Joan here...Lots of white fully stuff outside.

To give you an update on Rick...he now weighs approx. 162 lbs. his legs are very thin and not much muscle mass. He was officially measured for his motorized wheelchair yesterday. The occupational therapist that came out to do it was very helpful in discussing all kinds of aids available for Rick now and down the road. We have been so very pleased with the health care people who have come here to meet with us and help us with Rick. It will depend on how fast the papers get through the system that will determine when he will actually get the motorized chair. They are putting in right away for a tilt one due to the nature of the disease. The sooner he gets one the better. It will help to conserve his energy if he doesn't have to manually maneuver the wheelchair.

Every time, he meets with any of the health people he has such a bad night emotionally. Nothing to do with them personally but it is a reminder to him where things are and where they are heading. So it is stressful in its own way for us.

Nothing like talking about electric hospital bed being put in your suite down the road...then really thinking what that means....Rick being bedridden and me not being able to share a bed with him!!! Rick says he is going to ask if the hospital bed can come in a double size! I thought that was so sweet!

This morning Rick and I went to the car and it was completely snow covered. As I was brushing off all the snow the neighbours son came over and offered to have the drive way cleared. We were so amazed and thankful. He is the same man who called Rick earlier this week to see if he just wanted to go for a ride in the area. He is just like the guys Rick grew up with in Sperling and Rick feels at home with him.

Grant and Colleen and kids picked up "the beast" to get the final stages of it road worthy! So once we get it safetied you will see us coming for miles!!!

Last week I had a real bout of loneliness...I just wanted to go home! I thought about that for awhile what that really meant. I realized "home" to me at that moment in time was back to where Rick and I felt like we had normal lives. Where he wasn't sick. Where we could just get up and go and do and not even think about it. Back to where we had all kinds of plans together. So once Rick and I talked it all over, and of course, had a big cry and stopped feeling sorry for myself ...then I was able to pull it together again.

My heart breaks every day for my husband as I see him try and do things, the effort it takes for him to even get out of a chair, the wasting away of his body, the sadness and terror of what lies ahead. And how he doesn't want any of this either. And as strong as I want to be and am at times...I am still me and have my own feelings to deal and cope with. So every once and awhile I have my own little pity trips. Hopefully, they will always remain short trips! so I can focus on my husband!

The physiotherapist had to do a quick test on Rick with his scooter to see how he can drive it as part of the requirements for applying for a motorized wheelchair. Well.........Rick being the country boy that he is with all that driving of machinery growing up you can well imagine that he did loop-de-loos with his eyes closed! A part of me just ached seeing how it has come to this for him and how awful this must have been for him. We just can't believe this is happening!