News Postings is our version of a BLOG and will address topics under multiple categories including: Reflections, News, Events, Christopherisms and others we may add in the future. These categories are intended to give you a glimpse into our life as we deal with the diagnosis of ALS. We invite you to click on comments and give your feedback which will appear on the site. The comments you make may spark further discussion and are greatly encouraged. If you don't want your comment public, just send us an email instead. Thank you for being here!
I wanted to let you know about my new business practice — Personal Coaching. Coaching is an effective process to support individuals in creating something new for them. I coach my clients by providing perspective and support for self-awareness as they accomplish their business and personal goals.
My website, http://www.livingyourpotential.com/ will give you more information about my practice and a window into the magic inherent in the coaching relationship. I would like to offer you a gift of a free sample session by phone. Whether across the country or just down the street, coaching can work for you. To understand the value, experience it for yourself!
Coaching is a valuable process for:
-Designing life intentions that include both your business and personal goals.-Building your personal integrity and learning to base all decisions on your values.
-Making meaningful and personal changes that reduce stress and simplify your life.
-Freeing up energy and other resources to attract what YOU want for YOUR life now.
The emerging profession of coaching has been covered on the NBC Nightly News, Donahue and CBS, This Morning and has been featured in Newsweek and USA Today as well as in over 100 other major media outlets. Coaching has received this positive attention because of the success of the clients who use a coach.
Here is a sample of what the media says about coaching: “Coaching...a new profession is developing to provide support, training and tools to help people grow in their personal, work, social and spiritual lives.” — Common Boundary
“They call themselves ‘coaches’ — a new breed of career counselors multiplying nationwide, promising to help unblock barriers to success, and make you a happier, better person, to boot.” — Denver Post
“Progressive managers and consultants have long made coaching part of their jobs, helping employees improve their work habits and interpersonal skills. But in recent years, coaching has emerged as a distinct occupation and source of help in the workplace.” — Sunday Oregonian
I feel I have been a life coach for all of my adult life. I now have the tools to put those skills into action. Again, my website is www.livingyourpotential.com and gives you more information about my practice. Contact me at (303)423-4075 or jennifer@livingyourpotential.com if you’re curious. I appreciate referrals, so please keep me in mind when you are talking with friends and business associates.
Blessings,
Jennifer
Just in time, we have partnered with Mister Neat’s Formalwear to outfit the black tie optional Angels for ALS Gala. They have generously offered a $20 discount on all Designer Tuxedo’s starting at $99.95 and up for this event. Simply mention our event name to receive the discount. Visit their website at www.misterneats.com or call 1-888-NICE-TUX (1-888-642-3889) for a location near you.
Remember, Expressions Photography will be at the event taking formal portraits. How often do you allow yourself to get completely dressed up and have the chance to document the occasion? Mister Neat’s respectfully asks that you try to come in four days prior to the event for the best choices and time for fitting. That would be October 10th for us, so don’t delay.
Looking forward to seeing everyone!
http://www.cbs4denver.com/video/?id=17417@kcnc.dayport.com
Have a great day!
Just a quick press notification. The Bishop family will be appearing on KCNC-TV/CBS4 News in the Denver area at 7 a.m. MDT on Sunday, May 21, 2006.
Since May is ALS Awareness Month, the subject of discussion will concentrate on awareness and our Extra Hands for ALS program. Please join us Sunday morning or set the Tivo, DVR or VCR recorder if you are not planning on getting up that early. This is live, so it will be interesting for this family at that hour!
We would like to thank Susie Roy for pitching this story to the Channel 4 staff. Thank you also to CBS4 News Producer, Alan Singer for the opportunity and Reporter, Jodi Brooks for setting it up.
The generosity of the media to air these human interest stories is a huge key to our success in building awareness for this horrible disease. Occasionally, I lose perspective of ALS because I am so blessed with my slow progression. Unfortunately, I am too often reminded of the normal progression when Jennifer and I are notified of yet another death in our ALS community. I am so thankful that I can still participate with Jennifer in these PR opportunities and hopefully do justice to those of us that cannot.
