September 2022 Update
September 2022 Update
Getting Handicap Vans
As my weakness progressed, it became obvious that I was going to need some form of transportation that would accommodate a power wheelchair. I located a Chrysler van with a wheelchair platform that extended out the back of the van and lowered to the ground. Once I lowered the platform I would drive the the wheelchair on it, raise the platform into the back of the van and I could close the back of the van. Leaning against the van,…
Got a Hospital Bed
Thanks to my daughter Ruth, I was able to get an all electric hospital bed into my house. I now sleep in it every night. My weakness has progressed to a point where I need assistance, getting in and out of the bed onto a power wheelchair, getting in and out of a power wheelchair into the bed, performing basic bodily functions, feeding myself and various other tasks which I once considered ‘normal’. Even scratching an itch has become difficult….
Weakness Continues
Update June 1, 2121. Weakness continues, muscles around elbows limiting arm movement to a point that getting my hand on the wheelchair (WC) controller is a struggle. Scheduled visit from WC supplier for advice on controller issues. Looking into availability of a hospital bed for sleeping. Fell forward out of my power wheelchair last week; few scrapes on forehead, right knee and shoulder, otherwise OK. Attitude and spirits are high thanks to wife, kids and grandkids. Early, during the time…
My Clinical Trial
My clinical trial started in 2013. An exclusive group of about 250 individuals worldwide, five or six being tested at UC Davis. I had never been in a clinical trial and I doubt if a lot of the readers of this blog have ever been in a clinical trial. I will try to relate what occurred during my clinical trial for the Novartis drug Bimagrumab {BMY338). The first thing they did was weigh me. At first I was able to…
Becoming a Guinea Pig
Finally, after 10 years, I had the correct diagnosis for my muscle problems and it was IBM. Still navigating with a walker I attended my daughter’s wedding in May of 2010 on a farm in Valley Springs California. Navigating over uneven territory was tiring but I was able to do it. Navigating the stairs getting into the house was a challenge but assistance by wedding attendees made it possible. It was becoming more difficult for me to get up from…
Good News .. Bad News
After falling and getting stitches in my head at the hospital, one of my children bought walker for me. They had noticed that I was having a bit of a problem walking with a cane and got tired often. I could fold up and load the Walker into the back of the Subaru. So now I had a cane to assist me when I got out of the Subaru to walk to the back of the car and take out…
Starting Retirement
In 2004 I was still under the impression that my muscle problem was LGMD. Several trips to Kaiser Medical in Roseville to visit Doctors who accepted the diagnosis I had been given five years prior. It became apparent I was a little weaker and slower in my walking. One of my daughters was able to get a walking cane for me. It was very fancy and came from a distant relative that had recently passed away. It provided me some…
Working for Harris
One of the first tasks for Harris what’s to move a 10 meter antenna to a new location. This required a complete disassemble of the parabolic structure. Since I was the new guy on the job, and the oldest, I was not asked to climb onto antenna for either taking it apart or putting it back together. The job did involve climbing several stairs to get into processing vans. I began to notice difficulty when it became necessary to carry…
Back to Marysville
Sometime Late in 1999 I decided to see if I could possibly move up to Northern California and still be employed. Jan and I had large family, 6 children and 20+ grandchildren. I had a great job with a great company at EAFB but the majority of my family was in Marysville California. Several individuals I had previously worked with we’re working at Beale Air Force Base, on the U-2 for various contractors. In 1999 it happened that the SatCom…