The Dead said it, and I agree: what a long, strange trip it's been.
The trip has been ALS itself, one of the strangest I can possibly imagine. The trip has been the changes my body – and my mind, too – has been going through. The trip has been family happenings that have both lifted and broken my heart. The trip has been people and events that have surprisingly, amazingly popped up in my life adding a surprising, amazing touch of joy.
The "long" is the years, centuries and eons that have passed since my diagnosis, all of 20 months ago. The long is the length of time it takes for the simplest, most basic tasks – bathing me, dressing me, feeding me – leaving so little time for anything meaningful. The long is the weeks and weeks that have gone by since my last blog posting, for reasons numerous and yes, strange.
But I am now back, writing again, and I have lots to tell. I am not going to fill in all the blanks since my last entry, at least not right now. Right now I will say that even the terrible can sometimes bring a silver lining; and the most wished-for can sometimes bear a great cost.
All of which sounds way too seriously philosophical – and way too philosophically serious. Especially since I'm feeling pretty chipper right now, maybe even approaching jolly. Right now I feel hope, and optimism, and anticipation. Right now I feel decidedly un-tackled and still running.
That will change, of course, sooner or later. Ups and downs, often in rapid succession, are part of this strange trip called ALS. They are part of me – as, once again, is writing this blog. More to come….
