Feed Steve :D
Feed Steve:
#1. Everyone has kinda gotten away from using the care calender---but I am going to beg & plea we start this again!! It was the best way to assure Steve has someone to bring him lunch---I have several people I use as "on call" but I hate for Steve to be at home wondering when he is going to eat & who it will be. If everyone could please get back onto signing up on care calender whenever you wanted to come see Steve that would be a huge help to eliminate days whenever he doesn't have anyone. Steve counts on people to be able to eat throughout the day & I know it helps both of us to know who is coming & when. Another reason is, is honestly I am unable to fully keep up with who is coming each day without this helpful tool....my mind has 199384 things on it on a day to day basis so please help me add a little more sanity. If you are interested in visiting email me & I will forward you the instructions (thanks ERICA) to how to sign up. They are simple & easy & if you are going to do several days that you know sign up for them in advance. HUGE thanks for everyone visiting & helping with this.
#2. Steve can no longer feed himself---he can do some things on his own but he will need help. He of course is prideful & hates that he has to ask for help, so I will go ahead an eliminate all of that, if you are bringing him food odds are he needs you to help feed him. :) He is doing a great job with eating still, and if we can continue to assist him in this I know he will continue doing a great job eating.
****IMPORTANT***** As mentioned above I have step by step directions to use the care calendar please email me hope.ann.cross@gmail.com & I will mail you the directions. Thanks.
I have been saying for a while that I would provide a list of acceptable/preferred foods for Steve. So long awaited---
Thanks again for all you do!! And stay tuned for another blog soon on more updates. Lots of love! <3
#1. Everyone has kinda gotten away from using the care calender---but I am going to beg & plea we start this again!! It was the best way to assure Steve has someone to bring him lunch---I have several people I use as "on call" but I hate for Steve to be at home wondering when he is going to eat & who it will be. If everyone could please get back onto signing up on care calender whenever you wanted to come see Steve that would be a huge help to eliminate days whenever he doesn't have anyone. Steve counts on people to be able to eat throughout the day & I know it helps both of us to know who is coming & when. Another reason is, is honestly I am unable to fully keep up with who is coming each day without this helpful tool....my mind has 199384 things on it on a day to day basis so please help me add a little more sanity. If you are interested in visiting email me & I will forward you the instructions (thanks ERICA) to how to sign up. They are simple & easy & if you are going to do several days that you know sign up for them in advance. HUGE thanks for everyone visiting & helping with this.
#2. Steve can no longer feed himself---he can do some things on his own but he will need help. He of course is prideful & hates that he has to ask for help, so I will go ahead an eliminate all of that, if you are bringing him food odds are he needs you to help feed him. :) He is doing a great job with eating still, and if we can continue to assist him in this I know he will continue doing a great job eating.
****IMPORTANT***** As mentioned above I have step by step directions to use the care calendar please email me hope.ann.cross@gmail.com & I will mail you the directions. Thanks.
I have been saying for a while that I would provide a list of acceptable/preferred foods for Steve. So long awaited---
- Carne saga beef tacos from twisted taco w/ rice
- Steak tacos from chipolte or moes with lettuce, salsa, & corn.
- Milkshakes always allowed---he prefers chocolate
- Cokes/Other sodas are allowed---but if you are bringing him a coke it would be great to include a water as he may enjoy cokes more but NEEDS water---he sometimes has a hard time with water so if you wanted to get a carbonates or flavored water he has less difficulty swallowing (preferred: fizz water (all flavors) & all vitamin water)
- Beer is allowed (preferred: Sierra Nevada, Sweetwater)
- Anything from the hot bar at whole foods or fresh market---know it's a little pricey and not conveniently located but it's super healthy & they have lots of high calorie foods
- Steve loves all meats---but don't want low quality meats---NO more waffle house, McDonald, taco bell, etc. (wahwah)
- Pizza is always welcome from anywhere---he will need monitored while eating the pizza to assure he doesn't choke on the crust---thin crust is easier for him to eat but sometimes regular crust just tastes better. If so assure he has plenty to drink & takes small bites. He likes Peperoni & plain cheese.
- Wings are welcome---I'm a little flexible with where from, but he likes medium with Ranch- & celery--again will probably need monitored & helped eating these.
- Burgers are always welcome if they are from a restaurant or cooked on grill----no more fast food burgers however as we want to monitor the quality of his meat.
