And now, lets face it, with nothing to hold me back, Veuve tastes better than Henkel.
So, it's obvious that having ALS is a devastating illness. I know that many people, myself included, had to "google" ALS when hearing of my diagnosis, and as you read what happens to people, it is unreal, like something that happens in the movies, not to someone you know, much less a family member, much less yourself! And really, with only 3,000 Canadians living with ALS, it is no wonder it is not widely known, and if you have heard about it, who wants to spend time thinking of something so horrible? In fact, when I was told I was getting an EMG, I looked up on the internet what it tests for and of course one of the diseases was ALS, I dismissed it as an impossibility as quickly as I read it. So now we know about the horrible symptoms & effects, it's a terminal illness, you lose your muscle function, you can't eat, speak or basically have any control of your body, etc. etc. But what they don't tell you about are the physical and mental effects of living with this illness as a woman. Not to compare being a man or woman, which is worse, just to say that it is different. And it may seem silly even mentioning the effects compared to the harsh reality of losing your body and keeping your mind, but it is there. So I'm going to talk about it! And as I always did with my clients, I will attempt to "reframe" it into something to make it possible to live with, so here goes, I am a list maker, that is me, it was even in Travis's vows to "be the man to finish my list". In fact, there are positives to living with ALS, I am one of the lucky ones who gets to live her retirement, however much time I have left. To me, every moment since being diagnosed has been a bonus. Travis & I are focusing on our passion which is traveling the world as long as I can. I have always loved being a "lady who lunches" and I now have time to do that and keep in touch with friends. I believe this illness has brought us closer as a family, spending more time together whenever we can.
And now, lets face it, with nothing to hold me back, Veuve tastes better than Henkel.
10 Comments
Sue
12/15/2014 12:24:37 pm
Beautiful. I admire you so much Carol.
Reply
Chris Lansdown
12/15/2014 12:25:22 pm
A fun read Carol. Something else ALS has not taken away, your wit. Wishing you and Travis a great Christmas.
Reply
Chelsea
12/15/2014 01:00:01 pm
As someone with one pair of heels and a few expired tubes of mascara, I say, welcome to the club! Love you!
Reply
Emma Graham
12/15/2014 06:57:14 pm
Love and admire the honesty. You are a seriously good writer! We love you so much, love your CT family who misses u guys. X
Reply
D
12/16/2014 11:53:45 am
Great perspective, thanks for sharing.
Reply
Brittany
12/23/2014 08:46:30 am
Great post! Beautiful 'reframes'. You certainly practice what we preached ;) Looking forward to hanging out in our sweats and stuffing our faces in January. xo
Reply
Luke
12/29/2014 08:57:32 am
Beautifully written. Thanks for your insight that help us feel closer to you and your journey.
Reply
Kate
12/31/2014 12:57:19 pm
You will never loose your femininity or charm, its much deeper and more vivacious than your mascara, high heels, movement, speech...
Reply
Heather
1/1/2015 12:09:24 am
Pass the Veuve and keep it coming.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorCarol Jean Skinner (née Sharman) Archives
November 2019
|