Jim's Journey with ALS

The Determination of Spiders

Jim's Journey with ALS — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 01:35:45 +0000

If you ask most people, they will tell you they hate spiders. They’re gross looking and usually enter our lives at the most inconvenient times – driving the car, eating outside, watching a movie, etc. But there are certain characteristics and traits of spiders we could learn from. There is a reason why God included the spider as one of the four things which are little upon the earth, yet are exceeding wise.

Have you ever had a dream or vision of something great that you’d like to accomplish or attain? Maybe it is going to a foreign country and discovering your ancestry. Maybe it is writing a book or getting that degree you never got. Perhaps you might just be crazy enough to attempt to swim across Lake Michigan for a worthy cause! Many plans are laid to accomplish great things, but somehow somewhere along the way something goes wrong or something gets off-track. Soon the great plans that you have laid out become just that…plans, without any action.

Some might say you can find the answer and solution in the Proverb below.

”There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:

The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;

The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;

The locusts have no king, yet they go forth all of them by bands;

The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces.” ~Proverbs 30:24-28

Imagine this: A new palace has just been built for a King. It is a huge palace with multiple floors. As of yet, no spider has taken their place in the palace. Now outside, on ground level, the feeble tiny spider whose sole purpose is to weave threads of silk sits looking at the high towering walls above, and considers the wonderful living quarters that must surely exist over those walls. It would be like you were looking up at the Sears Tower in Chicago from ground level and imagining how magnificent it must be to go up to the top floor and look out. It seems like an almost impossible feat, yet the spider never gives up. Does it stop to try and work out some complex, over-the-top method of catapulting itself over the walls and ending up in the king’s palace? No – without taking shortcuts, the spider simply takes hold with her hands and does the work that lies nearest. Day by day she patiently works at spinning her web and inch by inch the goal comes closer and closer. Eventually after much hard work she reaches the top of the wall and drops over onto the floor below. A great task accomplished that previously, could almost have been seen as impossible! But the spider doesn’t just stop there. When the people come and knock down the webs that the spider has created, they come back the following day only to find that the web is back! I believe that spiders have more determination and perseverance than most humans. Maybe we should be like the feeble spider. If God has given us a vision or some great work to accomplish, let’s take hold of this work with our hands and do the tasks that lie nearest. With determination and perseverance we too could accomplish things that previously we would have seen as impossible.

My point is whatever dream or vision we have set for ourselves, let’s not try to run ahead or to take shortcuts, but like the spider, bit by bit, day by day, faithfully do the work that lies nearest, always pressing toward the end goal.

The spider may be small, but by taking hold of the work that was nearest, it found itself in the king’s palace. If we as a people would take up and accomplish the work that is nearest to us and if we are faithful to do the littlest and humblest tasks, it is then that God can trust us with greater responsibilities, and bestow upon the greatest of blessings.

Never give up on your vision or dreams. We live in a country where dreams and visions can become a reality with a little determination and perseverance.

A Real and Broken World

Jim's Journey with ALS — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:41:34 +0000

One thing I’ve come to realize is that we live in a real and broken world. It did not take an illness for me to understand this but it sure made it much clearer. I used to teach Christian Formation classes and sometimes the topics were a bit difficult but as my oldest son prepares to leave the house for college I’ve been thinking of the topics I would like to talk with him about before he leaves. One of them has to do with his faith and how it will get him through many struggles he will face. So whereas this topic and discussion will take part with him I thought I might share bits and pieces with all of you.

“Preparing to live out your faith in a real and broken world” is a topic that probably is not covered as much as it should be as we send our youth out into the real world. I feel this is important because they do not know what a fallen world will throw at them as they grow up! Most kids have not gone through any life crunching struggles. Although faith has been a part of his world and our family, it will now be up to him to decide how much it will be a part of his world on his own.

