It is two weeks to the day since my beloved Ricki has passed. It seems like a lifetime ago on one hand and only minutes on the other. So much has happened since he is gone and I desperately would love to share our morning kiss and sit down and have our morning coffee together. I can't do that so I blow him a kiss in our special meeting place and then sit down and have my coffee and talk anyways.
Within 4 months, Ken, Brian & Rick have all passed away from ALS. Bet they are not sitting in wheelchairs right now!!!!
Ironic, that today this Friday, two weeks to the day that Rick passed, that the transport truck came to pick up Rick's wheelchair. Thank you to SMD (Society For Manitobans with Disabilities) for the basic power chair, The ALS Society of MB for the specialty back and sides, custom tray, Health Science Engineering Dept. for their engineering expertise in the sip & puff, tray for the bipap, switches for the headrest. You all made Rick's life so much more comfortable and gave him a set of legs for the past year! Thank you!!!!!
This is the first major piece of equipment that has left the suite. My heart wrenched with pain as I drove it out and onto the platform of the semi. I had to show the driver how to operate the chair and it just crushed my soul as I began remembering how Rick taught me how to drive the chair and turn it off and on and all the little tricks I needed to know because of the switch on the head rest. The memories all came flooding back. How I just about smashed his foot because I forgot to turn the speed down at first. Rick so patiently taught me. Looking at it at this moment he probably thought he better teach me right otherwise he was in for the ride of his life and would lose a foot somewhere down the road!
The fellow from the transfer shared how he knew of a young man who within this past year passed away from ALS also. Every time, I mention ALS someone has a story of someone they knew who had it or has it. According to the stats that should be impossible. There are far more people out there than one knows.
When the door of the semi closed and the semi started driving away. Once again, I stood on the driveway waving goodbye and crying as another part of our tangible life with all its memories....was leaving.
Thank you to all who continue to send in support to the ALS Society. I am amazed at the memorial donations coming in. With each donation I receive a card acknowledging the person who donated. It brings such joy to my heart that with this money someday a family will not have to go through what we have! Thank you!!!!