After five years of living with ALS, most people know we’ve developed a fairly dark sense of humor. It was common to hear the phrase, “I was hoping to be 6 feet by the time I was 40; I just didn’t think it would be 6 feet under.” Jennifer also received a considerable amount of grief for not letting her only child and dying husband have a dog. Humor is a strong weapon against this disease even if it’s in the dark sense.
Funny how things change. I’m now 41 years old, still in the ALS fight, but have remained only 5’7” tall. I can’t use my 6 feet under joke anymore and now…we have a dog. Yes, you read correctly. On Friday, April 28 at 7 p.m. a puppy Bichon Frise was delivered to our door.
Christopher and I had been working on Jennifer for quite some time. She was constantly barraged with the dark humor joke. The ice was slowly melting as we kept visiting friends that had dogs. Christopher’s eighth birthday was coming up and he proclaimed his responsibility of being able to take care of a new dog.
Research ensued via the Internet, pet stores and friends. One of those friends just happened to have a Bichon Frise. The cuteness and wonderful temperament of Sophie were hard to resist. That was quite awhile ago but the memory lingered.
In all fairness, Jennifer loves dogs. It was really the prospect of taking care of Christopher, me and a brand new puppy that overwhelmed her. I can’t blame her for that.
Jennifer found a breeder in Longmont, Colorado that had one male Bichon Frise left. It had all it shots and even a microchip implanted for identification. As it turned out, the breeder decided he was too cute and kept the dog for himself. What a bummer. That would have been too convenient.
Jennifer decided to call our friends with Sophie and find out where they got her. They had apparently referred this breeder to several other family members, all with joyful results. Unfortunately, he was in Nebraska. Jennifer thought that he might know some breeders in Colorado so she gave him a call last Tuesday. As it turns out, he had two male dogs and happened to be coming to Denver on Friday. Jennifer hung up both excited and nervous. He sent us the following picture: click here. Christopher’s birthday is May 5th and the an early birthday present just landed in our lap, literally.
For the next couple days, while Christopher was in school, Jennifer and I spent time shopping for dog stuff. We had to buy books, a kennel, food, snacks, toys and yes, carpet spray for those accidents sure to come. The financial commitment of a dog just slapped us in the face.
Christopher did know that we were looking for a pet but really had no timeline or immediate expectation. As far as he knew we were still considering fish or maybe a guinea pig.
Jennifer was leaving for a women’s retreat with Cherry Hills Community Church in Breckenridge at 5 p.m. Friday. The breeder, Norm was trying to get here from Nebraska by 4 p.m. so Jennifer would be able to meet our four legged friend before she left. Norm called and was not going to be in town until later, so Jennifer missed him and didn’t return until Sunday. She was kind of sad, but at the same time we were chuckling at the irony that Christopher and I wanted a dog, we got one and Jennifer was leaving for the toughest two days of adjustment. Poetic justice!
Christopher had already been talking about what name he would give a pet if he got one. When Norm arrived that evening, Christopher thought it was a cute dog and was petting him gently. I had the video recorder on and announced that Mom and Dad wanted to wish him an early Happy Birthday and it was his dog. He looked back at the camera blankly and asked, “This is my dog?” and, “I didn’t know that!” Christopher asked if he could name him and much to our surprise…NOT…it was C.J., short for Christopher Jr. They took to each other quite quickly even though C.J. was a little scared and timid. Bichon Frises are known to cuddle and that’s all he wanted right now. Christopher was more than happy to oblige. We decided that C.J. could also stand for couch jockey.
The first two nights were accident free, but not uneventful. Friday night, there was no whining like a puppy missing his mother or littermates, simply a small whimper to wake me up and let him outside. It was about 2:30 a.m. and he did his thing during playtime for about a half-hour. We went back inside to cuddle so he would get tired again. The next night he woke up twice, one time even waking Christopher. Christopher tried to get him to go back to sleep but to no avail, he wanted to play and eat.