One thing I’m certain of is that the world is broken because of sin. One of the skills we have to learn as we grow up is to be able to live with ambiguity and with tension. I remember when I went off to college it was the most exciting time of my life. In retrospect, it was because of the freedom I was now enjoying. Little did I realize what that freedom encompassed? I was now making my own choices good or bad and one of the choices was whether or not I was going to attend mass. As you might guess, attending mass, prayer, and my faith was not in the forefront of my life as I began college in Madison. I was having a whole lot of fun and early on my grades showed that. The next thing I know, I found myself at the top of Bascom Hill at the feet of Abraham Lincoln in tears and praying for help. The sad thing is I later realized it was probably the first time I prayed since I left home. I realized, among all the fun I was having there was something missing, and soon I found a church on campus and went one Sunday morning. I soon realized that my faith and attending mass was the emptiness that I had felt. I credit my parents for this as they instilled my faith in me as a young child but it took a while on my own to realize how important this was in my life. I don’t want my kids to make that same mistake. I always say” do as I say not as I did.” My parents also taught me how important prayer was in life. I pray a lot more than I did as a naïve 18 year old on my own. Prayer is important in my life and I hope it is important to you also. At the same time we cannot be disillusioned if our prayers don’t get answered in the way we wanted or in our preferred time frame. God will do what is best whether we recognize that best or not. There were many times in my life when I was totally perplexed by something that God did or didn’t do. One day those answers will become clear but for now I just have to trust him and his methods.

In closing, there are two things I want my kids to do when they leave the home to fortify their faith for whatever lay ahead in their lives. One is that they have to encounter their faith on a regular basis through prayer, Mass, or reading the Word. And second, they must have a few close spiritual friends to walk with. The most successful leaders surround themselves with the best talent possible. Why not use this same principle to lead our life and our faith. If we all can do this we will be prepared to live out our faith in a real and broken world. If we can have these two things in place, we will encounter god in our brokenness, and in encountering god we will find healing, and meaning and the equipping we will need to help others.

Finding the Silver Lining

Jim's Journey with ALS — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:43:59 +0000

We’ve all heard the expression “every cloud has a silver lining”. But what exactly does it mean? When I was much younger I took it pretty literally. I spent a lot of time staring at the clouds trying to see the silver lining. As I grew up I came to realize it wasn’t a literal silver lining, but instead, it meant even when bad things happen there is some good that happens too. Let’s be honest, clouds may come but clouds must go, and they have a silver lining: for behind each cloud you know there is a sun or moon that is shining. As I and my family deal with our situation, I’m learning that while that is true, it’s also pretty darn hard to find that silver lining when it feels like your world is falling apart. You may have to look hard for it, but it is there.

Think for a moment of a past crisis when you felt as if your world was falling apart. Even though you couldn’t see it then I’ll bet today you can find good that came out of that situation. It happens all the time. Sometimes that silver lining just takes a while to appear to us. I know when I went through my divorce I was devastated. I couldn’t see the silver lining then, but soon I met Susan and along came Evan and Katy. I can only assume that was God’s plan because it certainly wasn’t in my plans after graduating from college. The loss of a loved one is also very difficult. I lost my father almost 9 years ago and it was devastating, but in time, I found the silver lining. It was Dr. Seuss who said “don’t cry because it is over, smile because it happened.” Although I miss my father dearly I smile a lot thinking about all the wonderful times and memories I shared with him.

So what separates those who can find the silver lining versus those who continue to search for it? Perhaps it is because they spend so much time and effort searching that they forget about living and allowing the silver linings to appear on their own one day. We all grow up with dreams and that desire to have that perfect life where all our dreams come true. But I have learned the hard way that that doesn’t always happen. Some poems don’t rhyme, and some stories don’t have a clear beginning, middle, and end. But that is what is beautiful about life. It is about not knowing what today’s going to bring and having to change when necessary. Taking those moments that appear and making the best of it without knowing what’s going to happen next. Finding that silver lining in that dark place or waiting to realize down the road the silver lining was always there, I just couldn’t see it. It is a lot like faith: I don’t see faith but rather I have faith.

I am making a bigger difference in the world today than I did two years ago and that silver lining appeared behind a very dark cloud. The opportunities I have today as a parent, husband, brother, and friend, have enriched me and allowed me to live a much more purposeful and meaningful life. I’m not going to pretend to have all the answers for you if you are in a dark place, but I promise you, if you let it happen that silver lining will make its presence known; it may just not be on your timetable.

