Dee and I want to share with our C-Brat family some news on her health. Those of you who attended the Seattle Boat Show know that Dee needed a walker to get around and that she likely had a neurological condition that had not been fully diagnosed.
Rewind to the “beginning”. Last summer we noticed that Dee was having difficulty getting into the boat on the trailer via the swim step. She took a couple of falls after rolling her ankle in October so we consulted her doctor. After many tests, exams, including MRI, spinal tap, EMG and blood work we were told the diagnosis was ALS also known as "Lou Gehrig's Disease”. This was confirmed in February and a second opinion from OHSU in March confirmed the diagnosis.
From the ALS Association web site: “Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease," is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to their death. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, patients in the later stages of the disease may become totally paralyzed.” At this time there is no cure.
Here is the link to the ALSA home page:
http://www.alsa.org/?gclid=CN2xq9eq668CFRGAhwod1V0Q2w
Dee’s progression has been rapid and every day we have to adapt. We call it our “new normal”. Our outlook is that we are going to enjoy the things and people we love for as long as we are able and keep adapting for as long as we can. We are achieving this with the help of our family and friends and with our ALS support group and organization. Tom and Susan Elliot paid us a very nice visit in April. Dee and Susan worked on some sewing projects and Tom and I went fishing with Ken on the Blue C in the Columbia for spring Chinook. We also had a nice dinner with John and Amy Frazey a couple of weeks ago.
We now have a ramp built for access into our home, have a bus that has a commercial wheelchair lift and have a power chair on loan from the ALS Association to help Dee’s mobility.
We are looking forward to attending the Friday Harbor gathering on Saturday and Sunday and will be arriving via ferry with “Dee’s short bus”.
Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
Thank you,
Don and DeeMara Gonser
Rewind to the “beginning”. Last summer we noticed that Dee was having difficulty getting into the boat on the trailer via the swim step. She took a couple of falls after rolling her ankle in October so we consulted her doctor. After many tests, exams, including MRI, spinal tap, EMG and blood work we were told the diagnosis was ALS also known as "Lou Gehrig's Disease”. This was confirmed in February and a second opinion from OHSU in March confirmed the diagnosis.
From the ALS Association web site: “Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease," is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to their death. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, patients in the later stages of the disease may become totally paralyzed.” At this time there is no cure.
Here is the link to the ALSA home page:
http://www.alsa.org/?gclid=CN2xq9eq668CFRGAhwod1V0Q2w
Dee’s progression has been rapid and every day we have to adapt. We call it our “new normal”. Our outlook is that we are going to enjoy the things and people we love for as long as we are able and keep adapting for as long as we can. We are achieving this with the help of our family and friends and with our ALS support group and organization. Tom and Susan Elliot paid us a very nice visit in April. Dee and Susan worked on some sewing projects and Tom and I went fishing with Ken on the Blue C in the Columbia for spring Chinook. We also had a nice dinner with John and Amy Frazey a couple of weeks ago.
We now have a ramp built for access into our home, have a bus that has a commercial wheelchair lift and have a power chair on loan from the ALS Association to help Dee’s mobility.
We are looking forward to attending the Friday Harbor gathering on Saturday and Sunday and will be arriving via ferry with “Dee’s short bus”.
Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
Thank you,
Don and DeeMara Gonser