- He likes seafood---but is particular about what kind so use your judgment if it seems good quality go for it.
- Subway & Jimmy Johns---he likes Turkey subs---another one where he will need someone to sit with his as he eats to assure he doesn't choke on the bread. He will need frequent sips of drink in between small bites.
- Cookies---he LOVES chocolate chip cookies & Milk. I try to force whole milk on him as it has more fat & calories but he prefers 2 %
- Potatoes--baked preferably loves them (loaded)
- Pasta---chicken pasta dishes, or seafood (LOVES clam pasta), or red sauce with meatballs or sausage.
- Biscuits---with sausage or bacon or eggs---loves them
- If you feel like cooking---he will literally eat anything :) Mac N cheese, ribs, pasta salad, sausage, burgers, potatoes, asparagus, mushrooms, collard greens are some of his favorites :)
Thanks again for all you do!! And stay tuned for another blog soon on more updates. Lots of love! <3
Cup runneth over...
Hi all :)
I know it's been a minute since I've blogged---& I need to step up my game with keeping y'all updated. ::Insert ashamed face here::
I must admit I've been overwhelmed lately trying to stay on top of things---but no complaints here---it's a good thing. Work is busier, people are ordering bracelets like crazy, lots of visitors, & lots of travel.
I'm still amazed at how many people are viewing my blog & keeping up with our story & after some people have pointed it out my blog is being spread through Pinterest.---> This was my goal & this makes me happy :) I am still shocked though that people are so interested in our story. I'm glad that we are getting peoples attention as that is what ALS lacks is attention. Too many people don't know what it is. SO I have a few updates & a little rant for y'all today. :) And another promise (yes again;) to try to blog more frequently. :D And I want to thank each and every one of you who follow this & share it. That's what we are trying to do is constantly bring awareness & I feel like Steve & I have the best army of support behind us!!
Let's start with updates:
1. Steve & I have been keeping busy---and we are so blessed to have so many people drop in on us daily. Visitors always brighten our days :) Thank you to everyone who has brought food, stopped to visit, came from out of town, let us crash at your house so we can visit, etc. We appreciate every single effort you all put forth to keep us uplifted.
2. A wonderful amazing family who has their own experience of just how brutal ALS can be has donated us some extremely helpful equipment to help Steve with his fight. This is the amazing thing of this disease----it keeps bringing some of the most amazing, supportive, & loving people into my life. Steve & I are so blessed by the Burstein family for this & we are both so grateful for the extra tools to help Steve with his fight!
3. Steve finally got to meet my childhood best friend, Cori. For most that know me know Cori & I grew up being attached at the hip from 9th grade-seniors in college-to even now I may not see her all the time but nothing has changed. Cori was to be my matron of honor in my wedding but the week of my wedding she was placed on bed rest---we've since tried to visit several times & somehow something always got in the way of making it to Tennessee. Finally June 8-10 we were able to go spend some time with Cori, and let Steve hear some of our young stories!! It was so good to see Cori as she helps refresh me with lots of positive energy & it was good to finally meet my little niece Alaina.
I know it's been a minute since I've blogged---& I need to step up my game with keeping y'all updated. ::Insert ashamed face here::
I must admit I've been overwhelmed lately trying to stay on top of things---but no complaints here---it's a good thing. Work is busier, people are ordering bracelets like crazy, lots of visitors, & lots of travel.
I'm still amazed at how many people are viewing my blog & keeping up with our story & after some people have pointed it out my blog is being spread through Pinterest.---> This was my goal & this makes me happy :) I am still shocked though that people are so interested in our story. I'm glad that we are getting peoples attention as that is what ALS lacks is attention. Too many people don't know what it is. SO I have a few updates & a little rant for y'all today. :) And another promise (yes again;) to try to blog more frequently. :D And I want to thank each and every one of you who follow this & share it. That's what we are trying to do is constantly bring awareness & I feel like Steve & I have the best army of support behind us!!
Let's start with updates:
1. Steve & I have been keeping busy---and we are so blessed to have so many people drop in on us daily. Visitors always brighten our days :) Thank you to everyone who has brought food, stopped to visit, came from out of town, let us crash at your house so we can visit, etc. We appreciate every single effort you all put forth to keep us uplifted.