I’ll leave you with this quote from Mother Teresa:

Jim Eutizzi’s Day Off

Jim's Journey with ALS — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 03:51:04 +0000

Needless to say I have a lot more free time on my hands today than I expected. It is giving me time throughout the day to catch up on some movies or television shows that I haven’t seen. Although I have seen it before I recently watched one of my favorite movies again called Ferris Bueller’s Day off. I imagine many of you have also seen this movie. It is about a high school boy who decides to play hooky from school one day. He also recruits his best friend and girlfriend to enjoy the day with him and together they spend the day traveling throughout Chicago in one last adventure before they leave for different colleges. They enjoy many sights of the city, including taking in a game at Wrigley Field, visiting the Sears Tower, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and taking part in the Von Steuben Day Parade, with Ferris lip-syncing to “Danke Schoen” and The Beatles’ version of “Twist and Shout.” Ferris also uses his ploys to pretend he is Abe Froeman, the Sausage King of Chicago, to dine at an upscale restaurant on Rush Street. It also provides one of my favorite movie quotes that Ferris Bueller says which is “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

I always liked that quote but hearing it again made me realize how important it is. This was said by a kid in high school but it could be used for everyone no matter what phase of life they are in. That got me to thinking what my perfect day would be like if I could play hooky from all responsibilities for that day. I think it would look something like this. I would wake up and have my favorite breakfast: two eggs over easy, crispy bacon, and hash browns. I would then drive my dream car a 1967 Corvette to the golf course and play a round of golf with my best friends. For lunch I would enjoy an Italian beef sandwich and a Chicago style hot dog. Then would come the ever popular 45 minute afternoon nap. I would then drive my Corvette to a local lake and rent a pontoon for a slow ride while sipping on some cocktails. After a quick shower and change of clothes I would head downtown to my favorite Italian restaurant for a wonderful meal. Then it would be time for music preferably a great Stevie Ray Vaughn cover band or something similar at a small tavern or club. I would then end the day in my bed watching one episode of Seinfeld before falling off to sleep.

I am sure just about everybody reading this would have a different perfect day and that is the point. It is your day. Life does move fast and before you know it can pass you by. Take a day for yourself. Plan it and try to make it happen. Everything on my perfect day can happen except for actually playing golf and driving my dream car. I’m sure my family will read this and ask why they are not a part of my perfect day, and the answer is simple: you are part of my 364 other perfect days of the year.

Every day is a gift and it is up to each of us to make the best of that gift. Either plan it or let it come to you but enjoy it to the fullest for tomorrow is guaranteed to no one. And one more thing watch Ferris Bueller’s Day off again; the twist and shout parade scene epitomizes enjoying life.

Reflections

Jim's Journey with ALS — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 06:48:45 +0000

I thought I would take some time to reflect upon the last year. When we look back on the past we tend to think of things that happened on a large scale: that is just human nature. As I sat back reflecting on 2011 I found it to be a very difficult process. I am not going to lie to you, 2011 was a tough year on my family. The year seemed to focus on two very difficult situations. That being my official diagnosis of ALS and everything that has come with that diagnosis as well as the declining health and eventual passing of my father-in-law Perry. Because of those two situations there were some tears shed on New Year’s Eve as we broke in the New Year hoping that 2012 would bring much more happiness to our family. The funny thing is, I know I laughed and smiled a lot throughout last year. I just had to think long and hard of the small treasures and bright spots that would outshine the larger issues of the year.

After looking at the calendar and thinking about each month I eventually started to realize that those small treasures far outweighed those two larger situations. I rang in the New Year in Pasadena watching my Wisconsin Badgers in the Rose Bowl. Even though they lost the game I finally made it there and it was a trip that still brings back smiles to my face. I followed that by watching my Green Bay Packers win the Super Bowl! As I reflected back I realized how much of my day I now interacted with my children since I no longer was working; talk about a treasure! Those moments included my daughters dance recital, countless hockey games, practices and tournaments, lacrosse practices and games, summer camp adventures, etc. I was able to help out in Evan’s classroom assisting in reading and other various activities which many fathers are unable to do. I was able to take Evan to his first Packer game. We had a wonderful family vacation in Birchwood where for the first time in about nine years my wife actually jumped in the lake for a family swim and I have pictures to prove it! On a picture perfect fall day I had almost 300 friends show up to walk with me for a worthy cause. I saw my daughter get on the bus for the first time and start school right beside her brother Evan. My son Jacob joined his brother Dan on the ice to skate for the Waukesha Wings. We took my daughter to Chicago for her birthday to see the Beauty and the Beast. I had wonderful and lengthy visits in the fall from my mother, brother, and sister who all live in North Carolina. I helped my son Dan weed through the college application process highlighted by two nominations to the United States Air Force Academy. The holiday season began by watching Evan sing in the Christmas Eve choir followed by a great Christmas Eve dinner at home. And it ended with a wonderful New Year’s Eve celebration with my wife’s family all together in the Wisconsin Dells.

