Good morning, and welcome to a new week.
Today marks a milestoneâand like so many milestones on this ALS journey, it carries a double edge.
This afternoon, Iâm having the feeding tube installed. I havenât stepped on the scale yet today, but Iâm guessing Iâm down to 158 pounds. Iâm hopeful this step helps me reverse the steady slide in weight and daily energy. Thatâs the plan, anyway: fuel the body, reclaim some strength, and keep going.
Good morning, all!â¨Itâs another steamy one.
Yesterday morning, I joined Cindy and Bear for a walk. The temperatures were pleasant, and there was a nice, comfortable breeze blowingâjust enough to make it feel good to be outside.
As we turned the corner, we saw the contractors already hard at work at 7 a.m., backfilling the new sidewalk. When we got closer, we spotted a bobcat straddling the sidewalk, spreading soil with no clear way for me to sneak past.
Good morning!
Itâs going to be a hot one this weekend. Good thing Iâve got a solid stack of books to keep me companyâbecause Iâll be staying inside for most, if not all, of it.
Thank you to everyone whoâs sent reading material for my ALS journey. Books are the perfect escape. Once Iâm absorbed in a story, I can forget about ALS for a while, and that kind of distraction is gold.
Good morning, everyone!
Today marks the first day of summer! Itâs always exciting to hit the summer solsticeâlong days, warm nights, and that unmistakable summer energy in the air. Of course, then I remember that it also means the sun starts its slow march to the southern hemisphere. The days will start getting shorter from here on out. Yeah, yeah, I know the sun isnât actually movingâbut it still feels like the beginning of the long slide toward winter.
Good morning, yâall. Letâs make it the best day possible.
Yesterday was the big GI appointment at Evanston Hospital to discuss surgery for a feeding tube. We left the house at noon, and let me just sayâthese appointments near the lake are an all-day affair. Round trip? Seven hours! For context, I couldâve driven to Minocqua in five, had two hours of cocktails, stared across the lake, and found inner peaceâall in less time.
Good morning, friends, family, and curious visitors.
Today is my GI appointment. If things go according to my plan, weâll be having a preliminary conversation about getting a feeding tube installed later this month or in early July. It feels urgent. I weighed myself yesterdayâdown to 160 pounds. Thatâs nearly a 14% drop from a year ago. Itâs time to stop the slide.
Our neighbors behind us, Gene and Sarah, are friends from our Senior Care Volunteer Network (SCVN) days.
Good morning! Todayâs a special day.
Cocoâs two and moving fast, When she sees Grandy, she zooms right past. She puts on frowns with a dramatic shrug, But melts us all with a smile and a hug. đ
Happy Birthday, Coco! đđĽłđđ
The last couple of days, Iâve mostly been reading and staying off my legs. Iâm not sure how much these legs have leftâtheyâre starting to feel more clumsy and unpredictable around the house.
Happy birthday, Miss Sally! (Mom, Grammy)
Good morningânew week, new opportunities. Find yours and make the most of them!
Yesterday was ALS Day at Wrigley Field, a game I had considered attending. In the end, I passedâdidnât want to deal with traffic and crowds. But as it turns outâŚI regretted not going. It was a gorgeous day, it was Fatherâs Day, the Cubs won, and I had family there. I hadnât even considered that I mightâve been invited onto the field for the first time.
Good morning.âď¸
Letâs take a moment to celebrate all the dads out thereâHappy Fatherâs Day! Wishing everyone a great day surrounded by family, friends, and maybe a cold drink or two.
We celebrated a day early, gathering yesterday at Donna and Joeâs house. Saturdays tend to be easier for the younger crewâgives them time to head home and mentally brace for Monday.
Joining us were the Balasis (Mark, Barb, Geoff, and Kristen) and Alex and Nicole (the fiancĂŠe, not the sister⌠yes, I knowâtoo many Nicoles).
Good morning. Happy Saturday.