2. A wonderful amazing family who has their own experience of just how brutal ALS can be has donated us some extremely helpful equipment to help Steve with his fight. This is the amazing thing of this disease----it keeps bringing some of the most amazing, supportive, & loving people into my life. Steve & I are so blessed by the Burstein family for this & we are both so grateful for the extra tools to help Steve with his fight!
3. Steve finally got to meet my childhood best friend, Cori. For most that know me know Cori & I grew up being attached at the hip from 9th grade-seniors in college-to even now I may not see her all the time but nothing has changed. Cori was to be my matron of honor in my wedding but the week of my wedding she was placed on bed rest---we've since tried to visit several times & somehow something always got in the way of making it to Tennessee. Finally June 8-10 we were able to go spend some time with Cori, and let Steve hear some of our young stories!! It was so good to see Cori as she helps refresh me with lots of positive energy & it was good to finally meet my little niece Alaina.
4. We got to spend some quality time with my family June 20-24. I feel like we never get to see them enough but the time spent was amazing! We of course kept Steve busy & wore him out a little, but my family loves him dearly & were able to help pump him up & help restore some of his positive energy---and mine! It's always a wonderful thing to see my family & it's unlike any therapy/yoga/relaxation I could do---my family refuels me better than any of that. I am blessed with some truly amazing family that supports me from afar & I am so grateful!!
5. A friend of Steve's Christopher Bayer made us some HopeforSteve.com decals for your car---we have some to give away to those interested in helping spread the word. We will see how quickly these go & then we will order some to possibly sale. For now we want to give them as a thank you to those who help support & spread awareness---but that may change depending upon how quickly we run out & how much they end up costing to send to everyone.
Few reminders:
---the www.hopeforsteve.com page is updated frequently keep checking back for updates :) & please continue to spread the word, share it on facebook, twitter, pinterest, email, etc.
---There are several AMAZING people in our lives that are working on fundraisers currently & we will be adding a current fundraiser page to the website to keep people posted in ways everyone can participate.
With that----I wanted to write a quick paragraph on something I've been thinking about:
Yes I am about to stand on a soapbox and yes this is something I CONSTANTLY go on & on about---I know I am a broken record but this is a little bit different of a twist on this. Again I'm going to talk about positivity & gratefulness. Steve & I have been so blessed with being surrounded by some of the most uplifting & positive people around & for that I want to be sure I express my gratitude. Without each and everyone of you this would be a lot harder of a battle for us. I want to stress the importance of maintaining a positive attitude especially when you are around Steve. Steve has been doing an INCREDIBLE job of trying to remain positive & keep strong while he fights this. He has bad days of course where it's extremely hard to stay positive, but it's so important that instead of jumping on the negative train to try to build him back up. Negativity is so damaging to people and especially to Steve. Days where Steve is focused on the negative he feels terrible, low energy, his muscle spasm increase etc. Whenever he is positive & upbeat---he has more energy, less twitching, less headaches/nausea, etc. It's easy to feel negatively about ALS as yes it is an AWFUL terrible disease, but it is my plea that if you are around Steve that instead of focusing on the negative that you focus on the positive. I am very annoying optimistic, but Steve admits (not talking for him---this is directly from him) that days whenever he is feeling low he needs the optimism, even if it is annoying initially to hear. He has said several times that if it wasn't for certain people remaining positive around him---he would have lost it by now... I know I am hovering about what I will allow Steve to eat & what I will allow him to do, but it's for a reason--he is my number 1 priority & I want to keep Steve uplifted & positive so he can continue to live his life with happiness & joy. Thank you to everyone that supports us & to all those who are so understanding of my rants & pleas! It means so much to have such amazing support & understanding from so many that truly love us!!
I will be often this week as our rally of supporters, Steve, & I are working on some things in the next few weeks & will be updating y'all often.
Thanks again for all the love, prayers, support, & spreading awareness. Keep it coming.