These are just some of the highlights of the treasures that occurred last year. It is kind of like economics: macro versus micro. There’ll always be large events that will occur in our lives and hopefully many of them are good. But if they are not, take time to think of the small things that happened to you and I’m sure, like me, you will find all of the small treasures that made you smile and laugh and make you realize upon reflection it really was a great year.

Filling that Void in Your Life

Jim's Journey with ALS — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 18:18:20 +0000

How often do you find yourself living a fast hectic lifestyle yet feel like there’s still something missing? Or perhaps, you have lost something dear to you and there’s just a hole inside of you that can’t be filled. Some of the happiest content people I know in life lead a simple existence with very few of the possessions many of us try to attain. Then again, I have many friends who are wealthier that lead fulfilling lives while others lead empty lives. Why is this?

Sometimes that void in our life is brought upon us by a tragedy such as losing a loved one; be it a parent, close friend, or even a family pet. I lost my father seven years ago and it was a process to try and fill that void in my heart. In all honesty, it probably took a good year to work through the grieving process. I am watching my wife struggle with that same process today. One of the most difficult things I had to do was putting my dog down. Anyone who’s had a pet knows how difficult that can be. I vowed that day I would never get another pet because of the void and the difficulty in that process. Of course, I say that with my pet Goldendoodle named Molly sitting by my side. Molly has filled the void and then some.

How about the athlete who retires from playing a game that they have played their entire life. Unfortunately, statistics show that close to 80% of professional athletes are either bankrupt or divorced within two years of retirement. Today I’m trying to fill a void as I no longer work. Granted I can’t do what I used to do as my strength and energy don’t allow me to do that. But I have found ways to fill that void through the small amount of work I do for the ALS chapter and by writing this blog. It allows me an opportunity to keep my creative juices flowing while giving me a sense of purpose that I would not otherwise have. There is nothing worse than being home by myself with a fully functioning brain and a zest to continue life but unable to physically do so. So while I can, I’m able to fill that void of work with small projects that I can share with you, with my family, and with the ALS chapter.

Why do some people who have little often seem more content than some people who are blessed with more possessions or things that they have accumulated? Or why do some people who appear to live very fulfilling lives still have stresses, worries, or anxieties that seem to bog them down? It appears to me that there still may be a void that for some reason is not being filled. In my opinion, that void can be filled with the love and or forgiveness of God. In my own unscientific study of the people I know it appears those who are content with who they are, where they are, and what they have in life have a much closer bond with their faith. It is almost as if God fills that void and removes those stresses, worries, and anxieties for them. So how does this happen? It is an individual process for every person to go through. Some people realize this at an early age, some people realize this after a dramatic event, and some people finally figure it out later in life. I know when it happened for me, and because it did I’m able to cope with my situation better than maybe somebody who has not come to this realization. That is not to say I am happy about my predicament because I’m not. I just seem to be coping with it better than some other people have been able to.

So I hope as life moves along for all of you that you all find a way to fill the voids in your lives. Fill it with things that make you happy. Fill it with love and forgiveness. Fill it with hope and dreams. Fill it with your family. Fill it with a new hobby or exercise. And after all of this if you still feel empty are unable to cope, fill it with God for he can bring you the peace, love and forgiveness that will bring contentment and fulfillment to your life.

Rejoice!!!

Jim's Journey with ALS — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:25:28 +0000

With Christmas only a few weeks away I thought it was a good time to talk about rejoicing. I also realize that at this time of year many of us are dealing with struggles and hardships that make rejoicing seem difficult at times. It is precisely the reason why we have to look deep into our hearts and focus on all the wonderful things that we can rejoice about today.

