A Journey, Not Always By Choice
Typically when you decide to take a vacation you spend time planning. Where to go, the cost, what type of activities to do. Where you go, how you get there, and the people that you are with makes the journey and the memories! Over my working career, I traveled the berth and width of western Canada. On occasion, there was an opportunity to go further across Canada, into the U.S., and some sunny resort destinations.
Well, now I am on a trip that I wouldn't wish for anyone. I did not have input, I did not do any planning, I had no say. Not even my wife Marjorie had a say and trust me, she always has a say. After the last two years of visiting several hospitals (sometimes by chauffeur service offered by AHS and their well-staffed EMT), physio clinics, and test after test, in an attempt to determine why I was falling for no apparent reason, I said to my wife Marjorie enough is enough.
During my time serving as a Board Member for various hospital boards, I had the privilege to visit the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital in Edmonton. I witnessed firsthand the wonderful patient care provided. Having exhausted all other resources in trying to find out the cause of my falls, I knew where my next journey was going to take me. So I said I was going to the Glenrose, they can tear me apart from top to bottom. If Glenrose was unable to find a solution I would stop looking, no more doctors, and I would carry on with my life as is and hope for the best. After two weeks into my six-week wonderful stay the excellent staff and talented doctors requested a family meeting. They compassionately informed us that the results of the tests indicated that evidence of ALS was present. Well, we were not looking for that destination or the journey.
After the medical team at the Glenrose Hospital and Kaye Edmonton Clinic shared the potential road map of this journey, they highly recommended visiting the ALS Society. Think of the ALS Society as the patient's "roadside assistance". What a wonderful roadside assistance team the ALS Society turned out to be! The case managers are so eager to assist, the support team members are exceptionally friendly and compassionate, there is a wide variety of specialized equipment, coffee groups with other travelers (aka patients) that have become friends and also support for family members. Everything that the ALS Society does aids the journey for those physically affected by the disease and those families and friends that care for them.
Though several promising medical trials and testing are underway around the world, to date there is no medical cure available. For now, those from the ALS Society are the best medicine. If I had the choice I would subscribe to a daily dose of the ALS Society. Think of every person working and volunteering with the ALS Society as your roadside assistance team. They are part of your journey, will be with you to your final destination and will definitely be a huge part of the memory.