Jennifer came home early Sunday afternoon and was overjoyed to meet C.J. It didn’t take her long at all to bond with him. Christopher and I told her of our adventures during the weekend. She had had a wonderful time as well, but was happy to be home to greet our new puppy. Oh yeah, she missed us too.
The final irony in all this is when the time came, Jennifer really ended up doing 95% of the work in finding C.J. and she is just as thrilled about this dog is Christopher and me. She’s really just a softy with a big heart…but, we already knew that.
I have to work on some new jokes to keep the dark humor going! Welcome to the family, C.J.
We were just notified that KWGN, Channel 2 will be running a story that Vida Urbonas, WB2 News Weekend Anchor and Reporter, taped a few weeks ago. This is our local Denver WB2 station. The segment is about ALS and Extra Hands for ALS. Jennifer and I were interviewed along with one of our teams of volunteers and a family dealing with ALS.
We don't have any more information, other than it will air during the broadcast of WB2 News at 9pm MST on Saturday, February 25th. Over 4 hours of video was shot during the taping, so we don't know exactly what will be discussed in the 2-4 minute segment. Vida was just a sweetheart to work with and we trust her implicitly with the content. News being what it is, we are always subject to rescheduling or scrubbing in the event of an emergency.
Thank you to WB2 and Vida Urbonas for taking the time to run a human interest story so close to our hearts! Our dear friend, Angie Austin, morning Weather Anchor for WB2 News got the ball rolling for this story. Thank you, Angie! It means the world to us to continue to get the word out about ALS.
This is what happens when you try to do to many things at the same time!!!
'ER' airs on NBC at 9pm MST, Thursday, February 2nd.
'The Late, Late Show with Chris Furguson' airs at 11:35 pm MST on CBS, Wednesday, February 1st.
Sorry about that.
To further promote ALS and the ER episode, James Woods is scheduled to appear on “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” on CBS on Wednesday, February 1st. In addition, this week's issue of TV Guide features a story on the ALS episode.
The February 2nd episode of ER, entitled "Body & Soul", will be entirely devoted to a character with ALS. James Woods, who plays the man with ALS, met with 6 individuals with ALS last December for a crash course in living with ALS. For the full story, click here.
Also featured in the episode is Eye Response Technology, which allows people to communicate through eye movements via a a computer and voice synthesizer that can attach to a wheelchair. For more information click here.
This is the type of national exposure we need to make ALS as well known as Parkinson's and MS. Thank you to the ALS Association for their involvement to make sure they got it right!
'ER' airs Thursdays on NBC, at 9:00pm MST.
In the constant pursuit of our mission, we are thrilled to announce that the Denver area chapter of Extra Hands for ALS is now being created. Jennifer will be the Program Manager with me (Steven) as her trusty assistant. This is a multi-dimensional nonprofit organization primarily designed to assist families that are dealing with ALS. We are actively recruiting potential student volunteers, adult mentors and ALS families.
Two student volunteers, high school or college age will team up to assist an ALS family with various activities for two hours per week. Tasks could include mild house cleaning, repair and maintenance, dog walking, errands, etc. Simply reading to or conversing with an ALS patient can provide invigorating company and also give the caregiver a much needed break for personal time. Public ALS awareness programs are conducted once per semester that the students coordinate and/or participate in.
These volunteers will have an adult mentor to act as somewhat of a guidance counselor. The mentors will be responsible for following up with the students and families to address any questions or concerns either might have as the relationship develops. Mentors can also expand our ALS community by sharing their personal experiences with friends and coworkers, potentially recruiting more volunteers through these avenues.
Finally, we need ALS families that could benefit from some extra hands during the week. These families will be assisting the growth of our ALS community by exposing a new generation to what ALS is and how people cope with a devastating illness. These lessons have proven invaluable to the students participating in the other seven chapters of Extra Hands for ALS.
We encourage you to reference the Extra Hands for ALS website and watch the videos provided. Click here for the program overview giving more detailed descriptions of the Extra Hands for ALS mission and individual position responsibilities. The most commonly asked questions can be found here.
