[before i go any further.. the shift key on the computer isn't working so please forgive the lack of appropriate capitalization!]

so.. sometimes i don't post much because there really isn't anything to tell. And sometimes i don't post because there are things to share but it's really hard going over it all. This would be type 2.... but I'm here now, so here goes:

glen's speech has taken a real downturn the past few weeks. not sure how much of it is dementia and how much of it is the physical toll of the als. his lips quiver most of the time, so i'm thinking it's largely the als. his legs are weaker. he continues to do his run/walk daily, but has greater difficulty standing from a chair. today, he had sat on the bottom step in the family room so he could pick up the remains of a branch Baron had been chewing on. i glanced over and he was sitting there looking at me like a lost puppy... asked if he was stuck, and with a little pouty lip he said 'yeah.' i was able to get him up without much difficulty... luckily I learned a lot of handling/lifting tricks while our grandmothers lived with us when I was in high school. (and was reminded by my brother that I was going to hurt myself if i didn't do it right!) he actually acknowledged this evening that he wasn't feeling well. he couldn't really tell me what was up except that he's just feeling weaker. Could be a cold... could just be the als progressing.. who knows. If he isn't better in a day or two, i'll contact Dr North's nurse, Robyn, and see if we should see Glen's primary care doc, or just hang in until he sees Dr North next week.

I think the holidays just took a lot out of him.. lots of people here, lots of travel, lots of excitement. Think I'm going to limit the number of changes to his normal activity to just a small bit at a time.. just one outing, or a small number of visitors. It was one thing when we knew he'd get cranky.. it's another if it's going to make him feel worse.

And we again have an issue with anxiety.. I lock up the front well before going to bed because he's gone out in front looking for people he's "worried about".. usually kev or rushi or a particular kid from our church. The other day, he went out the back door and opened the garage because he couldn't undo the dead bolt on the front.. so this week Kev will be adding a flip lock to the back door.. near the top so it's out of reach.

On a brighter note, now that things are calmer after the holidays, Glen does seem less grumpy which is good for all of us. and for now, I seem to be doing a little better accepting that everything we do is just going to take 4 times as long as it used to, and that's our reality.