Hi Everyone..It has been a week of progress and blessings..It has been 3 days since the Drs at Cleveland Clinic changed Laura's med regimen, and for three days, she has been on her feet walking all day long..No cane, no wheelchair, no more leg cramping, no more lying in bed waiting for her legs to work, no more excruciating leg pain, no more despair..There has been some off time, but nowhere as severe as before..What Ive witnesses is what I would like to refer to as a miracle, but it is not..It is the work of a skilled, and thourough medical team, that took the patience and the time to listen and examine their patient..The Cleveland Clinic in my estimation lived up to their reputed reputation, and I would recommend them to anyone..It was well worth the trip out here

Through all of what we've been through these past two months, Ive learned alot of things about myself, about life, about hope, about dreams, and about God..Without trying to be a braggart, or to be cocky, or to pat myself on the back, I have learned some good things about myself..Ive learned alot about giving since God intervened in my life 19 years ago, and ended the madness, and the darkness that was my life through alcoholism and drug addiction for 23 years, and brouught me on this spiritual journey of self discovery, purpose, and knowing God..During the past two months, since I got off that airplane in Seattle, and met Laura, alot has happened, alot that I havent written about, and havent told anyone about..I met someone who has had pd for a very long time..someone has suffered with it for many years..someone who was robbed of many years of life, because she was imprisoned in her own body..After seeing the limitations that this disease had imposed on her during those few days I had been with her, with no help or support from nobody, I knew that I couldnt go back home after two weeks like I had originally planned to, and leave her alone to fend for herself in the condition she was in, so two weeks has turned into two months..I heard Laura many times during a hard down htat she couldnt go on like this anymore..There were more times that I can count that I was at a loss for words of encouragement, because I could see hte pain she was in, with legs cramping that would not let up..She could not stand up, at times and walk one single step..And there were more times than I can count that I litterally carried her to bed, because it was easier and faster that holding her up while she tried to walk to a chair, or to the bed..I tried not to lose sight of hope myself, but it became harder and harder as time passed..There were two trips to the ER at Cleveland Clinic that were disasters, and begged the question.."Is htis what we have to look foward too?..Is this the crap we traveled all this way for?"..Me with dropping everything that was my life back home to help someone in need, and Laura in the middle of a crisis back home, divorce etc, and not having a home to go back to, but the need to find some answers to her failing health, and hopefully some relief, had become more important that anything else, and she had put all of her chips in the middle of the table, in the pot, for that one opportunity that may or may not come, and I stayed there with her, and went through the bittersweet roller coaster ride, and gave everything I had in me, and everything I had to offer, to help her get that opportunity to get the relief that she humbly prayed for on so many occasions..There were many, many times that we laughed, and had some moments to remember, and cherish..There were others that we cried because of the relentless suffering..There were times when I cried in private because I had to be the source of strength, and there were other times we were at each others throat, because the stress, the anxiety, the fear, and the uncertainty was more than we could handle..Somehow we managed to get through all we had been through, and on the third clinical appointment at the Cleveland Clinic, the day after Laura began her new med regimen, we left the wheelchair in the truck, and she walked to hre appointment, and when the appointment was over a few hours later, she walked back to the truck, and we left..During the past 3 days I have not had to help her do those simple things in life that most of us take for granted..She can do them herself now..I no longer have to watch her every step in fear that she may slip and fall..We went to Friendly's for ice cream the other night to celebrate, and I didnt have to get the wheelchair out of the back of the truck, and then leave before she could finish her ice cream, cuz she was starting to crash, and had to get back to the hotel and crash..As we left Friendly's, and she walked behind me, which was definately out of the ordinary for that time of the night, almost verbotten, I realized that through my selfless sacrifice, I helped someone change her life in a very profound way..I witnessed someone get set free from the imprisonment of her own body, and walk through its gates a free woman with all of the God given blessings of a new life..I watched her swim in the swimming pool at the hotel this morning..So never..I repeat..never give up on hope, even when you are sure there is none..This is a dream come true, that Laura had prayed for, for most if the 24 years she has had pd..She has a form ofpd, not in the advanced stages previously thought, hampered by an anxiety disorder

I went to an AA meeting the night before her first appointment..I was as much as I hate to admitt it, about spiritually bankrupt at that point from all we had been through, and I needed to go to that meeting badly..The name of the group was "Home away from home"..How appropriate I thought as that through that cooincidence I felt the presents of God there as my eyes welled up..I knew he was watching over me/us through all of this, and that everything would be alright, somehow, and it was

This morning we got up early and headed for Rhode Island in the snow..They forecasted one inch, but after driving 50 miles in hte dark we had to get another hotel room..We will head back out tomorrow

How was your week?