Category Archives: this is ALD

Day +5000 (a post from Dan/Dad)

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Day 5000


Lately I’ve been distracted.  Distracted by the lousy weather outside the window.  The cold.  The grey sky.  The snow piling up… Distracted by the inane MTG politico drama playing out on TV every day and night…  Distracted by work stuff ( I just started a new job this week).  Work can sometimes be a positive and useful distraction – especially when living through the first 12 months of a pandemic (Yes, we are now in our 12th month…).  But at the end of the day, it is still a DISTRACTION.   


Sometimes the only part of the day when things come into focus, when my mind clears, when I shed all the distractions is when I get a giant hug from Jack.  It’s the best part of my day – every day. 

 
Even if you haven’t spent a lot of time with Jack, you know that he is non-verbal.  But you probably can’t fully understand how he communicates most directly and most effectively.  It’s when he gives you a hug.  He is extremely strong.  He will literally squeeze the breath right out of your chest.  It’s the best feeling in the world.  It’s when I regain all perspective — as I squeeze back! 


Today is Day 5000 in the Torrey house.  It’s been 5000 days since Jack received his stem-cell transplant in May 2007.  Since the doctors at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital saved my son’s life.  5000 days of a wonderful life.  5000 days of smiles and belly laughs and hugs and dancing to 70’s tunes.  5000 days of watching him and his baby sister grow up to be adults.  5000 days of “our normal life” with Jack.  


Think about what has happened in your life over the last 5000 days.  It’s hard to grasp all the changes, the good and the bad, the ups and downs,  the mundane and the thrilling, Hell, some days I can barely remember life before COVID.  But Jack and his hugs help me remember what is really important in life.  Not the distractions.  That’s nothing but a lot of noise.


Thank you Jack for being in my life. 


Love,
Dad 

4999 Days

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Day +4999 . . . 

4999 days since Jack received the stem cells that saved his life. 4999 days ago we never could have imaged what our lives would look like now. And if we had, I’m not sure that we would have thought that we could embrace lives that look like this. 

A few days ago incredible members of our ALD community lost their son. It wasn’t ALD that ended the life of this beautiful young man, but an accident. We’ve known many people who have lost loved ones this year. Not ALD, but COVID, cancer, heart attacks. Life is complicated and fragile and we need to appreciate every day. Our family is grateful for the last 4999 days and will treasure each day ahead of us.

I’ve been writing tiny love stories for the last couple of months. The New York Times keeps passing 😏, but I’ll share what I wrote last week. 

I open the door that separates our rooms and look at him lying there. The most beautiful face I’ve ever seen. As if in a trance, I crawl into bed next to him, trying to be careful. His bed is littered with complication. I slowly take his hand and place it between my own. I hold my face against his and I linger over his sour breath. There is always so much I want to tell him and sometimes wonder when we’ll run out of time. Tonight I will just be quiet and enjoy the moment with my beautiful boy. 

4999 days.

Love, Jess

PS Stay tuned — Dan is working on a post for tomorrow.

MCATS, NYU, Old School Vinyl and Duct Tape

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hApPy NeW yEaR!!!! Less than a week into 2021, and our family is starting out strong. Anna completed her junior year at Johns Hopkins a semester early, so she’s taking next semester off to study for the MCATS. Not really … Continue reading →

Christmas 2020

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Christmas was okay, it just didn’t feel like Christmas.

We did get to enjoy Mymom’s famous sausage/spinach lasagna on Christmas Eve and woke up Christmas morning to made french toast and opened gifts. We ate and drank and listened to Phil Spector’s A Christmas Gift to You All. We spoke with family and friends via Zoom. We even got to spent the day after Christmas like every year — in our PJs watching movies and playing games. The holiday was lovely, but it just wasn’t the same.

The lack of other people felt strange. We were lucky to be able to spend time with my parents (they are our pod, although we are still careful). Our tiny table of six was filled with delicious food and lively conversation, it just felt a little festive then Christmas should be.

