I can be happy or sad - my choice.
I can complain or I can cope - my choice.
Life can be a chore or a challenge - my choice.
I can take from life or give to life - my choice.
If all things are possible,
How I deal with those possibilities is - my choice.
Steve Shackel
"The longer we dwell on our misfortunes,
the greater is their power to harm us".Voltaire
the greater is their power to harm us".Voltaire
My speech continues to worsen. Even Kim and my boss Dave have a difficult time understanding what I am trying to communicate. I emailed OVR last night to see if they had received the report from Schanzenbach from my 9/17 meeting about getting a tablet and text/pictures to speech application and Nancy indicated no. She said she would follow up with them. I have had to resort to writing several things this week because people couldn't understand my speech - first time that has happened. I've had a difficult time lying on my stomach the last few times at acupuncture. My sinus allergies are so bad right now that I feel like I can't breathe after 2 minutes with my head down. On Friday she had me lie on my side so she could needle my back. Today I was able to tough it out for about 35 minutes before she flipped me over on my back to work on my neck for speech and swallowing issues. I drooled saliva the whole time - gross! Dr. Williams was a little disappointed that my speech and swallowing have gotten worse.
My order of Lunasin (natural soy supplement) should be here on Friday. I'm anxious to see if the pills will help my speech and swallowing as they have helped other people with Bulbar ALS.
I've been doing lots of research and communicating with other PALS to see what they are doing proactively to extend their lives and slow down the progression of their ALS. People are recommending a high fat, low carb Ketogenic diet and also a set of nutritional supplements referred to as the Deanna Protocol (DP), developed by a father for his daughter. The DP ingredients are expensive, but I am going to order a month's worth and see if it helps. DP also suggests some light exercise such as stretching, range of motion, etc. I've started doing Tai Chi and Qigong exercises in the morning which do both.
Everyone agrees that a Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) is the most important thing that a PALS can do to help themselves and their loved ones. Never give up hope, and always look at the bright side. The cup is half full, not half empty!
