HOUSE CALLS

It was 5:58 on a Friday evening when the phone rang. It was our doctor, under whose care our family has been for more than 33 years. He called to tell me that he was thinking about me a lot, and that he has been praying for me. I was very pleasantly surprised to get his call, out of the blue like that. He told me that he is of the old school of doctors, who are still willing to make house calls. He said that if I had any problems needing the help of a doctor, and had difficulty getting out, that I could call him any time and he would come over. I told him that this sounded like ‘Little House on the Prairie’, and thanked him for his kind consideration. He wished Lena and I a blessed celebration of Christmas, and invited us to come to the office to see him in the New Year.

The same week we received a card in the mail from a family friend, going back about 30 years. She is a dental hygienist who visits people in their homes or long term care facility when they can no longer get out to the dentist. Some of the the patients she has cared for have also suffered from ALS, so my condition is not new to her experience. She offered to come over to clean my teeth any time, for the price of a cup of coffee and a smile. I gladly accepted the offer and we have arranged for a visit.

We have had contact with several nurses from our community, who have offered nursing care for me or advice to Lena, if needed. As my condition slowly but steadily deteriorates, Lena will be needing support and training.

We both have also registered to be organ donors. One donor can save up to eight lives and can enhance the lives of up to 75 others. Fewer than 20% of adult Ontarians have registered. Every three days, one person in Ontario dies while waiting for an organ transplant. You can easily register online at BeADonor.ca. This might be something you want to consider.