The entire holiday season feels a little underwhelming. We weren’t able to see our beautiful nieces and nephews or party with the extended family. There were no December Saturday nights where we Uber from one party to another. There were no lunches with my girlfriends to escape from holiday shopping. There will be no party with close friends to ring in the new year. I didn’t even have the heart or the energy to send out a holiday card. 

COVID was the Grinch that stole the holidays. 

We keep saying to ourselves that next year will be different. It better be. We need to fill this house again! 2020 has taught us all a lot about appreciating the small things AND that nature is powerful and sometimes cruel. Lesson learned 2020 — now let’s move onto 2021 with a new vaccine, a new president and (hopefully) tons of time with friends and family!!!

hApPy NeW yEaR!!!!!!!!!!

Love, Jess

Thanks JackO

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This morning I was sitting in my office feeling overwhelmed as I poured through my syllabi for the winter term. I was busy second-guessing my decision to return to school at my age and wondering how on earth I was going to manage, when I heard Maria (Jack’s caregiver), “JackO – why are you crying?”

I race downstairs to find our boy in front of Maria’s phone, watching a video with big tears rolling down his face.

Shakira singing John Lennon’s Imagine.

You may say I’m a dreamer

But I’m not the only one

I hope some day you’ll join us

And the world will be as one

Don’t ever confuse Jack’s silence with not understanding. He recognizes powerful words when he hears them and sometimes his emotions take over. Perhaps his silence allows him to listen even closer than many of us. I’m always amazed by the beauty of these moments. Maria offered to turn off the song, but I insisted that we continue. Tears aren’t always such a bad thing — beside I needed a little perspective this morning.

Love you JackO. And, John Lennon and Shakira too;)

Love, Jess

Holidays + COVID = 0

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Not sure how I can feel so exhausted when I do so little. Each morning I write a list of what I hope to accomplish. Some days go by where I don’t complete anything, so I return to the list and add things like — shower, walk the dogs, feed Jack — just so I can cross a couple of things off the list. With the holidays around the corner, my daily list gets longer and less seems to be getting done. Today, instead of Christmas shopping for the family, I ordered some bras and an eyebrow kit (not even sure what that is).

Love, Jess

shi^ty disease/amazing people

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Years ago my mother and my best friend, Enger, planned a surprise party for my birthday. It was just a keg, some balloons and a pile of friends, but it meant the world to me — I was so surprised when I walked into my dirty, second floor apartment at The Woodrow and saw all those smiling faces. It’s been a while since that day (30 years!!), but yesterday I felt that same feeling of overwhelming confusion and love.

I’m not someone who ever had a bookshelf full of awards, but now I have one, and it is proudly sitting on my mantel. 

Folks at ALD Connect asked me earlier in the week if I would help them as they gave an award to my friend Kathleen O’Sullivan-Fortin. I jumped at the chance of applauding her for all of her hard work — she’s a founding member of the the board of directors of ALD Connect and is responsible for bringing me into this community, while showing me tons of love and support. When it was time for the award ceremony, and I went upstairs to sit at the computer and brought Jack with me figuring that Jack could help me cheer for Kathleen. 

The call started. Suddenly Dan danced into the room with balloons and Anna congratulating me via his cell phone. Then Kimmy V walked up the stairs with streamers, holding a trophy.

Holy smokes!

I’ve sat through these award ceremonies and always felt that the awards were so earned. Amazing people who have done so much for the ALD community. Yesterday I was honored along with Nic and Alison Adler, Kathleen O’Sullivan- Fortin and Dr. Keith Van Haren — some of my ALD heroes. To share such an honor with that crew seems a little odd to me. ALD Connect has done far more for me and our family than I would ever be able to do. They have educated us and supported us and given us a community. 

Community.

If you are reading this, I want you to stop and ask yourself if you have a community. If you don’t — find one. 