Lots of love <3
Deep thoughts from Hope
Just wanted to write a quick update on the job situation & some thoughts I was having. :)
I am in the middle of working on 192839 things so this will be a short deep thoughts from Hope today :)
I am a true believer that everything happens for a reason--and things keep reminding me of this. I know I mentioned I was having second thoughts about staying with my current job because of some of the rough clients...however, after actually getting a job offer to a full time 8-5, benefits, good pay; I had a panic attack, and had to do some deep thought about the value of my life. My husband is my #1 priority and I took this job because it offers me the flexibility that is needed in order to be able to be home with Steve more & if an emergency happens I can come home to him right away. All the money in the world couldn't make me give that up right now. I can't see going to an 8-5 with no upfront vacation or sick days and not be able to take days off when Steve needs me. Also, with this job all my paperwork can be done at home---I can't give that up. It's a sacrifice, but money is not the #1 importance in my life. I know we need it, and I know we will have to make sacrifices, but I love my husband and he needs me. After thinking of all this & realizing I was going to suck it up & make the job work & do it with the best of my ability I thought of "what am I to be learning in this job?" Thanks for your prayers & continue to do so for me to remain safe :)
With that comes deep thoughts from Hope. :)
I have been through a lot in my lifetime, and I often think that God has put me on this earth to help people. He has put me through things to help me learn lessons, learn how truly strong I am, & to be able to help others who may be going through something similar in the future. I truly try to live my life to help make a difference in the world. I have my completely selfish boo hoo moments, but I try to be grateful for what I have everyday. I truly try to live my life with Joy & not get bogged down with negativity. Sometimes this causes me to have to make decisions that may not make sense to everyone else but as long as I truly feel at peace with my decisions, that is all that matters.
I have been thinking about what lessons I am to be learning with this current job, and it's this---to keep me humble! In all honesty, the majority of my clients (there are always those few extra challenging exceptions...haha) bring a lot to my life. They teach me something daily. There are so many people out there hurting that desperately want help & I think it is our responsibilities to help those the best we can. Every time I have a good session with one of my clients it makes the loads of paperwork, underpaid hours, and sometimes really difficult clients worth it. Also, the majority of my clients have a lot of HEAVY things happening in their lives yet they always seem to great me with a smile & always saying, "Can I get you anything Miss Hope? Glass of water, coffee, soda?" Here are these people who have nothing & they are offering me coffee or soda & greeting me always with a smile.
We all go through hard times but if they can greet me with a smile & politeness, why can't I? SO there you have it deep thoughts from Hope.
ALSO---some additional updates:
---Bracelets. We've ordered HOPEforSteve bracelets that we will give with a $10 donation. We wish we could give them away to everyone, but the cost of buying & shipping always gets in the way.
---The donation tab is back up & running---woot :) Thanks to my brother Zac for getting it started & my sister Jes for taking the time to sort out the problems we were having!
---www.hopeforsteve.com has been updated with lots of new things. Take a look around & please share it. My sister Jes has spent a lot of time with this website & is constantly updating it.
--Thanks for all the prayers for Steve, we ended up canceling a weekend getaway for him to continue to rebuild strength. He is feeling much better & is eating like a horse again ;)
As always lots of love & thanks to all who support us <3
I am in the middle of working on 192839 things so this will be a short deep thoughts from Hope today :)
I am a true believer that everything happens for a reason--and things keep reminding me of this. I know I mentioned I was having second thoughts about staying with my current job because of some of the rough clients...however, after actually getting a job offer to a full time 8-5, benefits, good pay; I had a panic attack, and had to do some deep thought about the value of my life. My husband is my #1 priority and I took this job because it offers me the flexibility that is needed in order to be able to be home with Steve more & if an emergency happens I can come home to him right away. All the money in the world couldn't make me give that up right now. I can't see going to an 8-5 with no upfront vacation or sick days and not be able to take days off when Steve needs me. Also, with this job all my paperwork can be done at home---I can't give that up. It's a sacrifice, but money is not the #1 importance in my life. I know we need it, and I know we will have to make sacrifices, but I love my husband and he needs me. After thinking of all this & realizing I was going to suck it up & make the job work & do it with the best of my ability I thought of "what am I to be learning in this job?" Thanks for your prayers & continue to do so for me to remain safe :)
With that comes deep thoughts from Hope. :)
I have been through a lot in my lifetime, and I often think that God has put me on this earth to help people. He has put me through things to help me learn lessons, learn how truly strong I am, & to be able to help others who may be going through something similar in the future. I truly try to live my life to help make a difference in the world. I have my completely selfish boo hoo moments, but I try to be grateful for what I have everyday. I truly try to live my life with Joy & not get bogged down with negativity. Sometimes this causes me to have to make decisions that may not make sense to everyone else but as long as I truly feel at peace with my decisions, that is all that matters.
