• 04Aug

  I held back

  ALS 1 Comment

  I received this today in my company email.  I have no idea who “Trish” is, she sent this to  “All”:

  I Just received the beautiful flowers from the _____ Staff.
  They are beautiful and made my day. Thanks so much.

  I started feeling better yesterday and today and expect to be fully recovered soon.
  I am currently working and pacing myself as I go.

  Thanks again for everything,

  Trish

  I was going to write this:

  Hi Trish,

  I am so glad you are feeling better and will make a complete recovery from your “issue”  I wish I could make a full recovery from “my issue”.

  Pat

  But I didn’t send it.  I later found out that “Trish” was having a routine endoscopy and went “code blue” and was resuscitated.  She now has hepatitis C…  I’m glad I didn’t send it.

• 01Aug

  Nerve cells grown from new-style stem cells

  ALS 2 Comments

  http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSN3141568520080731

  Reuters has an article about stem cells and ALS.

  By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Ordinary skin cells taken from patients with a fatal and incurable nerve disease have been transformed into nerve cells in a first step toward treating them, U.S. researchers reported on Thursday.

  They transformed the cells from two patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, into motor neurons — the cells that waste away and die in ALS.

  There is no immediate medical use for the cells, taken from two sisters aged 82 and 89, the researchers reported in the journal Science.

  “Now we can make limitless supplies of the cells that die in this awful disease. This will allow us to study these neurons, and ALS, in a lab dish, and figure out what’s happening in the disease process,” said Dr. Kevin Eggan of Harvard Medical School in Boston, who helped lead the study.

  “We can generate hundreds of millions of motor neurons that are genetically identical to a patient’s own neurons,” added Chris Henderson of Columbia University in New York, who also worked on the study.

  “This will be an immense help as we try to uncover the mechanisms behind this disease and screen for drugs that can prolong life.”  [much more...]

• 31Jul

  I miss the little things

  ALS 3 Comments

  I know I shouldn’t dwell on what I can’t do, but its hard isn’t it?! I do have a positive attitude, I am looking forward to Heaven!

  Anyway, I miss:

  Tearing a sugar (sweet-n-low) bag open
  [now I use scissors]

  Opening a soda can
  [now I use a opener from Sammons_Preston]

  Turning the key to my house
  [now I use a key helper from Sammons_Preston]

  Turning the key to start my car
  [now I use a automotive key helper from Sammons_Preston]

  Taking my gas cap off
  [now I need assistance from someone]

  Buttoning my shirts
  [now I need assistance from someone]

  Throwing a frisbee for my dog
  [my Aussie Tucker can catch frisbees for HOURS!]

  Unhooking my wife’s bra
  [just seeing if anyone is still reading this]

  Not jumping at every little noise

  Carrying 2 Sparkletts bottles at once

  Whistling loudly

  Clapping

  Writing
  ——————————–

  After all that, I still enjoy every day!!

• 29Jul

  Quake!!

  ALS 4 Comments

  We had a fairly large earthquake today.  I was home with my “wicked” daughter and rocked us pretty well, our swimming pool sloshed the water for a long time.  Nothing fell, we’re fine.  It was centered in Chino Hills, about 15 miles away!

  

• 28Jul

  N by Stephen King

  Odd News No Comments

  
  

• 25Jul

  Updates

  ALS, Music Videos, The Brain, Things 3 Comments

  Wicked was great! Our seats were in the 10th row, center and could see everything. I bought my daughter a tee shirt ($35!!) but it was worth it.

  Health - I have noticed that I am beginning to slightly drag my left foot when I walk. On the uneven bricks outside of my office I often catch my shoe on a brick that’s a bit higher than the others. I’ve read that Lou Gehrig’s friend noticed that Lou was not wearing golf shoes when they golfed, that was a turning point for him. My hands and arms continue to weaken, when I filled my car was gas yesterday ($4.319/gal) I had trouble getting the gas cap back on, but I finally managed.

  About Lou Gehrig’s Disease

  Excerpts and Content Provided By © Estate of Eleanor Gehrig c/o CMG Worldwide

  (http://www.als.ca/lou_gehrigs_disease.aspx)
  
  ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a fatal disease. The disease had its name coined after a great American baseball player. Following is a brief article about Lou Gehrig and the disease named after the baseball player.

  In 1938, Lou Gehrig fell below .300 for the first time since 1925 and it was clear that there was something wrong. He lacked his usual strength. Pitches he would have hit for home runs were only flyouts. Doctors diagnosed a gall bladder problem first, and they put him on a bland diet, which only made him weaker. Teammate Wes Ferrell noticed that on the golf course, instead of wearing golf cleats, Lou Gehrig was wearing tennis shoes and sliding his feet along the ground. Ferrell was frightened. When asked if he would remove Gehrig from the lineup, manager Joe McCarthy said, “That’s Lou’s decision.”

  Lou Gehrig played the first eight games of the 1939 season, but he managed only four hits. On a ball hit back to pitcher Johnny Murphy, Gehrig had trouble getting to first in time for the throw. When he returned to the dugout, his teammates complimented him on the “good play.” Gehrig knew when his fellow Yankees had to congratulate him for stumbling into an average catch it was time to leave. He took himself out of the game. On May 2, 1939, as Yankee captain, he took the lineup card to the umpires, as usual. But his name was not on the roster. Babe Dahlgren was stationed at first. The game announcer intoned, “Ladies and gentlemen, Lou Gehrig’s consecutive streak of 2,130 games played has ended.”

  Doctors at the Mayo Clinic diagnosed Lou Gehrig with a very rare form of degenerative disease: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which is now called Lou Gehrig’s disease. There was no chance he would ever play baseball again.
  You can read more about Lou Gehrig here.

• 21Jul

  Wicked

  Things 3 Comments

  Tomorrow night I am taking my youngest daughter (17) to see Wicked in Hollywood. Many years ago I took her older sister to see a play, Beauty and the Beast. We have great seats, 10th row, center orchestra ($$$) but it will be worth it!

  

  http://wickedthemusical.com/

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