Saturday, November 8, 2025
Good morning! Thanks for all the get-well wishes yesterday. I got past the stomach issues early in the morning, but I was tired the rest of the day. I’m pretty sure that was the hangover effect from Thursday’s ALS Clinic visit. Those days are long — physically and mentally exhausting. We leave home around 11:00 a.m. for the hour-long drive to Glenbrook Hospital, and then we’re squirreled away in an exam room until 5:00 p.
Friday, November 7, 2025
Good morning! Rough start today. My mornings usually begin with the same ritual…a handful of pills (which are a struggle onto themselves) a few sips of water, and black coffee while I wait the prescribed hour before eating. But this morning, my stomach decided it had had enough. Within 45 minutes, I felt that awful wave rolling in that is made up of nausea, the rush of saliva, the pounding heart, the sudden warmth that makes you want to back away from the fire.
Thursday, November 6, 2025
LGood morning, friends and family. Four hundred and fifty days since this shitty diagnosis. That’s a lot of days. The number made me think of the Grateful Dead song Truckin’ and these lines: Sometimes the light’s all shinin’ on me, Other times, I can barely see. Lately, it occurs to me— What a long, strange trip it’s been. That about sums it up. Most days the light feels warm and steady, shining through all the support and kindness we’ve been shown.
Wednesday, November 5, 2025
Good morning! And a big happy belated birthday to Jill! 🎉🥳🍾 Continuing with my reflections about my dad… As Dad’s short-term memory faded, one of the first challenges that popped up was parking lots. We’ve all forgotten where we parked before, wandering up and down aisles pressing the panic button like we’re searching for buried treasure. Then one day up-north he had to call for help. Like many seniors, giving up the car keys was not in his playbook.
Tuesday, November 4, 2025
Good morning! I received a text yesterday with a memory about my dad, and it pulled me right back to our dinner-table ritual. Dad was a quiet, thoughtful man—never the loudest voice in the room, but always the one you leaned in to hear. At the dining room table, he could hold court any night of the week, no matter who joined us (and we had plenty of guests). Politics, faith, travel, daily life—his mind traveled widely, and we followed right along.
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.
Sunday, November 2, 2025
Good morning, friends and family. I’ve been bouncing back and forth between the master bedroom and the guest room lately. The master is a bit of a hike to the bathroom, and the guest room route is more reasonably short. In ALS terms, it becomes a tactical mission every trip to the bathroom: slow, careful, deliberate steps…while my bladder counts down like it’s launching a rocket. Two simultaneous goals need to be met, don’t fall and don’t leak.
Saturday, November 1, 2025
Good morning! Welcome to November — the month where we all pretend we’re grateful for the shorter days, losing ~ one hour of sunlight by the end of the month and a sun that will set at 4:20 pm on 11/30. Depressing isn’t it!! PSA It’s that ridiculous time again — time change weekend. Supposedly we’re all going to get an extra hour of sleep tonight. Sure we are. At 2:00 a.
Friday, October 31, 2025
Good morning, everyone. Happy birthday, Di G.! 🎉🥳🍾🎃 I met Di back in 2005, when we moved to Lake Bluff so Nikki could finish up high school at Lake Forest. Di has a son that is the same age as Alex. Peter was a standout swimmer at Lake Forest High School and a fierce rival of Alex’s when he swam for Libertyville. They traded wins back and forth over the years, and that friendly fire eventually turned into a deep friendship.
Thursday, October 30, 2025
Good morning, everyone. I’ve been in a bit of a funk since the marathon. That weekend felt like the big climactic event of the year — or maybe the marathon was the dessert and Alex and Nicole’s wedding was the main course. Either way, both moments were huge for me, and when I look at photos and videos, the emotions still wash over me 🥲. Beautiful, overwhelming, and memorable! Lately, I feel like I’m canceling more opportunities than I’m saying yes to.
