You may be thinking, "long time no post". Well.... my brothers, Paul and Christ, and niece, Mary were here most of July and early August. It was great having them here. I am needing the help. I know I didn't make it easy for them but they came through like champs, in spite of me. I never realized what a control freak I was until I had to have other people do things for me. I know you're laughing but thanks, you guys. Then my friend Dale and his son, Brett and daughter, Caitlin were in town for a few days and looked after me well... even shipped in "Al's Italian Beef". That was a food cheat day!
And so, my disability appeal went swimmingly. The judge saw fit to reverse the State Disability decision and backdate my start to November. Thank you, your honor. I still await word from Social Security and Medicare. I have qualified for MediCal... so I guess that's something.
Then, if that's not enough, there's "the treatment". I did a treatment a few weeks ago. It was five days of IV drip, about four hours per day. It was a combo of the drugs DMSO and EDTA. They are normally used for metal detoxification. Some doctors seem to think the combo may have benefits to conditions similar to ALS. I await a result. Since normal medicine is quite lost as to a working drug it leaves the field wide open to alternatives. This seems to be one that, at the least, won't make my eyes bleed or grow another toe out of my forehead.
And then there was Smoother's Surprise 60th Birthday Bash. Two years in the making, we had a hundred people in a restaurant and dozens more on video, celebrating 60 years of Smoother. We actually got him. He thought he was there for The Major's birthday dinner. For those of you who don't know, Smoother is an early friend, frequent employer and husband of Bev. They are a part of the West Coast Gang. We have been friends for almost thirty years. And in that time I never thought we could fluster him... but we did. Well, actually, his two sisters, brother-in-law and nieces, over from England, did that. It was a grand time. Can you say "YouTube"?
At this point I wait for the bureaucracy and prepare for the "Walk to Defeat ALS" on October 26th, here in Pasadena. If we have your e-mail, you will get tagged for it. If you're in town come join us for a 1-2 mile walk through Old Town Pasadena. If elsewhere, you can join us virtually. Be well.
For my family, friends, business associates and all combinations
If you meant to come to the blog for Harry Andronis, you're in the right place. If not, welcome anyway. Since the beginning of my back problems in 2007 I have received calls, e-mails and letters of support. I have been given help from around the world. I am amazingly lucky to have such caring and loving people in my life. I cannot begin to tell you how much strength and drive it has given me. While the back surgery in February 2008 worked like a charm, it turned out to be the least of my problems. Continuing weakness in my legs and hands after the surgery led to the diagnosis of ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) in May of this year.
Due to the progressive nature of the illness I am finding it more and more difficult, physically, to type on a keyboard or talk on the phone. Hence, this blog. I will try to update on a semi-regular basis. I do not want to discourage contact. It is just becoming harder to always respond in a timely fashion. As you might imagine, some days are better than others. I'm not sure what I want to say or talk about. At times there may be more detail than you'd like but we'll see. I hope you'll follow along, send the good vibes, have a look at the gallery and the people or things in it, maybe leave a comment and keep those calls and letters coming.
I do want to acknowledge the unwavering support from my giant core of family/friends. You know who you are. I can never thank you for all that came before and now, or tell you enough what you mean to me......... forever.
By the way, read nothing into the color of the page. I like black. One of my favorite Zappa pieces is "The Black Page". Besides, "How much more black can it be? None... none more black." - Nigel Tufnell, 1980
Onward and upward..... h
Due to the progressive nature of the illness I am finding it more and more difficult, physically, to type on a keyboard or talk on the phone. Hence, this blog. I will try to update on a semi-regular basis. I do not want to discourage contact. It is just becoming harder to always respond in a timely fashion. As you might imagine, some days are better than others. I'm not sure what I want to say or talk about. At times there may be more detail than you'd like but we'll see. I hope you'll follow along, send the good vibes, have a look at the gallery and the people or things in it, maybe leave a comment and keep those calls and letters coming.
I do want to acknowledge the unwavering support from my giant core of family/friends. You know who you are. I can never thank you for all that came before and now, or tell you enough what you mean to me......... forever.
By the way, read nothing into the color of the page. I like black. One of my favorite Zappa pieces is "The Black Page". Besides, "How much more black can it be? None... none more black." - Nigel Tufnell, 1980
Onward and upward..... h
Thursday, August 28, 2008
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