Dancing with ALS and Life

dancingwithalsandlife.blogspot.com  After the initial shock of being told by my doctor that I have a terminal condition called ALS, the next step was to muster up the courage to tell my family, friends, and coworkers of the devastating news.  Sharing this information with others was a very painful endeavor.  Retelling it over and over again was overwhelming and emotionally exhausting not only for me, but for my spouse and my family who had to do the same with everyone with whom they interacted. I was soon ready to send certified letters in the mail so I didn't have to verbalize and relive the pain and grief I was experiencing. Not only was I facing my own grief, I was also facing the stress people felt when I told them the news. I never knew what type of response I was going to get.  Here are some of those responses. People put their arms around me and start sobbing for a long period of time. One person said, “Oh,” and walked away. I guess he didn't know what to say ...

dancingwithalsandlife.blogspot.com        “Tell me, What is it you do with your one wild and precious life?” ~ Mary Oliver  7/15/25 The choice is yours!

dancingwithalsandlife.blogspot.com  I started working at age 15 waiting tables at a local restaurant and helping at my father’s business.  I completed high school, and then I was off to get my bachelor’s degree in social work. During my college years, I had few other small jobs for spending money. With all of those jobs combined, it tallies up to 35 years of earning a paycheck, paying into Social Security and saving for my retirement.  I loved my professional career as a social worker supporting individuals with intellectual disabilities and most of those years, serving the elderly in my community nursing homes. I was forced into retirement due to my ALS diagnosis and the disabilities that came along with it. Because social workers make a modest living, it meant, in order to make ends meet, I had to  apply  for disability benefits.   Applying for disability is a very interesting and long process because it requires tons of paperwork from the doctor val...

dancingwithalsandlife.blogspot.com   "When we are unable to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves."   ~ VIKTOR E. FRANKL  10/4/24