I have been thinking about what lessons I am to be learning with this current job, and it's this---to keep me humble! In all honesty, the majority of my clients (there are always those few extra challenging exceptions...haha) bring a lot to my life. They teach me something daily. There are so many people out there hurting that desperately want help & I think it is our responsibilities to help those the best we can. Every time I have a good session with one of my clients it makes the loads of paperwork, underpaid hours, and sometimes really difficult clients worth it. Also, the majority of my clients have a lot of HEAVY things happening in their lives yet they always seem to great me with a smile & always saying, "Can I get you anything Miss Hope? Glass of water, coffee, soda?" Here are these people who have nothing & they are offering me coffee or soda & greeting me always with a smile.
We all go through hard times but if they can greet me with a smile & politeness, why can't I? SO there you have it deep thoughts from Hope.
ALSO---some additional updates:
---Bracelets. We've ordered HOPEforSteve bracelets that we will give with a $10 donation. We wish we could give them away to everyone, but the cost of buying & shipping always gets in the way.
---The donation tab is back up & running---woot :) Thanks to my brother Zac for getting it started & my sister Jes for taking the time to sort out the problems we were having!
---www.hopeforsteve.com has been updated with lots of new things. Take a look around & please share it. My sister Jes has spent a lot of time with this website & is constantly updating it.
--Thanks for all the prayers for Steve, we ended up canceling a weekend getaway for him to continue to rebuild strength. He is feeling much better & is eating like a horse again ;)
As always lots of love & thanks to all who support us <3
Harsh truth.
Would you wipe your husbands butt? Or let him throw up in your hand? Stick your finger in his mouth to pull out flem? or blow his nose for him? I'm sure most of you if the situation presented would do it, because if you love someone you do anything you can for them. Ever wonder what happens when someone with ALS gets sick? They already can't take care of themselves & then they are faced with sickness. Imagine feeling like you have to throw up and knowing you can't get yourself to the bathroom. Imagine you are going to the bathroom & you can't wipe yourself. Imagine that when you do throw up you have the extra worry of choking on your vomit or losing too much weight. This is the harsh reality that ALS patients have to deal with, and after seeing my husband go through such a rough night it puts everything into reality. It's not fair that people should be facing this harsh disease with no cure or treatment. This is why awareness is so important. Don't hear me complaining, because I love my husband and will do anything for him, but hear me pleading. The previous blog I gave a list of things you can do to help, please do them! There is hope for ALS, there is hope. There are many studies that show they are close to a treatment---but we are running out of time. If enough people show interest they can't ignore us---Something needs to be done---& something needs to be done NOW.
Please be praying for Steve to be able to feel better at least enough to eat today. He's surprisingly in good spirits, but I think that's because I'm home with him. It's nice to be able to be home & take care of him when he needs it & I'm extremely grateful my job understands. He won't be needing any visitors for a few days other than family since he's sick. I will let y'all know when he's feeling better & up for company.
Thanks again for the prayers and support and love. <3
Please be praying for Steve to be able to feel better at least enough to eat today. He's surprisingly in good spirits, but I think that's because I'm home with him. It's nice to be able to be home & take care of him when he needs it & I'm extremely grateful my job understands. He won't be needing any visitors for a few days other than family since he's sick. I will let y'all know when he's feeling better & up for company.
Thanks again for the prayers and support and love. <3
How you can help
The out poor for help has been amazing & I am so grateful for those of you that are supporting us & there for us! Y'all keep us going & we are so lucky!! I've gotten a lot of people questioning what they could do to help, so Steve & I wanted to write this blog.
1. Pray for us, send warm wishes, send positive vibes, etc. These are so important for our moods to stay uplifted---thank you!
2. Awareness. You can do this so many ways. We just ordered HopeforSteve bracelets for this reason, for everyone to wear them( *plan to give them with $5 dollar suggested donation, however would accept whatever anyone could give) & hope people ask you about it. You can share statistics & ways to help on facebook, twitter, Googleplus, etc. Talk about it, write about, sing about it, paint about it---do anything just spread awareness.
3. Visit this link to see a 31 easy things you can do to help.
4. Visit Steve, I know that most people's schedules are hectic so whatever time a day you could come visit Steve would be great. None of us that aren't in his situation can understand what it's like to be in his body & not being able to do things on his own. It's nice for people to stop by as it's not easy for him to get out & about. It keeps him uplifted & helps keep him positive. I don't think I could say that enough. :)
5. Visit www.hopeforsteve.com , share it, blog about it, tweet it, talk about it!
6. Write a letter to the legislative priorities. Make them aware that we are paying attention to the problem & that it's time they step up & do their part!