The more I talk to people this month the more I realize how much there is to be thankful for and to rejoice about. I have friends and acquaintances who have lost their jobs, are dealing with a sick parent or child, missing their loved ones who have passed, or are dealing with an illness of their own. But it is also these same people who somehow find the strength and conviction to rejoice in their imperfect lives.

So what is it you will rejoice during this holiday season? Is it the gifts under the tree you receive? Is it the gifts you give to those you love? Or is it the reason for the season and in my opinion the greatest gift of all: that our Lord gave us his only son who would provide for us eternal life. Perhaps the thing I rejoice about the most during this time of year is the opportunity to enjoy some quality time with my family. That is what is best about the Christmas season from the time I was a young boy to today having a family of my own. It is the one time of year where hopefully everybody can come together and enjoy some good quality family time. Even though not every Christmas can bring parents and brothers and sisters together when we all live in different cities or states, there is usually enough people to make the holidays special.

I love to rejoice and enjoy the Christmas season through the eyes of my children. It begins when we decorate the tree as I sit in my chair and watch them pull out each ornament and talk about what they mean and see the smiles on their faces. Then they hang their stockings on the fireplace and put out the decorations throughout the house. Then they see that a first present under the tree and the grin is from ear to ear as they try to guess what could be inside that package. The excitement builds day by day, week by week, until Christmas Day. Then we all can rejoice together on Jesus’s birthday exchanging gifts and soaking up the day together.

The point is we all have our crosses to bear. We all have heartaches, illnesses, and stresses that can monopolize our brain and our attitude and that is precisely why we must find the time to rejoice in our blessings. So take the time this holiday season to rejoice the little things as well as the big things that bring joy to your life. Hopefully like me, that includes some quality family time.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Years, and happy holidays to all!!!

Strengths, Weaknesses, and Failing.

Jim's Journey with ALS — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 01:27:16 +0000

Do you know what your strengths and weaknesses are? Are you afraid of failing? I would expect many different answers to those questions depending on who you are. Most of us even at an early age begin to know what we are good at and what we are not good at. My two older boys both play hockey but have very different skill sets. Dan, my oldest son, is smaller and quicker than Jacob who is lanky and tall. Dan learned very early to use his speed and quickness to gain an advantage. Jacob is beginning to learn just how to use his size and bulk on the ice. The point is they both have strengths and weaknesses in the same sport resulting in very different styles of play. But on a team those roles can combine to produce successes on the ice.

If you have a career I am sure you have constantly analyzed your strengths and weaknesses in your job. I went to many seminars that addressed this area. Some told me to work hard on my weaknesses to make them strength. Others told me to take my strengths and make them even stronger. Both were valid, but I probably fell into the group that knew what I did well and made it an even bigger advantage.

We also have strengths and weaknesses as individuals in our relationships. Whether it be your marriage, your friendships, or your families; we all bring many wonderful qualities to those relationships. At the same time I’m sure there are also many things that bug the heck out of these people too. The point here is nobody is perfect. We must be able to accept the weaknesses in our relationships as well as all the wonderful qualities people bring to our lives. Unfortunately, many cannot overcome some of these faults. We spend time trying to change people as opposed to embracing who they are or who they become.

From an early age there seems to be pressure to be the best and win at all we do. However, the most successful people not only failed repeatedly, it was through failure that they catapulted to the greatest successes in life. See if you can guess who these people were:

This person did not speak until age 4 and did not read until age 7. He was said to be mentally slow and adrift in foolish ideas. He went on to win the 1921 Nobel Prize in physics.
He was cut several times from his high school basketball teams.
27 publishers rejected his first book.
He gave up a medical career and became the father of modern biology.
His teacher called him “hopeless” as a composer and handled the violin awkwardly. While completely deaf he wrote his five greatest compositions.
His idea was rejected by a city and was bankrupt several times.

So never be afraid to fail, in fact, embrace your failures and learn from them. If you haven’t failed you haven’t pushed yourself enough. When you least expect it, your biggest failures will provide you with your greatest victories. In the end, embrace your strengths, weaknesses, and failures. These will provide you with your greatest joys, and they will make you the successful person God created you to become. By the way the answers to the questions above are Albert Einstein, Michael Jordan, Dr. Seuss, Charles Darwin, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Walt Disney. Pretty amazing and successful people who failed more than they succeeded. In fact, Michael Jordan said himself “I’ve failed over and over and over again in life and that is why I succeed.”

