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

Thursday, October 30, 2008

THE WALK


The Laker Girls


Another month has flown by. Considering I’m neither working nor socializing as much as I used to, I still don’t have enough time in the day. But, on to the latest update…


The ALS Walk was a big success. There were about a thousand walkers and $250,000 raised. I am proud to say, “Harry’s Heartbeats” numbered about 50 and raised $24,000. I was and am truly moved by the response. There are some pictures in the gallery. Please have a look. These are the people who have been helping me around here. The majority have been my friends from the time I moved from Chicago. Even a bunch of the kids showed up. My friends, Queenie and Pete Dimas were here from Chicago. There are a lot of others from near and far who were there in spirit and I thank you all. I was asked to say a few words at the start and then we did about a mile walk through old town Pasadena. Upon returning to the park we had a little picnic and hang. Although by the end of it I was fairly exhausted, I was more uplifted by the support of the day than tired. I do want to put out an extra special thanks to my fairy god-sister, Ricki Stein, for all her efforts in organizing “Harry’s Heartbeats.” She is the reason that things went the way they did. Her help with the Walk and in my daily life is beyond the beyond and I cannot possibly thank her enough.

My general health remains good. I continue to lose strength in my legs and the hands are becoming more useless. I still have my gross control (grabbing, leaning, pressing buttons) but the fine stuff is going bit by bit. Now that I have my Disability Benefits and Medicare, I am going to Cedar-Sinai Hospital in a few weeks to see what they have to say, if anything. I will be ordering an electric wheelchair on that visit and should have more info as to where I go from here.

There is something I will ask of all. My best friend/sister Bev has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I ask for all your prayers, chants, hymns or whatever connection to a higher power you might have to help her through. She is in the middle of chemo and she seems to be responding well. She made the walk with us and is a true inspiration. She and her family have made me a part of their family for the last 28 years and I can’t ask enough to send them goodness through all this.

I thank all of you for the care and love you continue to send my way. Until later...
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1 comment:

Dean and Alex said...

Hi Harry-

I like your new girl friends- the cheerleaders! I am here with Alex and he wanted to write. He is now typing... Hi Uncle Harry I love you I miss you and im praying for you every night. Check out my website www.puppapenguintips.com
- Alex and Daddy Dean

November 5, 2008 at 6:27 PM

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