This organization will be a powerful addition to the ALS community here in Denver and we are inviting you to be part of it. Corporate sponsors are also encouraged. As part of our charter, funding is required to run the chapter and support our founding organization, the Jack Orchard ALS Foundation for ALS research.
We have tentatively scheduled an orientation and training for student volunteers and adult mentors on Saturday, November 12th, with the time to be determined. Please reply back as soon as possible as to your interest and availability. If you cannot attend the orientation, but are still interested or know someone that might be, please let us know!
Thank you, in advance for your support of our new venture. We can't wait to start sharing success stories.
It has been quite a while since we have posted anything because life has been a little hectic around here. Let me catch you up on the most recent happenings.
Jennifer's father, Bob, had a lung transplant about 5 1/2 years ago. He and Jennifer's mom, Bettie, live in Las Vegas. They return to Denver, where the transplant was performed, for checkups every 6 months. This was supposed to be a routine visit.
It turns out, Bob has been in chronic rejection since sometime in 2003. This means that his lung volume capacity has been steadily decreasing as his body slowly rejects the new lung. Drug therapy was recommended to stabilize the rejection. This involved a 5 day stay in the hospital and then two more weeks to recover. Jennifer's parents stayed with us during this time. Another test was done to see if the proceedure was successful. Thank God it was and Bob and Bettie were able to return to their home in Las Vegas. He is doing well considering he is at 38% lung volume capacity and that is an improvement from where he was.
During this time, Jennifer has been able to reconnect with her brother, John, after 6 years of no communication. A lot has changed for both of them since then and they have found much in common. Faith, being at the top of the list. A great story all around.
Last weekend we attended a wedding in Goodland, KS where Jennifer was the Matron of Honor and Christopher was the Ring Bearer. Congratulations to Bryan and Misti as they head on their honeymoon today.
Three hours is a long time in a car for me, but I used the air cushion from my electric wheelchair to ease the ride. These type of events are getting more taxing on me as it is difficult to sit or stand for long periods of time without the ability to lay down and rest. At the reception, Jennifer was up at the head table and Christopher and I had sat at another table. We had a great time. We talked about how to introduce himself to a girl, whether he was going to dance, etc. As usual it was all worth it, but I did skip out early on the reception as my body was exhausted. I left about 7:30. Jennifer and Christopher stayed after 10:00. Christopher had so much fun dancing and "performing," I really wish I could have stayed to see it. During our dinner conversation, we noticed a very cute girl to which Christopher referred to as a "hotty". He thought she was probably about 9 years old and as it turned out he was absolutely correct. Her name is Mackenzie and she was a junior bridesmaid. They danced most of the night. He also had some great conversation with a girl named Alex. I'm so proud of him.
Christopher has started in Colorado Children's Chorale, Prep Choir. The Tour Choir with kids 11 to 14 years of age travel internationally, alla Vienna Boys Choir. It was a privilege to be chosen to participate as he had to audition without us present with the song "America the Beautiful." He said he only used two of his voices to sing the song. They were looking for voice range and personality. Jennifer and I knew he had the personality covered! Over 300 kids auditioned with only about 100 selected. Way to go Christopher. His first performance will be at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House in Denver on December 4th, entitled "Christmas with the Childrens Chorale." Please visit www.childrenschorale.org for dates and tickets if interested. I know he would be thrilled to have an entourage.
Tonight, I am heading to the Bronco game against Kansas City with one of my great friends and fraternity brother, Keith. It's been a long time since I've been to a game so it's a bonus that it is Monday Night Football, against KC and with wonderful company.
There about ten other titles I have going for postings mostly about past events and I hope to get them out shortly. Please know that we appreciate your support and thank you so much for taking the time to read these postings and the many replies we receive. They are so encouraging and keep us motivated!