ALD is the worst thing that has ever happened to our family. It’s a shitty disease that stole so much from Jack and is now effecting my mother. It has me in constant fear of when I will develop symptoms that might make caring for Jack difficult. It’s a disease that has taken the lives of so many sons, nephews, brothers, fathers. I hate every ounce of this disease, but I’m so lucky to have found this community of remarkable people. They hold me up and provide support. They share information and are always there when I need to yell and scream or laugh and cry.

If I could, I would return this beautiful blue trophy — but I can’t, so I will put it on my mantel and remind myself every time I see it that ALD sucks — but the people are amazing — and maybe a little nuts to recognize me;)

ALD — shitty disease/amazing people.

Love, Jess

There is an angel donor that is matching donations this week. I would like to ask you to consider to making a small donation to this incredible organization.

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Two Days

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Loving my new fancy ALD Connect mask!

I rarely check my calendar anymore. What’s the point? Plans aren’t really being made anymore. We live our lives playing everything by ear. All my sentences with friends and family start with — Let’s see or If the weather is good or Hopefully.

But this morning without thinking, I opened up my yellow 2020 monthly calendar and there it was — ALD Connect Patient Learning Academy. I should be packing my bags today to go down to Baltimore for their annual conference. Not this year. This year — like everything else — the conference will be on Zoom.

The 2020 conference was scheduled to be in Baltimore. My mother and I planned to head down early to steal Anna away from her college apartment, spoil her with a nice hotel room and explore Charm City for a day before hunkering down at the conference. Being in Baltimore and getting to see Anna for the weekend was going to be icing on the cake for what is always a wonderful few days with the ALD community. It’s an opportunity to sit with people who understand our disease — families, doctors, nurses, advocates, pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms — all with one mission — to win the war against ALD. It’s always an exhausting few days, but every year I leave counting the days until the next one.

Oh well.

It’s not perfect, but I will log in on Friday, and for two days get to listen to the latest news about ALD treatments and protocols. I will get to hear all the updates about newborn screening and hear stories of people’s struggles and triumphs over our disease. And, I will get to at least catch a glimpse of some of my favorite ALD folks on my computer screen.

Fingers crossed that next year we can reunite in person. Until then, I will enjoy the two days and try to appreciate the fact that I don’t need to take off my sweatpants and can get away with just a little mascara.

Love, Jess

Legalize It

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In case you haven’t heard — there’s an election next week. There are very clear choices on one side of NJ’s ballot, but I want to remind Jersey voters not to forget to turn over your ballot.

Question 1 would add an amendment to the state constitution that legalizes the recreational use of marijuana, for persons age 21 and older, and legalizes the cultivation, processing, and sale of retail marijuana.

In a time when our state is in need of help, the tax benefits alone would drive me to support this amendment, but selfishly the legalization of recreational marijuana would make my life, Jack’s life, and the life of many, so much easier.

I’m a pot mama.

Of corse I’ve never used pot myself (it’s illegal 😏), but Jack has had a NJ medical marijuana card since 2016. We needed to fight the state, but were able to qualify because Jack was suffering from debilitating spasms that were effecting his ability to walk. Marijuana not only helped with the spasms, but has improved his overall quality of life. He eats better, sleeps better and although his mood has never been a problem, he’s even more JackO.

We have friends and family who credit marijuana with helping with nausea caused by cancer treatments, appetite, anxiety, sleep, depression and a host of other ailments. All without any complaints of bad side-effects other than it can be a pain to purchase and there’s still a lingering stigma attached to marijuana.

I don’t worry too much about people judging us for giving our son marijuana. There have been too many improvements in Jack’s life thanks to our adding marijuana to his list of medications, that we feel completely justified in our decision. What I do complain about is that medical marijuana in NJ is a labor of love — labor being the first word.

