Friday, January 16, 2026 – Day 521

Friday, January 16, 2026

Good morning, everyone.

I finished reading The Nine yesterday—a WWII story. I’m always struck by what people are able to endure and still maintain the will to live. The courage and tenacity required to survive torture and the inhumane conditions of concentration camps in Germany and Japan is beyond comprehension.

Thanks for the recommendation Nikki.

ALS…Another Fall I had fall #16 the other day while Cindy was out with friends.

That’s the scenario that worries her the most—me falling while I’m alone, unable to get up, or worse, injured. It’s why I try to be overly cautious anytime she’s not home. Sometimes the best laid plans don’t always stand up to the test.

So I had to go to the bathroom. I was in the upstairs guest bathroom, holding onto the grab bar and trying to get my elastic-waist pants down. That simple task has become surprisingly complicated. I have to find the boniest part of my waist, slip a finger or thumb under the elastic—whichever one is cooperating that day—and inch the waistband down, left to right. Once the pants clear my hips, gravity usually takes over.

This time, though, I was so focused on the pants that my legs must have gotten the wrong message. One knee buckled, and down I went. It all happened so fast, there was no way to stop it.

I landed in the shower—on my butt, like every other fall so far. My glasses went flying across the tile, but I never felt my head hit anything. I did a quick self-assessment: a sore, bruised backside, but otherwise okay. Except for one thing—I was sitting in the shower. Not exactly where I wanted to be found.

If I could get up before Cindy got home, then maybe—just maybe—this fall wouldn’t have to officially exist.

First things first: finish getting the pants off. They were already down around my knees. From there, I rolled onto all fours, worked my way over to the teak shower bench, and slowly climbed up onto it. Once I had my hands on the grab bar, I turned and sat on the bench.

It wasn’t pretty. And it wasn’t easy.

I was breathing hard and had to stop a couple of times just to catch my breath. Eventually, though, I managed to transfer from the bench to the toilet—ending up exactly where I had intended to be before gravity intervened.

When Cindy got home, I was downstairs. After she had a moment, I told her what happened.

I didn’t want to say it, and she didn’t want to hear it—but it’s important that we’re honest about these mishaps. Maybe there are things we can do differently, or stay more focused on, to reduce even a small amount of risk.

The truth is, falls are going to happen. I’m determined to stay as independent as I can for as long as I can. I’m just trying—every day—to find the right balance between independence and safety.

I’m going to fight this ALS to the end. I’m willing to take a few bruises, I just need to avoid any and all serious injuries. That would be devastating and change everything.

So I’ll stay seated as much as possible and keep my activities limited to reading. Cindy did a library run yesterday and returned with a collection of books. I chose Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon. If it doesn’t work for me…I have choices.

Have a great Friday. Love you guys!❤️

Photos are from Wednesday when BIll and Monica were over. Testing Cindy’s new hat for the weekend sub-zero freeze.