Jennifer and I were pleasantly surprised, once again, by the willingness of KUSA-TV 9News reporter, Dr. Steph Clements to cover my surgery as an ALS human interest story. It is amazing how things work out. A friend of ours that we met when we were on the Parade Magazine cover in 2003, Jacque Montgomery, is the Media Relations Coordinator for Kaiser Permanente. We recently had breakfast with her and mentioned the LASIK surgery and how it came about. She mentioned that Dr. Clements was looking to do an ALS story and this might fit in. She pitched it and Dr. Clements commented that she couldn’t imagine the 9News directors not going for it.
At about 1:15pm on Friday, September 3, 2005 I checked in for my surgery, accompanied by Jennifer and Christopher. Our boy had the day off from school anyway and thought it might be cool to see Dad’s eye surgery. I was given a sticker that included my name, type of LASIK procedure and the code signifying both eyes were to be done. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Clements and her Photo Journalist, Dave Delozier joined us as well as Dr. Jimmy Jackson, my Ophthalmologist, Dr. Hans Kell and his wonderful wife, Dr. Jennifer Tasca-Kell. Introductions were made and a microphone was placed on my shirt. Dr. Clements mentioned that she really didn’t want to disrupt anything so the pre-op process began.
At Insight LASIK they are extremely kind, comforting and thorough. Dave Delozier started filming. I was asked to sit in a waiting area where I was given a sanitary cap and booties, administered dilating drops and consulted on the LASIK procedure, by Dr. Jimmy Jackson. He even put a sticky star on my head as a redundancy, signifying what type of surgery and that both eyes were to be done. There was not one detail missed as he explained what I would see, hear, feel and smell during the operation. I thought they must be going a little overboard with the explanations since the TV crew was there, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. While waiting for my eyes to dilate, Dr. Clements asked questions about what this surgery would mean to me, how I was feeling, etc. She was very outgoing, friendly and easy to talk to.
Dr. Keith Miller escorted me to an exam room where he placed dots on my eyes for surgery purposes and looked in both eyes for anything they might have missed. He then guided me to room I had been to the Wednesday prior for my initial exam and he mapped the shape of my cornea. I was getting a procedure they call CustomCornea, where they take into account any irregularities of the cornea and throw that in with the programming of my prescription.
I then went into an exam room, one last time to visit with the surgeon, Dr. Jim Montgomery. The standard instruments were used to look into my eyes to make sure everything was in order. He calmly asked if I had any further questions, which I did not, and we proceeded to the operating room.
I lay on the table and was asked if I wanted a blanket. I had also been handed a small squish ball to squeeze during anxious moments. I was really not nervous at all and couldn’t wait to get started! The LADARVision machine hung overhead where I watched a red blinking dot. I had also seen this before with my initial exam.
Dr. Montgomery taped my eyelids open on my right eye and then inserted an instrument to widen it further. This was probably the most uncomfortable part. The computer spoke my name other pertinent information unique to me to make sure they were doing the right procedure on the correct person. Just another redundancy that is in place that makes you feel comfortable. The laser that is used also tracks the eye at about 4000 times per minute to anticipate any possible movement of the eye.
He then placed a vacuum over my cornea to pick up any possible contaminants. My vision went dark, as previously explained as I saw and felt something placed on my eye and glide over. I realized this was the creation of the flap. In a haze I saw the flap being pulled over. Did I mention they had applied numbing drops to my eyes? Anyway, the laser then went into action and the computer stated the percentage of completion and time remaining for actually etching in the prescription. The odor of burnt hair permeated my nostrils as Dr. Jackson had foretold, which was the release of gases when the laser made contact with the cornea. My eye was irrigated and then I could see the flap being replaced and smoothed until seamless. The great thing was being able to focus on this red blinking light the whole time. I figured if I could see the blinking light, everything was going as planned! The instrument holding my eyes wide open was removed as was the tape holding my eye lids. Everything was repeated exactly for the left eye.
I have to tell you, I really enjoyed experiencing the surgery because of the great job Dr. Jackson did of setting my expectations. There were no surprises and I remained perfectly calm. It was fascinating to know exactly what they were doing, when and why. It allowed me to concentrate on all the sensations during the procedure without worry.