Every few weeks I contact Jack’s doctor to make sure our file is up to date, make an appointment and head out to one of the 3 dispensaries in our area (none is our community). I purchase an ounce of marijuana and then go home and start baking. It takes hours. I decarbonate the flower, clarify the butter, use a fancy machine to infuse the butter with marijuana and then bake cookies. I try to make each cookie with approximately 7 milligrams of THC – that seems to be the dose that helps Jack the best. Some caregivers would be forced to sample the cookies to gage the strength (of corse I won’t do that — it’s illegal😏). Jack has a cookie two or three times a day until we run out and then I make another run to the dispensary and spend another day baking.

Legalizing recreational marijuana would make access to marijuana easier and limit the need for Jack’s doctors to be involved. No more cards and physician’s certificates. It also means we could purchase eatables with a specific strength so that this mom doesn’t need to sample cookies to gage strength (NOT that I would do that — it’s illegal😏). And, legalizing marijuana would help limit the negative stigma attached to a medication that has improved Jack’s life exponentially.

So, if you live in NJ and haven’t voted yet, please make sure you turn over your ballot, think about Jack and his sweet smile, and do the right thing. Then turn your ballot over again and make sure you voted for Biden/Harris!!!

Love, Jess

other mothers, a taxi driver, and a plan

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I’ve spoken about Jack’s “other mothers” in the past. A small group of women who Jack adores and who we trust with our most prized and fragile gift — JackO. Each of these women have become family and each has helped me every bit as much as they’ve helped Jack.

Last weekend when Monica arrived to hang with Jack for a few hours, she noticed right away that I was not myself. I shared that I was feeling a little off and she pondered if there was something in the air lately. She too had been feeling a little blue and told me that she’d been spending time listening to wellness speakers and reading inspirational books. 

She shared something she’d heard and found motivating.

When you get in a taxi, you need to tell the driver where you’re going. If you don’t, they might be willing to drive you around, but it’s unlikely to get you to where you want to go. Even if it does eventually get you there, it’s not a direct route and can be expensive. “Words are powerful, Jess. Find the words for where you want to go.”

Wow!

As soon as she shared that story, Monica started putting on Jack’s shoes and left me there thinking as she took Jack to Wendy’s to pick up some bacon-double-cheeseburgers. She had no idea that she had given me the last kick I needed to make a big change.

I sat down on the living-room couch and asked myself to figure out the words for where I wanted to be in five years. The words were right in front of me. I then called my mother and told her what I was thinking — I told her my words (I know I’m 50, but she will always be my goto person when I’m struggling). She said, “I think that it’s a dandy idea. Move forward Tates. Don’t let anything stand in your way.”  I spoke to Dan who told me he was proud of me and supported me 100%. By the time Monica and Jack returned to the house with their greasy fingers and full bellies, I was on the computer researching master’s programs. By next week, my applications to get a MA in Counseling will be complete and I’m hoping to start in January.

Truthfully, I’m not usually a person who believes in everything happening for a reason and that the world makes much sense. I’m more practical and believe that life is usually a mess and it’s our responsibility to make the most of it. Either way, Monica’s words hit me in an unexpected way and I am grateful. I’m ready for my next chapter now and I am relieved to finally have a plan. I’m aware that I haven’t actually been excepted into any program, but my words are out there so what could go wrong?😏

I’m fifty. I’m a wife and a mother and a friend. I’m a writer and a photographer and teacher. I’m also a special needs mother who’s passionate about working with other parents who are struggling to find their way. And, here’s what I’ve discovered folks — I’m also a taxi driver. Thank you Monica!!!!!

Love, Jess

I searched the internet trying to find the source of the taxi story. I couldn’t, but I did find this one.

“Life is like a taxi. The meter just keeps a-ticking whether you are getting somewhere or just standing still. — ” Lou Erickso

And of corse, I’ve always loved this one.

“I may be going to hell in a bucket, babe. But at least I’m enjoying the ride, at least I’ll enjoy the ride.” — The Grateful Dead

One more thing — Peter is included as one of Jack’s other mothers.