there’s suspense built in—will they show up? Will your bill double for no reason? Will you emerge from the call as the same person, or will you have aged ten years and lost all will to fight? Riveting stuff. Who knew?
For those who knew me in high school, let’s be real—this blog would’ve been the last thing you expected from me. I was never much of a student, more of a… social opportunities enthusiast. If there was a dance to decorate, a drama set to build, or synchronized swimmers to “help,” I was in. (Coincidentally, synchronized swimming practice happened to have the highest ratio of girls to guys—purely a coincidence, of course.) If you made a left instead of a right when leaving the pool, you ended up in the girls locker room. I would have closed my eyes, except I would have never found my way out. I owe apologies to PaulaA…I never saw you in the shower…promise.
And if all else failed, we had our trusty escape plan—ditching school to hang out in our friend Paul’s finished basement. His parents both worked (which was rare in the ’70s), so we had our own little clubhouse. There are stories from that basement that could fill a book… though for legal reasons, some names would have to be changed. Class wasn’t much of a priority, but weekends? That was a different story. We’d head to Kenosha, where the drinking age was 18, but most bars didn’t seem to mind if you were 16 as long as you could (kind of) stand. It was fun—extremely reckless, occasionally tragic, but fun. Looking back, I honestly don’t know how we survived. Some of us didn’t, and that part still stings.
So it’s a wonder I can write at all, much less make it engaging.
But enough reminiscing. Back to the present.
The bathroom remodel is finally done! The plumber installed the last of the missing pieces—a sink faucet and a hand-held shower. Up until then, we had a working toilet, but no real way to clean up unless you considered the bidet a full-body washing station. And you know what? Maybe it could be, if you’re really determined. That thing has warm water, a warm seat, and even a warm air dryer. That coupled with a heated floor…well…I might never leave the bathroom.
This past week has been packed with ALS-related appointments and medical equipment shopping. Dealing with all of this keeps it front and center, which is both good (because we’re preparing for the future) and not so good (because I’d rather ignore it).
Here’s a quick recap of the week’s adventures:
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E-bikes? Probably out. More of a want than a need, and I’m trying to be practical.
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Scooters? We’re leaning toward one, but it depends on which wheelchair we get. Basically, it’s a mobility chess game at this point.
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Team Gleason is helping with a lightweight power wheelchair! Application is in, and if all goes well, it’ll be free. (Finally, something medical-related that isn’t outrageously expensive!)
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Cough assist device is on the way. Supposedly, this will help me clear my throat and reduce choking episodes. It comes with a in-training session to avoid blowing out my lungs. Honestly, I could’ve used this months ago.
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Pulse oximeter ordered. They want to monitor my oxygen levels during sleep. Turns out, breathing is important.
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New hand splints from OT. They’re supposed to help with dexterity, but so far, their best feature is making it easier to hold a pint glass. I’ll be testing them thoroughly tonight at Sew Hop’d. You know, for science.
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Hospital bed research. Turns out, they’re pretty basic—just need one that adjusts up/down and has an electric lift. We almost took one from a friend, but storing it in the garage felt too depressing. I’m holding off for now.
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Swallow study scheduled for late April. This will probably be where they bring up a feeding tube. I imagine the nutritionist won’t be thrilled with my current diet of Do-si-dos and Twizzlers, but hey, I’m getting my carbs!
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Drooling mitigation. The options were:
- A suction device before bed.
- Medication to dry up saliva—but it also makes swallowing harder. So basically, I can either drool in my sleep or increase my choking risk. Great choices. I opted for neither, so if anyone wants a wet, sloppy kiss… I’m your guy! I can already see the horrified expressions.
That’s it for now. It’s time for me to get moving…another tax day
Thanks for reading, commenting, and putting up with my ramblings. Until next time.
Have a great Thursday, and don’t forget The Masters starts today!
Love you guys! ❤️
