Here we are in 2012 and Marlene is still thriving. I am proud of her. More than either of us admit to each other. She needs to realize that she is a miracle of life and she brings the best out in me. On my best day she is so much more than me or any of my educational certificates. She has the mind and the personality to make others feel better but she hardly ever focuses on herself----This year we celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary(Mar 21, 2012) and nothing I could give her would ever measure up to what she has given me over the years. She struggles with some things, like pain, weight issues, economic issues, and does it all in stride. I am working on being a better husband and spouse....
I am a work in progress .... More soon....God Bless Everyone! Doug.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Sunday, June 5, 2011
How to cope with an ailing loved one.....
Hello Everyone,
Life can bring many complications especially if your spouse, child, or other family member is ailing from chronic illness. My spouse has several medical conditions. She has TSC-Tuberous Sclerosis Complex ...
whose website is: http://www.tsalliance.org/index.aspx
LAM or lymphangioleiomyomatosis
whose website is: http://www.thelamfoundation.org/
She has diabetes milletus -type II
whose website is: http://www.diabetes.org/
She has osteoporosis
whose website is: http://www.nof.org/
And some other issues that may or may not have foundation support at this time--things like depression, chronic pain, irritable bowel syndrome, gerd, and others ...
But through all of this she is one of the few people I know that doesn't bellyache about every little medical issues she has. She realizes that there are many other people out there that have conditions and issues worse than hers.
She has a true belief in God and treats most people better than they deserve and she is my HERO---my ANGEL on earth. Believe in a higher power and let them walk with you during trial and tribulations that come at us in life. I will be back soon to add more to this blog. Thanks Doug Gempel
Life can bring many complications especially if your spouse, child, or other family member is ailing from chronic illness. My spouse has several medical conditions. She has TSC-Tuberous Sclerosis Complex ...
whose website is: http://www.tsalliance.org/index.aspx
LAM or lymphangioleiomyomatosis
whose website is: http://www.thelamfoundation.org/
She has diabetes milletus -type II
whose website is: http://www.diabetes.org/
She has osteoporosis
whose website is: http://www.nof.org/
And some other issues that may or may not have foundation support at this time--things like depression, chronic pain, irritable bowel syndrome, gerd, and others ...
But through all of this she is one of the few people I know that doesn't bellyache about every little medical issues she has. She realizes that there are many other people out there that have conditions and issues worse than hers.
She has a true belief in God and treats most people better than they deserve and she is my HERO---my ANGEL on earth. Believe in a higher power and let them walk with you during trial and tribulations that come at us in life. I will be back soon to add more to this blog. Thanks Doug Gempel
Duplicated from old blog ....
When she was 13, her family doctor was concerned enough about her red cheeks that he sent her to a specialist in Dermatology. The specialist determined that she had "Tuberous Sclerosis Complex". A rare genetic disease that affects 1 in 25000 births, TSC was attacking her kidneys. This killer is complex because it involves every major organ in the human system. Not all of those diagnosed with TSC will experince every manifestation. But my spouse has several. Her original kidneys were removed but before they were removed they grew in size to be as large as a laboratory wash basin. They had a large number of begnign cysts or tumors called "Angiomyolypomas. While she was at Mayo Clinic they also discovered that her lungs were similar afflicted with another genetic disease called "Lymphangioleiomyomatosis"(LAM). She was being looked at by doctors as a candidate for a kidney transplant and most likely a candidate for a lung transplant.
Doug Gempel
Hello Everyone, I apologize for not getting back to post here but this social networking thingee is relatively new to me and I am still trying to get the hang of it. Additionally as I am working towards my second Master's degree --I do not get a whole bunch of time to do some of the things I would like to do--namely be a forum for those who are ... Say More struggling, much the way my wife has over the last several years. With that said here goes:
I have always told Marlene: We can have all kinds of struggles and tribulations from disease and family and financial issues but no matter how bad we seem to have it we can always look around and see someone who is dealing with something worse---Like addiction, family dysfunction, disease, financial problems etc. I have been through some seriously bad times---but through it all this one thing always brings me back to reality --I know that there are people that have it worse than me and my family. I have had health issues of my own but MY HERO-BAR NONE --is Marlene.... She goes through a typical day with so many aches, pains, feelings,depression,anxiety about so many things but she doesn't let that stand in her way of being able to handle issues that arise from these serious complications and she also doesn't let them bring her down. She has more bad days of aches and pains--chronic pain from the LymphangioLeioMyoMatosis and the Tuberous Sclerosis, but she is also dealing with Osteoporosis, Diabetes Miletus,(Type II), COPD, and Chronic and enduring pain that would make us mere mortals cringe at the thought of it. Yet she still plows through the day better and more in tune with life than people who have 100 times better health than she does.
Doug Gempel
Hello Everyone, I apologize for not getting back to post here but this social networking thingee is relatively new to me and I am still trying to get the hang of it. Additionally as I am working towards my second Master's degree --I do not get a whole bunch of time to do some of the things I would like to do--namely be a forum for those who are ... Say More struggling, much the way my wife has over the last several years. With that said here goes:
I have always told Marlene: We can have all kinds of struggles and tribulations from disease and family and financial issues but no matter how bad we seem to have it we can always look around and see someone who is dealing with something worse---Like addiction, family dysfunction, disease, financial problems etc. I have been through some seriously bad times---but through it all this one thing always brings me back to reality --I know that there are people that have it worse than me and my family. I have had health issues of my own but MY HERO-BAR NONE --is Marlene.... She goes through a typical day with so many aches, pains, feelings,depression,anxiety about so many things but she doesn't let that stand in her way of being able to handle issues that arise from these serious complications and she also doesn't let them bring her down. She has more bad days of aches and pains--chronic pain from the LymphangioLeioMyoMatosis and the Tuberous Sclerosis, but she is also dealing with Osteoporosis, Diabetes Miletus,(Type II), COPD, and Chronic and enduring pain that would make us mere mortals cringe at the thought of it. Yet she still plows through the day better and more in tune with life than people who have 100 times better health than she does.
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