Monday, November 3, 2025 – Day 447

Monday, November 3, 2025

Good morning, all!

Happy birthday, Larry A.! 🎉
Larry and I worked together at IMC now Mosaic, and was a golf buddy when I worked in Florida. Definitely one of the silver linings of having to work in Florida…especially now, as we stare down the cold weather headed our way.

A few days ago, my cousin Mark emailed me a photo from our dinner together last September. It was from my trip to Baltimore, where I went for a second opinion on my ALS diagnosis at Johns Hopkins. Mark lives just outside the city, and it gave us the perfect chance to reconnect and talk about ALS and family. At the we wondered if there might be a family link. We eventually learned through genetic testing that my ALS comes from my mom’s side of the family.

We ate at Petit Louis Bistro, a French restaurant housed in a historic building in Roland Park. What makes that spot special is that it was the first shopping-center concept in the U.S., and my great-grandfather opened a pharmacy there in 1905. The pharmacy closed in 1979, but having dinner in the same building 119 years after he opened it — well, that was emotional and special. You don’t often get to sit in a place where your family roots run that deep.

The next morning brought a very different tone. My appointment with the neurologist at Hopkins took about 30 minutes, and it confirmed what we already knew: I had ALS. Short appointment, heavy outcome.

Still, I’m grateful we went. It removed any lingering doubt and gave me time with Mark and his wife Kathy. Nikki also joined us — for both dinner and the appointment — and I’m grateful she was there to hear the difficult news right alongside me.

It’s astonishing to look at that picture now. No sign of anything wrong — just me, smiling and upright, without a clue what the next year would bring. And now, one year later, walking is barely possible. ALS doesn’t waste time. What a cruel disease.

But here we are — a new week, new opportunities. I’m looking forward to participating in whatever I can.

Have a great Monday. Love you guys ❤️