A Good Infection

Jim's Journey with ALS — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:54:59 +0000

As different colds and flues have swept through our house it got me to thinking about all the illnesses we can get from one another. These infections have a way of starting with a source then spreading rampantly from one individual to next sometimes at an epidemic level. We do all we can to avoid these infections by protecting ourselves through washing hands, disinfecting our homes, and other various ways. But what about the good infections? Are there good infections? I will tell you there are.

As I began my career in sales my father gave me many words of advice. He said put the customer first, respond to the customer within 24 hours, find out something of personal interest for them, but most of all put a smile on their face. My dad had the best smile and his customers loved him. It seemed like great advice and good shoes to walk in so I took the advice to heart. We have all heard that laughter is the best medicine, but I contend that a smile is the best infection.

How often have you seen someone laughing to the point where you start laughing even though you may not know what is funny? When I went into an office I made it a point to smile at everyone I interacted with. Funny how it was always returned with a smile back. Even the people having bad days would smile eventually due to my determination. Sometimes my job was nothing more than coming in and changing their day or being a sounding board for their frustrations. Eventually, I got to hear “it is so nice to see you Jim and your smiling face.” Sometimes one smile can change an atmosphere of a room or a group of people.

My mother-in-law plays a game with my kids that I stole called “don’t you smile.” When my kids are crabby or mad we start staring at them repeating the phrase “don’t you smile” until they do smile which then leads to laughter. I remember a special moment with my son Jake when he gave me perhaps an unintended compliment. I was not myself and had been in the dumps for a while. Jake obviously noticed this and it bothered him. Finally he came to me and said “dad are you okay?” I said yes why. His response was “well you’re the happiest person I know and you seem so sad.” Talk about a wake-up call! In that moment my son made me realize that self-pity is not an endearing quality and nothing in life, even an ALS diagnosis was going to keep me from being who I am. My family deserved better and from that moment on I lived in the moment and the smile returned to my face.

Life is too short and a positive attitude and a warm smile can do wonders if you make it a part of your day. So smile today, smile often, say hello to a stranger and witness for yourself a good infection spread throughout your home, office, or coffee shop. May it be the most contagious infection that spreads in your lives and ultimately our world today.

The Forgotten Patient

Jim's Journey with ALS — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 17:27:53 +0000

As many of you know I spent many years in the pharmaceutical world. One of the disease states I spent a lot of my time in was Alzheimer’s disease. If you have ever had a family member who was afflicted with this disease you know how devastating it is to witness. Just as important but often overlooked is the effect that occurs to the forgotten patient: the caregiver. I call them the forgotten patient because so much attention is given to the patient with Alzheimers that the caregivers own path of suffering is often overlooked. This is no different than many other diseases and since November is the National Caregivers Awareness month this blog is dedicated to them.

As a representative I spent countless amounts of resources in educating the families of Alzheimers patients what to expect as the disease progressed. I heard from many caregivers how just an hour for themselves a day would mean the world to them. Think about that for a minute. Unfortunately that doesn’t happen for them enough.

The other situation that can occur is an outsider thinking they know what is best for the patient rather than the caregiver. Nobody has an idea of the day to day situations and stresses that occur between the patient and the caregiver. I come from a family of six kids and when my father was ill I think there were probably six opinions on what was best for my dad and my mom. They were all heartfelt and in the end, difficult decisions were made for both of them. My mom tried to be the caregiver but it ended up being too difficult. The natural love for a spouse is to take care of the other with no regard of how it may affect their own wellbeing.

While I am not requiring care these days my illness has changed the dynamics of our household. More and more responsibilities that I had done are falling on the shoulders of my wife. With that comes more and more stress and I wish she had an hour a day where she could just relax but running a household of six is a never ending process. She does a great job but she never stops and things will not get easier in the future. Hopefully we will find solutions down the road to ease the strain on her. My guess is that situations like this are happening all over the world. And I am sure others think of how they would do things differently or maybe better, but until you are in a situation you never know how you will react. What people can do is just be there to help.

If you know a caregiver out there don’t let them be the forgotten patient. Tell them you are available to help them in any way possible. It could be as simple as a meal or as simple as a free hour of time away from their loved one. Anything and everything helps, and thank you to all the caregivers out there for all you do.