7. Donate---whether or not it's to us or ALS association. Here's reasons why we need donations & why ALS association needs it. Steve has YET to receive a disability check, he has had no income coming in for 6 months, we've gone through all of our savings paying for not only everyday life costs but the added costs (medications, special diet, vitamins, supplements, special amenities, etc), but also Steve is missing out on several things he could be benefiting from (physical therapy, massages, clinic, specialized yoga/workout/swim exercise classes). The ALS association needs donations to continue their research. We are an incredibly advanced society so there is no reason they can't find a cure. However, like everything all this research is expensive. The ALS association also tries to offer help to those in the community that's been diagnosed with ALS, but with low funding that help isn't always available.
8. I think until enough people complain & make it known that ALS needs attention thousands of people will die before it's there time.
9. To those that have been cooking & bringing food we are so appreciative---good news Steve actually gained 5 pounds so it's working! :)) We are however making a few changes to Steve's diet---we are trying to chill out on fast food/unhealthy food. We still want Steve to eat plenty of calories---but we want him doing so in healthy ways so that he can continue to provide his body the necessary nutrients to try to rebuild itself. With that said Steve will def. still need help with lunch but instead of having to buy him something--I'll have lunch here just needed to be heated up & given to Steve. However, Milkshakes will always always be welcome. :) He will continue to drink the super fattening, yummy, high calorie, just not good for you shakes each day but the meals are going to be a lot more focused on high calorie & high health benefits. Fast food is the easy way out---Steve can't do easy way out anymore. He needs to be eating for a purpose & that purpose is to give his body as much nutrients as possible.
10. Live your lives & follow your dreams---focus on positive & make positive changes. Steve & I are touched each time we hear someone tell us how we have touched their lives (how we have touched their hearts, changed their way of thinking, made them focus on living life, etc.) Please continue to be motivated & inspired---and pass on the inspiration to others & continue the movement. And continue to bless us with your stories & experiences, please!
1. Pray for us, send warm wishes, send positive vibes, etc. These are so important for our moods to stay uplifted---thank you!
2. Awareness. You can do this so many ways. We just ordered HopeforSteve bracelets for this reason, for everyone to wear them( *plan to give them with $5 dollar suggested donation, however would accept whatever anyone could give) & hope people ask you about it. You can share statistics & ways to help on facebook, twitter, Googleplus, etc. Talk about it, write about, sing about it, paint about it---do anything just spread awareness.
3. Visit this link to see a 31 easy things you can do to help.
4. Visit Steve, I know that most people's schedules are hectic so whatever time a day you could come visit Steve would be great. None of us that aren't in his situation can understand what it's like to be in his body & not being able to do things on his own. It's nice for people to stop by as it's not easy for him to get out & about. It keeps him uplifted & helps keep him positive. I don't think I could say that enough. :)
5. Visit www.hopeforsteve.com , share it, blog about it, tweet it, talk about it!
6. Write a letter to the legislative priorities. Make them aware that we are paying attention to the problem & that it's time they step up & do their part!
7. Donate---whether or not it's to us or ALS association. Here's reasons why we need donations & why ALS association needs it. Steve has YET to receive a disability check, he has had no income coming in for 6 months, we've gone through all of our savings paying for not only everyday life costs but the added costs (medications, special diet, vitamins, supplements, special amenities, etc), but also Steve is missing out on several things he could be benefiting from (physical therapy, massages, clinic, specialized yoga/workout/swim exercise classes). The ALS association needs donations to continue their research. We are an incredibly advanced society so there is no reason they can't find a cure. However, like everything all this research is expensive. The ALS association also tries to offer help to those in the community that's been diagnosed with ALS, but with low funding that help isn't always available.
8. I think until enough people complain & make it known that ALS needs attention thousands of people will die before it's there time.