First things first: I finished Certain Prey yesterday and jumped right into Easy Prey. So, to whoever is sending me these books, could you maybe include a gift receipt next time? Or at least a clue? Help a guy out, please!
Yesterday, we met Cindy and Barbâs cousin Lisaâon the Ring side of the family (maternal)âfor a nice end-of-the-workweek lunch. She was in town for a business meeting in Barrington, and the timing was perfect for a little family get-together.
Good morning.â¨Itâs Friday the 13th! đąđŤŁ
This date always reminds me of the last time I intentionally watched a horror movie. Flashback to WIU in 1978âI went to see the debut of Halloween. This movie , along with The Exorcist and Psyco, put me so on edge I swore off the entire psycho-killer genre. I still dislike taking showers which use shower curtains. On our new bath shower, I asked Cindy to get a clear shower curtain so I could at least see somebody lurking with a big knife in hand.
Good morning. Welcome to Thursday.
A couple of weeks ago, I shared that Alex is making his own wedding ring for the big day on September 13. Since then, a few generous folks have come forward with gold tucked away at the bottom of old jewelry boxes and offered it to him. My sister Lis sent a pair of gold earrings that once belonged to my mom, and Cathy Keffer found a gold ingot her grandmother had purchased back in the 70s.
Good morning!â¨Welcome to Wednesday.
Tim and Shawn returned the Yukon yesterday, freshly equipped with a new battery and a fully recharged A/C system. Without one or the other, that vehicle wasnât going anywhereâespecially with 90° temps on the way. Huge thanks to Tim and Shawn for the top-notch concierge service.
As if that wasnât enough, Tim also helped clean up the garage. After our recent hazardous waste run, there were items scattered everywhere, leaving the car once again exiled from its rightful home.
Good morning, Andyâs Army!
I have read all the cards from the open house and the card selection and the messages were moving. I was emotionally hungover much of last weekâŚso I had to pause a few days before I could open them. Iâm always amazed by the power of words and the emotions they can trigger. I just want to keep saying thank you for such a beautiful event and the love that was sharedâŚI still feel it!
Good morning, friends, family, and curious onlookers.
Today marks 300 days since the ALS diagnosis. Three hundred days of trying to will my body to correct courseâstill waiting for that miracle rebound. Iâve said this before: Iâve always believed my body was strong enough to overcome any challenge. No matter what I threw at it, it found a way to push through.
But now? It just wonât wake up and fight back.
Good morning, world! Iâm looking forward to whatever the day brings.
Yesterday was a fairly typical day⌠well, for the most part.
Since Iâm no longer crawling under cars or fixing engines, it was finally time to clear out all the motor solvents from the garage. From here on out, any vehicle issues will go straight to a local mechanic. Honestly, the neighbors are probably relievedâno more jacked-up vehicles in the driveway dragging down the property values.
Good morning to you all.
Cindy and I made a rare return to the health club yesterday. Itâs been so long since weâve seen the inside, we almost needed a guided tour. We completely missed the New Yearâs resolution windowâno promises to eat better, drop a few pounds, or start a new workout plan. We skipped the guilt and jumped straight to June.
It was a gorgeous dayâsunny, 70s, not too humidâso we headed to the outdoor pool.
Good morning! A new day to be thankful forâI am.
Today marks the 81st anniversary of D-Day. Letâs take a moment to honor the courage and selfless sacrifices made that day. We owe them more than we can ever repay.
My own fight is currently happening when I sleepâŚnight two with the respirator.
It didnât go quite as smoothly as night one. I was all hooked up, mask secured, tubing in place, and laying there listening to the rhythmic sounds of air being gently forced in and out of my lungsâan odd mix of Darth Vader and a white noise machine.
Good morning everyoneâIâm Andy!â¨A new day to be thankful for.
Itâs a good thing we have access to an ALS Clinic that consolidates so many of our appointments into one day. If we had to spread them out across the week, I donât think we could keep up. Between pulmonology, neurology, PT, OT, and âWTF-is-this-now?â visits (making Bear go crazy), itâs a full-time job just staying on top of it all.