After the left eye was complete I was guided to the other side of the waiting area to lay back with my eyes closed and just recover for about thirty minutes. During this time there were 2 or 3 other people waiting to go into surgery and getting the exact same explanation of events to come that I had received. It was then I realized there was no ‘show’ for the TV crew when I was getting my pre-op consultation. These guys are really have their checks and balances for safety purposes and want to set your expectations appropriately so there are no surprises. I was out the door before 3:30pm. They are just fantastic!
Post-op continued with a three sets of drops with directions to take home. I also received a pair of goggles so if I got the urge to rub my eyes, I would hit the goggles as a reminder not to. I was not really supposed to open my eyes for about 4 hours. On the way home, about a twenty minute drive, there was a bit of a burning sensation, but keeping my eyes closed helped. I proceeded straight to bed for about a 4 hour nap. I awoke with my eyes feeling just great and my vision just a touch blurry on the edges.
My post-op appointment with Dr. Kell, my Ophthalmologist, was scheduled for 9:15 the next morning. After looking at my eyes with the appropriate equipment, he determined the surgery aspect was “pristine.” Then on to the eye chart…drum roll please…20-15 vision after just 18 hours!!! I am absolutely thrilled with the results. I just glanced at my computer time when I wrote that last sentence and it is 4:44 (Search under 40th birthday for relevance.) I was praying for better than 20-20 results. As of today, I am on the last day of post-op drops and will continue with wetting drops only as necessary.
As for 9News airing the story, Dr. Clements was scheduled to be at our house on Labor Day, for a follow up on the results. However, she was reassigned to cover the Hurricane Katrina victim relocation to Lowry Air Base. I certainly don’t think we can complain about that. They definitely will be airing the LASIK story with the follow up, but probably not until October. Be certain that we will let everyone know as soon as we do when that will be happening.
At this point, I just need to recognize some very special people and hope you might patronize them. I don’t think they get any better. First and foremost, thank you Dr. Hans Kell from Front Range Eye Health Clinic for just thinking to ask if it could be done and all the pre and post-op work. Next, thank you to Dr’s Jim Montgomery, Jimmy Jackson and Keith Miller at InsightLASIK for opening your incredible facility to us in such a generous manner. Your staff are fantastic and you all are a tightly run ship. Thank you to my Jennifer and Dr. Jennifer Tasca-Kell for having the initial conversation about putting contacts in for me and giving Dr. Kell the idea. Finally, thank you to Dr. Steph Clement and our friend Jacque Montgomery for making this story public.
Dr. Clement said we are due for some good news and this is certainly one of those stories. This surgery can help an incredible amount of people with ALS, Parkinson’s, Arthritis, etc. It was painless and with these top notch doctors working on me, absolutely worry-free. If your contacts or glasses are hindering your quality of life do not be afraid to pursue this treatment. I caught myself last night thinking I should get up and take my contacts out and didn’t have to. I also found myself looking for my glasses this morning realizing they were not needed. Yesterday morning, while still in bed, I saw Christopher washing his hands in our bathroom. I just enjoyed watching him as he tends to get distracted and was looking at all the things by my sink. I couldn’t see that stuff clearly before. I will absolutely not miss the contact rituals I explained in my previous posting about this surgery. Maybe I will have more endurance to type and get more articles out. Yikes, is that good or bad?!!
I’m getting LASIC eye surgery today. I’ve been wearing contacts for over 10 years. The surgery got scheduled in such an incredible way that I felt I had to share it with you all.
In the last year or two, the dexterity in my right hand, among other things, has been deteriorating. This makes it more difficult to do the things necessary to maintain contact lenses. A lot of details follow, but bear with me as they are important to the overall posting.