9. To those that have been cooking & bringing food we are so appreciative---good news Steve actually gained 5 pounds so it's working! :)) We are however making a few changes to Steve's diet---we are trying to chill out on fast food/unhealthy food. We still want Steve to eat plenty of calories---but we want him doing so in healthy ways so that he can continue to provide his body the necessary nutrients to try to rebuild itself. With that said Steve will def. still need help with lunch but instead of having to buy him something--I'll have lunch here just needed to be heated up & given to Steve. However, Milkshakes will always always be welcome. :) He will continue to drink the super fattening, yummy, high calorie, just not good for you shakes each day but the meals are going to be a lot more focused on high calorie & high health benefits. Fast food is the easy way out---Steve can't do easy way out anymore. He needs to be eating for a purpose & that purpose is to give his body as much nutrients as possible.
10. Live your lives & follow your dreams---focus on positive & make positive changes. Steve & I are touched each time we hear someone tell us how we have touched their lives (how we have touched their hearts, changed their way of thinking, made them focus on living life, etc.) Please continue to be motivated & inspired---and pass on the inspiration to others & continue the movement. And continue to bless us with your stories & experiences, please!
Hope for Steve
Few quick updates. :)
1. A dear friend Jen made a HOPE for Steve logo that's been added to the HOPEforSteve facebook page & will be seen all around soon :) So thank you Jen for sharing your talents with us! We are blessed to have you & Danny!
2. My sister Jessica built us a website. She put in so much effort & is continuously updating it. If you have any feedback please feel free to share as it is a work in progress. I am so appreciative of my sisters efforts & it looks great so far!! This will help it be easy to link all of our updates in one place to make sure we are reaching everyone that cares! Also, we hope to spread awareness of how much attention ALS really needs to be receiving! Check it out: HopeforSteve
3. Steve is still home most days alone (thanks again to everyone who has been visiting) & he really enjoys company. Even if you don't want to bring lunch a drop in visit helps keep his spirits up. I stress ALL day while I am away if he is alone. It's very difficult for him to be able to do much without help so knowing someone is checking in on him---brings me peace & helps him stay positive.
4. Steve recently got an electric scooter wheel chair. It.is.awesome. We are very grateful for this & we are currently researching trailers to attach to our Escape to be able to assure Steve can get around still. Any suggestions would be appreciated. :)
5. Have you seen Steve lately? He's sporting a super awesome bushy beard :) Which I LOVE!
6. In April I took a job change, to a job that was community mental health that allowed me a great deal of flexibility. Fortunately it has allowed me some more time at home unfortunately it is not a good fit for me. Although I love helping the under served population at this time, it puts me into a few too many unsafe situations. I am currently seeking new employment. Prayers would be appreciated to find something that pays well, allows for some flexibility, & is safe!
OK---I'm super behind on some reports so I need to keep this short, but wanted to write a quick update.
Here are a few miscellaneous links I wanted to share.
Join our HOPEforSteve team for the ALS 2012 Atlanta Walk in October. Lots of time to fundraise & spread the word
A remind of the happiest day of our lives :)
www.hopeforsteve.com
1. A dear friend Jen made a HOPE for Steve logo that's been added to the HOPEforSteve facebook page & will be seen all around soon :) So thank you Jen for sharing your talents with us! We are blessed to have you & Danny!
2. My sister Jessica built us a website. She put in so much effort & is continuously updating it. If you have any feedback please feel free to share as it is a work in progress. I am so appreciative of my sisters efforts & it looks great so far!! This will help it be easy to link all of our updates in one place to make sure we are reaching everyone that cares! Also, we hope to spread awareness of how much attention ALS really needs to be receiving! Check it out: HopeforSteve
3. Steve is still home most days alone (thanks again to everyone who has been visiting) & he really enjoys company. Even if you don't want to bring lunch a drop in visit helps keep his spirits up. I stress ALL day while I am away if he is alone. It's very difficult for him to be able to do much without help so knowing someone is checking in on him---brings me peace & helps him stay positive.
4. Steve recently got an electric scooter wheel chair. It.is.awesome. We are very grateful for this & we are currently researching trailers to attach to our Escape to be able to assure Steve can get around still. Any suggestions would be appreciated. :)
5. Have you seen Steve lately? He's sporting a super awesome bushy beard :) Which I LOVE!
OK---I'm super behind on some reports so I need to keep this short, but wanted to write a quick update.
Here are a few miscellaneous links I wanted to share.
Join our HOPEforSteve team for the ALS 2012 Atlanta Walk in October. Lots of time to fundraise & spread the word
A remind of the happiest day of our lives :)
www.hopeforsteve.com