Rick and Joan here..."It's New Year's Eve and Family Birthdays Galore!!!"

Happy 80th Birthday Dad Fewster.....Happy 78 Birthday Mom Beck...Happy Birthday sister Carol...Happy Birthday cousin Mathew!!!!!!!!

Wow!!! New Year's Eve in our family is one great big birthday party! Rick and I have so many family members who share birthdays!!! Check the pics!!!

Rick's dad Wendal 80th

Joan's Mom Joyce 78th

Joan's sister Carol (she would never forgive me if I said the age!!!!l0l )

Our cousin Matthew (don't have a clue...just know he is old enough!!!)

They all share New Year's Eve as a birthday! Never mind the other duplicates of birthdays and names throughout the year!!!!

Joan here..." A very quiet Christmas"

We have had a very quiet and reflective Christmas Day. Lots of falling snow and very picturesque. We were treated once again to some angel sounding carollers on Christmas eve!

Afterwards we sat near the toasty warm wood burning fireplace, with all the Christmas lights beaming out the window, and we began to talk about all our previous Christmases. How we always tried to go all out for this time of the year! We have always enjoyed spending that time with family and friends.

We were remembering how he would try and play Santa for the gkids. One of our last memories of him being able to do that was two Christmases ago. This picture shows him standing outside our house coming in with gifts for the gkids. (Santa is a bit on the skinny side (Rick says). What you don't see in the pic are all the little smiling cheering faces on the other side of the window as they watched Santa moving up and down the street heading to our house! There was joy in remembering those special moments but sadness in thinking we will never have them again. Each Christmas that we have together has become even more precious than ever!

On Christmas day this year we were invited to our neighbors (Jake and Val) for a wonderfully cooked brunch. We then retired back to our suite for a much needed nap after all that food. Then later on that evening our neighbors (Jake and Val) brought us a complete Christmas dinner with all the trimmings! It was so wonderful of them to share this time with us. Rick was so tired from the day that I ended up feeding him his much desired dark turkey meat and dressing from his bedside.

Rick and Joan here..."Merry Christmas!"

This past week has been a very focused week on me getting on a bowel routine. We did it! Thanks to all the meds, advice of the professionals! :)

As we eat our traditional foods this evening, we realized how things have changed from last year. This year I could no longer stand and I can no longer feed myself, I can no longer hold my wine glass up to make the traditional toast or wrap my arms around my wife.

BUT...I can still talk, I can still eat and drink even though with help, and I can certainly be thankful for the blessings that are mine! Joan and I have just had to rethink how we do things...in fact how we do everything here! But we are doing!!!!......

This is a pic of me toasting my sweetheart! I am married to the most compassionate, caring and selfless woman in the world! I can't believe how she handles the stress and outright hard physical labour that looking after me entails. She is my angel! Christmas has always been a very special time for us. And this one even more so!

We want to wish all of you, near and far, a very Merry Christmas and pray "that the peace that passes all understanding" would be yours this Christmas season and New Year!

Joan here..."We got our first dreaded ambulance ride over with!"

This past Saturday, December 12th started out to be an awesome time with my side of the family getting together here. My siblings had arranged to come with a Christmas dinner with all the trimmings!!!! We had an awesome time all of us together!

We had a wonderful surprise visit from a dear friend of Rick and mine---silly puppy! He joined us all. We have known him since he was a pup! He's the guy in the pic with the fancy earrings. lol.... We all enjoyed the incredible companionship, food and fun. There is never a dull moment when he is around that is for sure!

Later that evening after everyone had left our life got really interesting...

We have been posting that Rick was experiencing difficulties with constipation this past while.

We tried everything we think known to man to try and clear this up but to no available. I gave him one more enema and to no avail. He was in increasing pain and discomfort.

Jake and Val encouraged us just to take him into the hospital. My mind flipped into seeing myself driving the van in the middle of the cold night. Trying to get Rick loaded into the van etc. As my mind was rumbling with all these thoughts I mentioned to the kids about the van. Jake looked at me and cut through the fog really I was experiencing and said "mom just call the ambulance!".

I can't believe how a person can go into shock emotionally and get so numb within minutes. The thought of Rick being taken to the hospital by ambulance was almost too much. It was something I always thought would be in the far far distance. Not now! Val placed the call as Jake and I scurried to pack up Rick's bi-pap, and all the other necessary things I though he may need.

Lesson learned...have all this stuff prepacked and organized ahead of time.

This was all happening after a full day of company, trying to bring comfort to Rick physically,not much sleep from the night before and now having to get myself organized enough to give the ambulance drivers all the necessary info etc. Thank goodness we have an E.R.I.C. kit all filled out with the health care directive etc. on the fridge. Then last week I got into my organizing mode and printed out my own form called "Rick's Daily Log".

In there I list all the meds, what he eats, description of Bms, and any other notes of what has happened in the day in regards to his care. I am regularly asked what has he eaten, what drugs is he taking and etc. So this "log binder" has turned out to be a god send as I don't have to try and remember all of it. My mind just went blank under the stress of the moment. So...I just handed the day's log to the ambulance driver with all the meds etc. and away we went to the hospital.

Riding in that ambulance really affected both of us in terms of what is coming down the pipe here and it is staring us right in the face. The ambulance staff were so amazing also and helped make a stressful time bearable!