My mornings start with having to be awake long enough to where my eyes are not combative to the idea of having my finger touching them. I take the right lens from its container and place it in my left palm. I apply saline solution and rub one side, turn it over and rub the other side to remove any deposits the solution might have loosened overnight all with my right index finger. I turn the lens over one last time for a final rinse. Carefully I place the lens on my right index finger, use my right middle finger to pull the bottom of my eye open and my left hand to keep the upper eye open. I extend my index finger, with the contact lens to the point of it touching my eye. When the cool sensation of the saline and my eye meet, I know the contact is in securely. I repeat the procedure with my left contact. At night, it is much simpler as I reverse the procedure without the rubbing and just place the lens in the container. Anyone who wears contacts may take these actions for granted.
Why did I go into such detail about stupid contact lenses? I guess it must be understood that my first symptom of ALS was fatigue and weakening of my right index finger. From the description above, you can tell how much I use that finger for contact lenses. The theatrics involved in putting my contacts in and taking them out prove very fatiguing. I could probably figure out a different way or would have in the long run, but I didn’t have to thanks to a whole train of people and events.
We have some friends, Dr.’s Hans Kell (Hans) and Jennifer Tasca-Kell (Jen), who are Ophthalmologists and have a practice in Louisville called Front Range Eye Health Center. Jennifer had an appointment with Jen for new contacts. She asked if Jen could teach her how to take out and insert lenses for me. Jennifer explained the difficulties I was experiencing and that they were not expected to improve but rather worsen dramatically over time.
That was about 2 or 3 months ago. I received an email from Hans on August 19th, 2005. It basically said that he had approached some friends at Insight LASIK to see if they would be willing to perform the LASIK procedure pro bono, as he was willing to do the pre and post operative management at no cost. One of the doctors at Insight LASIK, Jimmy Jackson, was very thorough and even emailed colleagues to see if there would be any concerns over doing LASIK on an ALS patient. He discovered there were none and noted the obvious quality of life benefit that Hans had previously mentioned to him. Dr.’s Keith Miller and Jim Montgomery (the actual eye surgeon) also agreed. The email stated their willingness and generosity to go through with it all. I read the email at least three times to see if it really said what I thought it did! Hans told me that we can make this all happen if I wanted…Duh!
As I am writing, I find myself very emotional over this again because the biggest magic of all of this was the simple act of Hans even thinking about approaching the generous and thoughtful people at Insight LASIK. It didn’t matter what the answer turned out to be, just the thought. You are a class act, my friend. Hans had the surgery himself not long ago with this group. Being an Ophthalmologist himself, this told me a lot about how fantastic these doctors are.
The adventure begins at 1:30 and I will be doing a follow up posting to let you know how it goes. I am very excited and not nervous at all. I know how it will benefit me, but I think of Jennifer not having to work with my contacts on top of all the other wonderful things she does for me and I am thrilled for both of us. Thank you to everyone mentioned above for their time and generosity and I will SEE you all on the other side.
In conjuction with the Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon, Parade Magazine publishes a story relating to Muscular Dytrophy. Jennifer and I were honored to be on the cover in 2003. ALS is one of the 43 neuromuscular diseases MDA services.
We were contacted a few weeks ago about doing a follow-up from previous covers. They asked for pictures and interviewed us. We have no idea what to expect, but please make sure you get the Parade Magazine in this Sunday's newspaper, September 4, 2005.
The Telethon airs on KWGN Channel 2 in Denver starting this Sunday at 10pm. Go to http://www.mdausa.org/telethon/TVStationListings.pdf to find your station and times if you are not local. They are accepting pledges for Hurricane Katrina relief as well in the first and last 4 hours. Please take the time and donate to both of these worthy causes if you can. It feels so wonderful to give something...anything. Thank you.
We would like to officially announce that our website is being sponsored by Denver Interior Designs and Bella Bellisima Designs; both businesses are owned by Bonnie Hermann. Her unending generosity gives us the opportunity to take advantage of all the Premium Services offered by Network For Giving and Giving Technology, LLC.
These premium services allow us to use our own domain nameof www.alsliving.com, use the Shop with Us! tool to raise funds for research and medical needs, extended photo album storage and the ability to create online fundraising events. These are just a few of the premium services Bonnie has allowed us to pursue.
