Not Alone

Hey all,

For those of you who don't know I was lucky enough to participate in the last podcast of The Thinking Atheist and Seth, the host brought something interesting up which I wanted to discuss. This is the fact that as an atheist and someone with a terminal illness loneliness might be a problem. Well it is true that I don't make it out of the house much, I have never once felt alone since my diagnosis. The day I was diagnosed I called my friends, and they all called each other, and since then they have all been incredibly supportive, and began asking about fundrasing for ALS research.

Not to mention my new husband who has been wonderful with everything, including being there when I break down to helping me out of the bath tub. I'm also a member of an ALS support group and although they happen to meet in a church, we don't talk about religion. The reason the group is at the church is because the minister had a parishioner who had ALS and starting the support group was his way of helping him. I also have support from my doctors who are all very optimistic and some of the best in Canada.

My family, although they are scattered around the place, are also very supportive. My sister lives in town and we talk at least once every other day, and try to see each other once a week. I talk to my mom as often as I can, even though she is in Newfoundland... then there is my dad... I'll come back to him...

My in-laws have also been very supportive and helpful. They have helped us get our new house, a new car and I learned today that my father-in-law is planning to get me a power chair to help me get around a little easier. So I really do have to say thank you to all my friends, family and my doctors.

I also have another update in the realm of ALS. A drug known as NP001 has been given fast track status once it goes into it's phase III trial. I don't know much about this drug or what it does, so if there is anyone out there who does please send me a link so I can learn more.

Some new life stuff updates as well:
My father has been in ANOTHER car accident... and totalled ANOTHER car. As he told me he was driving down the road, a deer came out of nowhere and he swerved to miss it, and ended up in the ditch. He apparently also took out some of the posts and wires, which did stop him from going further and into a tree. Luckily he's fine... but he's still crazy.

He told me that after the accident he prayed for help and then he saw another car on the road who stopped and the woman driving had his car towed with her CAA membership. Now here's the thing that gets me... did God send the car and the deer was a free agent?

A few days ago I also got an update that he was in the hospital, he apparently had gall stones, and had his gall bladder removed. I didn't talk to him during his stay, but my sister did and she told me that he had a roommate in the hospital who went code blue, and the doctor's raced in to help him. Now according to my father his roommate is okay, but not because of the work the doctor's did, but because he prayed for him.... riiight.

Of course I've been saving the best bit of craziness for last.. my dad believes that God is talking to him and is warning him that a planetary body of some kind (comet or asteroid I'm not sure) is going to collide with the Earth and reverse the polls causing life on Earth to die out. My father believes that this planetary body will become visible come October and then shit will hit the fan... first how many people are watching the sky as it is, and what will my father do when nothing comes of this doomsday prediction?

I'm not sure, but I honestly believe that my father needs serious psychological help... but trying to approach that topic is touchy... not to mention my father already believes that psychologists are quacks, so it would make it a difficult sale. If anyone has any suggestions about this I'd be willing to listen.

That's all for now,
DD