Wednesday, October 29, 2025
Good morning, everyone! Happy belated birthday, Lynn M. 🎉 Lynn is a friend we met through Camp Osoha in Boulder Junction, WI — an all-girls camp our daughters attended for many summers. Each summer session was six weeks long, and the camp was truly something special. Sadly, it closed years ago after a tragic accident, but while it was running it shaped generations of young girls into strong, confident women.
Tuesday, October 28, 2025
Good morning, friends and family. This ALS progression is really starting to hit hard. No matter what I do, I come out of every activity needing a break. It can be something as simple as brushing my teeth and getting dressed in the morning. Moving from one room to another seems to suck up all the oxygen in the house, and I end up winded, sitting there trying to catch my breath.
Monday, October 27, 2025
Good morning, everyone. Yesterday was a better day. I’ll admit, I did a little sulking in the morning about missing the Michigan trip. But by the afternoon, the sun was out, and I decided to do the next best thing—get outside and soak up some vitamin D the natural way. I probably should take vitamin D supplements for how little I get outside but honestly, I’m already running a daily pharmaceutical pill dispensary.
Sunday, October 26, 2025
Good morning, friends and family. Yesterday, I was up and moving right along—getting ready for the road trip to Michigan to see the college crew. Keep in mind, my version of “getting ready” means getting myself cleaned up, dressed, and fed—the bare minimum to be road-trip ready. Cindy, on the other hand, handles everything else: packing, hauling suitcases, and gathering all the ALS gear. So yeah, I’ve got the easy part every time we go somewhere.
Saturday, October 25, 2025
Good morning! We’re off to Michigan this morning. This two- to three-hour drive will be a good test for my butt and the various cushions we’ve accumulated. I’ve got very little padding left back there, and I’m starting to resemble the Sexton (maternal) side of the family. My aunts and uncles never had much meat on their bones either, so I imagine their backsides were just as sore on long car rides…especially in their later years.
Friday, October 24, 2025
Good morning, everyone. Last weekend in October—hard to believe we’re already sliding into the holidays. This weekend is a college get-together on the shore of Lake Michigan in Union Pier, Michigan. I’m really looking forward to seeing everyone. The party officially starts today, but we’re waiting until tomorrow to join the group. There’s something about getting together with college friends… it’s like you never left campus. For me, this trip will be a bit more subdued than past reunions.
Thursday, October 23, 2025
Good morning, and welcome to a new day. Overnight the respirator behaved beautifully…no frightening bursts of air, no near-suffocations, and no gurgling noises. Just a steady, peaceful exchange of air all night. Now I just need to confirm if Cindy agrees with that assessment. I’ve started noticing that my nighttime movement has become very limited. When I wake up, I’m usually in the exact same position I fell asleep in. That’s new for me.
Wednesday, October 22, 2025
Good morning, all! It’s way too early. The house is chilly, and I’m sitting by the fire wrapped in a quilt. I’m so thankful for these handmade gifts—they really take the edge off cool mornings. It was another restless night with the NIV (non-invasive ventilator). Things started out fine, but around 2:00 a.m. I woke up flat on my back, and the NIV was blasting air like a leaf blower. I felt a rattle in my throat and tried to cough it out—but my cough is already weak and pathetic.
Tuesday, October 21, 2025
Good morning, all! Yesterday I mentioned Ordinary Grace, the book that showed up in the mail. As it turns out, my cousin Mark already has the same book sitting on his table, waiting to be read. What are the odds we’d pick up the same title at the same time—especially since it’s been out since 2013? I’m looking forward to diving in once I finish one that’s ahead of it on my list: Look Closer by David Ellis, our current college book club pick.
Monday, October 20, 2025
Good morning. It’s definitely looking like fall outside—cool air, color in the trees, and the sound of leaves crunching under tires. Although, in classic Midwest fashion, our A/C decided to kick on yesterday. Nothing like a blast of cold air to wake you up from a good nap. Only a few day ago, if I didn’t like the temperature in the house, I’d just grab my phone and adjust the thermostat.