RANT - ALS AGAIN!!

The forum for ranting, raving, complaining and praising
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Molly
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RANT - ALS AGAIN!!

Post by Molly »

ALS has claimed another member of my family....me. That's why I haven't been around much. Left my job but still on the payroll because I have a c - r - a - p ton of sick and vacation time. Will be an active employee on that health insurance plan well into next year.

I do have one advantage my uncle, dad and brother did not have. I'm on a newly discovered ALS drug that, while not a cure, slows the progression of the disease as much as 30%; so I have that going for me, which is nice.

For those of you that are praying folks, keep me in mind. I plan on being around for many years to come. Hubby and I still need to cross Ireland off the bucket list! Suggestions are appreciated for anyone who has been there. For obvious reasons, walking tours are out of the question.

Donations to the St. Louis Chapter of the ALS Association are appreciated as I will reach a point in time when hubby and I will need their services. And I'll also hit you up again in June for the annual walk!!

Thanks,
Karen
Last edited by Molly on November 5 17, 8:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Tim
Consider him admonished
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Re: RANT - ALS AGAIN!!

Post by Tim »

Karen,
I am on it. Please keep us posted. Godspeed with the new drug.

Bill

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IMADreamer
Has an anecdote about a townie he overheard.
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Re: RANT - ALS AGAIN!!

Post by IMADreamer »

Wait a second. Your name isn't Molly? I don't even know what's true anymore.

In all seriousness though, my thoughts are with you. I have an aunt battling ALS and she's an inspiration how she has taken it all with grace and style.

Hang in there!

Freed Roger
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Re: RANT - ALS AGAIN!!

Post by Freed Roger »

Sorry to learn this, and thanks for letting us know. Hopeful for your outlook. Glad you have the early detection, option of the new med, and the vacation time accumulated. Enjoy every bit of it as best you can.

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cardinalkarp
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Re: RANT - ALS AGAIN!!

Post by cardinalkarp »

I'm sorry to hear that Karen, aka Molly. :(

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Swirls
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Re: RANT - ALS AGAIN!!

Post by Swirls »

So sorry to hear that, Molly. :(

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CardsofSTL
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Re: RANT - ALS AGAIN!!

Post by CardsofSTL »

My best wishes to you and your family as you climb this mountain. I am glad to read you are still making plans to travel.

I stole this from someone who posted about their trip to Ireland on the internet but I was curious anyway; having a mother of Irish descent I have often thought of making a trip to Ireland myself.

Things to Know Before You Vacation in Ireland

1. Rent a Small Car. Before we left, I couldn’t decide whether to rent a minivan to fit the eight of us (including my in-laws) or to rent two small cars. I ended up renting two small cars because it was less expensive than a van, but it was the best decision. The roads are narrow, and so are the parking spaces. We split up when we drive, but it would have been far more challenging with a minivan.

2. Keep a Euro in Your Pocket. If you plan to shop for groceries, keep one Euro in your pocket. You’ll need a one Euro coin to get a shopping cart (a “trolley”), which gets returned to you when you put back the cart. Also, keep reusable grocery bags in your car. You’ll need them when you shop or you’ll have to buy bags. You also need to bag your own groceries.

3. Be Prepared to Line Dry Your Clothes. In my neighborhood, you’re not even allowed to have a clothesline in your backyard, but here it’s the norm. If you have a dryer, you can’t even fit in all of the clothes from the washer anyway. I actually found hanging clothes to be quite enjoyable in the quiet of the evening sunshine (which doesn’t set until around 10:30 pm this time of year) with a glass of wine.

4. Know that Waiters Will Hover Over You. In restaurants, waiters bring a mobile payment machine to your table when you’re ready to pay the bill (not the “check”). It feels awkward at first since servers will wait for you to sign the bill before they leave your table, but you get used to the practice. Apparently Europeans don’t like to have their credit cards taken away and swiped away from the table.

5. Don’t Tip in Restaurants. In America, waiters earn an hourly wage that’s far below the minimum wage with the expectation that tips will bring them up to and over the minimum wage. In Ireland, and Europe, waiters earn an hourly wage that’s far greater than American counterparts, so there’s no expectation to leave a tip for service. If you want to though, 10% is plenty.

6. Get Used to Product Sizes. We’ve enjoyed shopping for groceries in large part because it’s fun to evaluate the different product sizes. For example, chip bags and yogurt cups are tiny, but the cereal boxes are massive. Bread is huge too, at least 50% bigger than slices of bread back home. Also, eggs are not refrigerated here, which doesn’t relate to product size, but is something I do not understand.

7. Never Order a Harp. I swear, Americans think that Harp is a fantastic Irish beer. I love Harp back at home and like to order it in restaurants. But, never order one in Ireland. You won’t find it served anywhere and the first two times we did order it, the servers practically looked at us as though we ordered a Natural Light. The Irish seem to love Heineken, for what it’s worth.

8. You’ll Want to Find New Favorite Foods. With kids, we like to try new foods, but we also like to have foods that remind them of home. However, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches just aren’t done here. You’ll only find store brand peanut butter and grape jelly does not exist on the shelves. You also won’t find chewy granola bars. Experiment to find new foods and snacks.

9. Know that Restaurants Don’t Serve Food All the Time. It seems like we must have eaten out all the time, but really we didn’t. It’s worth noting, however, that some restaurants don’t serve food all the time. Sometimes they’ll only be open for drinks. Other spots only sell drinks. Still others may have only limited items, like burgers on Sundays. Just something to keep in mind.

10. You Won’t Have a Garbage Disposal. If you plan to stay in a house, know that you won’t have a garbage disposal. Not a big deal, but it’s worth knowing. There is a dishwasher here, so it’s been easy to manage cleaning dishes, though I’m still perplexed about clearing cereal bowls before you put them into the dishwasher.

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GeddyWrox
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Re: RANT - ALS AGAIN!!

Post by GeddyWrox »

Damn! My thoughts are with you Karen.

I have a good friend going to Ireland this spring. I'll get her to keep good notes for you.

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Radbird
There's someone in my head but it's not me
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Re: RANT - ALS AGAIN!!

Post by Radbird »

Your positive attitude is an inspiration. You’re are a phenomenal person and I’m glad we are friends. Mrs Rad just has the best time with you and sends her best.

Once your travel plans are set, let’s figure out when to do a Cardinals weekend.

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Radbird
There's someone in my head but it's not me
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Re: RANT - ALS AGAIN!!

Post by Radbird »

IMADreamer wrote:Wait a second. Your name isn't Molly? I don't even know what's true anymore.
Not to mention Tim is apparently named Bill. :scratch:

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