Now for the hospital part....Pinawa Hospital was the lucky place chosen to have to deal with the mess!!! lol We had a lot of humorous moments throughout the process of this 48 hour ordeal! We know in future the nursing staff can say when they meet Rick with all honesty "I know that asshole!" LOL...(that was Rick's input of a comment here). In reality, Rick's muscles are affected from the ALS and that is what is causing the problem.

We were once again met with incredible kindness, support and professionalism from start to finish. What a group of angels! They especially made my stay with Rick through it all so comfortable for me! They treated us with above all, dignity and such amazing compassion! The doctors, nurses, health care aides, and staff we felt were there for us. They have an amazing team with great morale!

At the rate Rick and I are going we will have toured all of Manitoba's hospitals! We will have to put together a who's who in Manitoba Hospitals. Kind of like the Manitoba Tourist guide!!!

Hospital details from Rick's very personal perspective to follow! I am not convinced it will be actually legal to post such info! :) It may need to be censored as to "content"!

Joan here..."My baby is napping"

I thought I would sneak a pic of Rick as he was having a nap. He has been very tired lately and isn't up out of his bed much during the day. Our constipation issues have taken a tole on him.

It is sooooo very cold out and he can't get around outside with his wheelchair because of the snow. We are afraid he will get stuck.

Thanks for all your emails and encouraging words to us! It means so very much!

Rick and Joan here..."ALS MB tv commercial"

We just found out that Tripwire Media has posted the 30 sec. tv commercial for the ALS Society of MB on their website. Rick and I, Jake & Val and girls are on the commercial as well as other individuals who are living with ALS.
Please click on this link for the tv commercial...
http//www.tripwiremedia.com/featured-video

Please let Doug at Tripwire Media know what you think of their work. You can email him at
doug@tripwiremedia.com

Rick here..."Body, Soul and Spirit update"

This is where I am at right now in my body... (Warning...graphic content ahead!)
We are trying to make things more "shi**y". lol! Constipation has become a real problem as ALS has weakened the necessary muscles. This is one of those things that you take so for granted until it is not working right. I have had a few very difficult days in the last couple of weeks. I am regularly injected in my feeding tube with APO-Lactulose to kick it all along. Never mind the cups of prune juice. Thankfully, I actually like the stuff! Despite all this help we have had to resort to good old...oh no!!!!...suppositories! Guess who gets to administer them???? Thanks sweetheart!!!

My arms and hands are weakening at a frightening rate! I can't even lift the blanket to get my hands from underneath it. We are in the process of setting up an appointment with the HSC to start working on an assistive communication system as typing has become so terribly difficult! Thankfully, my voice is still very audible and clear. I do have cracking and hoarsness at times.

My breathing continues to decline but the bipap machine has made such a big difference. I not only use it all night but am trying to get in as much day time as I can with it also.

When I am hoyered into my wheelchair my butt (what is left of it) pancakes out really bad so placing me comfortably in the wheelchair has become more of a challenge.

I am not in a great deal of pain to speak of but I am constantly uncomfortable, sometimes almost to the point of tears. You can not imagine the torture of cramping up, and only needing to move your foot a half inch to get relief but not being able to do it yourself. Never mind the endless times I need to scratch and can't myself.

The feeding tube is working out really well. Joan, Val, Mom and Dad have easily mastered the whole procedure. A plus to the tube is that it makes taking bad tasting medicine a breeze!

This is where I am at right now in my soul (mind, will and emotions)...
I think one of the most difficult parts of this whole thing is the incredible vulnerability that I experience every moment of every day. I depend on Joan and our care team for my every physical need, for my comfort, and for my well being. I had a particularly hard time last week when we were dealing with my first time with the constipation problem.

I found myself at one point hanging in the hoyer sling with a potty beneath me and poor Joan standing by wiping and wiping as I barely made progress. Just enough to need cleaning each time but not enough to bring relief. I watched my sweetheart selflessly up to her elbows in you know what trying to keep me comfortable and clean and I just lost it! I started to cry from the depths of my soul. The helplessness I felt and the burden I created for her just overwhelmed me! My sweetheart cradled my head in her arms and assured me that it was alright. That no matter how it seemed right now I was still her "same old Ricki". She knew that not being able to wipe my own butt had been one of my major fears. Joan then came to my rescue with a couple of her humorous comments that changed my tears to laughter! She said "So this is what it means for better or worse?" I assured her that it had been written in the fine print!

Dealing with ALS seems to produce either tears or laughter...there is not much in between!

This is where I am at right now in my spirit...
Despite my circumstances I am experiencing the "peace that passes all understanding". I know with all of my heart that God is not the author of all of this. HE is there to take me through it. We are so thankful for the prayers from all of you. We have experienced amazing love, care and support from all avenues that we have been in contact with in regards to my care. Your prayers are working! As my body continues to fade I am becoming more aware of the strength of my inner man. I guess you can sum it up though this way as I have said many times before...I have no doubt about where I am going when I leave this body...I just don't want to go now!!!!!

My only sorrow is facing the separation from my sweetheart and other loved ones way before my time! At times this seems too much to bare! There are lots of tears in the middle of the night about this. My uncle Keith shared something with us awhile back. He said "Great grief is the price you pay for great love!" I have great grief! That is when I throw myself on HIS grace to take me through this valley!

PS...Just for those who are thinking...how can Rick type this??? He is not.....Joan is!!!!!