Bonnie’s work includes all aspects of interior design including a vast array of wall applications. If your house needs an interior face lift, we would really appreciate you patronizing our web site sponsor.
She can be reached at (303) 431-9276 or (303) 513-0839 on her cell phone. A web site is in the works for her to show off her designs. However, we can personally recommend her work as she has done two projects for us already, and the accolades keep coming. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, Bonnie.
We have recently added quite a few people to our subscriber list and wanted to introduce you to the www.alsliving.com website. It is our way of informing as many people as possible about ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease and how the Bishop’s are dealing with it.
When a new posting to the sight is released, you will receive an email just like this one. The senders address is do-not-reply@alsliving.com. If you are open to receiving these postings, please put this address on your safe list. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, please go to our website and use the “Contact Us” button to send an email telling us to unsubscribe you. Absolutely no offense will be taken as we all know how much email everyone gets.
We encourage you to follow the link at the bottom of the article to actually see the posting on our site as the font can get messed up in the emails. If it is your first time to the site, please take some time to browse. Read the Home and Biography pages and catch up on old postings. There are a variety of subjects from personal reflections, news, events and Christopherisms. Feel free to comment on current or past posting as your opinion is always appreciated and can spark further discussion. Just click on the comments link at the bottom of the posting.
Our mission is clearly stated on the Home page and we hope this will inspire you to get involved in some way with ALS. Thank you for your time and look for new postings soon.
Happy 4th of July, God Bless America and have a safe weekend!
Sincerely,
Steven & Jennifer
Tom Heuerman's Pamphlet Series was introduced to you a few postings back with Pamphlet 87: The Power of Purpose (1 of 2). I would be remiss if I did not include the link to the second half of this important message, Tom's personal journey. After reading it myself, I was compelled to provide him feedback:
"This is really a great piece. I am most impressed by the inspiration given and the caution that it is not a cakewalk. It is great advice and creates balance. We both know you cannot experience joy without knowing sorrow. You set that expectation and then challenge the reader to take the plunge, anyway. People need purpose and our society needs people to pursue their purpose for the greater good. An absolutely perfect and timeless pamphlet!" - Steven
I hope you take the time to read and absorb these masterful words of living, Pamphlet 88: The Power of Purpose (2 of 2).
Let me introduce you to Tom Heuerman. Our own Ty Ricker from Network for Giving found his website, www.amorenaturalway.com. Much to my surprise in Pamphlet 73, Personal Leadership: The Call to Nobility, I am referred to and made an example of...in a good way. It is amazing how things work out, but out of sheer appreciation, I emailed a thank you to him to show my gratitude for including me in his thoughts.
Tom is an incredible person that is interested in cultivating the biggest natural resourse this planet posseses...our people. He does this in many ways but by his own words from his site:
"Pamphlets are my thoughts about life, change, leadership, and organizations. I assist people with their life strategies and also coach people in organizations. I have deep leadership experience, and I consult on a wide range of organizational issues. I most like to help companies develop the leaders and cultures that lead to healthy and productive people, outstanding operating results, and sustainable enterprises."
Jennifer and I have been humbly honored to participate in his work and passion. We have since established an ongoing email correspondence and the result of which is Tom's Pamphlet 87: The Power of Purpose (1 of 2).
May is ALS Awareness Month. There will many events hosted and dedicated to this disease and we would like to refer you to the websites on the right for details.
One in particular is ALS Associations Advocacy Day in Washington, DC. Please refer to http://www.alsa.org/policy/alsday.cfm for details on this incredible effort to stimulate ALS awareness and change public policy affecting many devastating diseases.
Our family is planning on attending but we could use your help. If there is anyone out there with more frequent flyer miles than you know what to do with and would like to donate them to get us to Washington, DC this May, we would be extremely grateful. Please refer to the online pledge section and let us know so we may contact you to make arrangements. Thank you for your generousity in advance!
