Update - November 23rd

Well, much has happened in one week...... Since John was released from the hospital we have gotten all the necessary equipment and meds to help fight off any future lung congestion. What a relief!!! We were also able to get hospice care in place which will now oversee our care, our meds and also will provide extra help for some of the daily tasks we have been doing. We are all very relieved and encouraged by their involvement. It also became clear as we considered what the next couple of months will look like that I needed to be home full time in order to care for John and to make the most of the months we have together as a family. I am so grateful there is such a thing as the Family Medical Leave Act which allows employees up to 3 months of leave, while paying their insurance, and holding their job for them. Right now I will be taking off through the holidays and then will reevaluate if I should go back to work on a more reduced number of hours. For now, its been a real gift to have this time together as a family! We could not be more grateful.

Wrote this one day later..........I'm so slow at posting :(

We are now officially in hospice care as we have met with the lady who will be our primary nurse and a social worker. They are seeing about getting a CNA....nurses aid, to come 3 mornings a week to do the morning routine for us. This would be an incredible help to us, so we're praying they have the available folks to be able to do it. We will find out soon. Additionally, our nurse Leslie will come twice a week to check in on John and monitor his status. In the short time we have been with them, we've been overwhelmed by the amount of support we have received.

For many years we have had the tradition of going out with our good friends Steve and Vikki Cook to cut down our Christmas trees after enjoying a breakfast feast together. Well, after a few cold and rainy years and the Cooks moving away to Minnesota we began to go and purchase trees that had already been cut down. This is then followed by lunch at Red Robin restaurant. Last year the ALS association provided the lift van allowing us to do this family tradition. Thanks to your contributions and support in the " Walk to Defeat ALS" they will once again be providing a lift van so we can continue our family tradition.

We continue to be incredibly blessed and humbled by the care we are receiving from so many of our friends and family. The delicious meals, the calls, the gifts of money.......Amazing! Sunday night about 40 people came to our house for what has become known as " Bringing church to Johnny". It was such a rich and encouraging time for John and the rest of our family. The scriptures that were shared, the songs that were sung and the prayers that were prayed.........really helped us to redirect our focus not on ourselves and our trial but on our savior who suffered the ultimate suffering, death on a cross.

John loves visitors but sometimes does not know his own limits :) So, please give Amanda or me a call before you stop by for a visit. A - 240-676-0257, K - 240-676-4921. Even is you are scheduled, its always a good idea to call. Somedays are better than others. Thank for your understanding!


Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Love,

Kathy