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Keith’s Story

Site created on January 12, 2022

Hello, and thank you for visiting! Jalene and I created this site so that we could keep you informed of our current situation, how I am doing, and what tasks or errands we might need help with. There are two ways for you to use this site: 1) You can "sign-in" or "follow" by setting up an account with your name, email, and password. You'll receive all the updates directly in your inbox. 2) You can simply visit the site anytime to see the updates.

I was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in August 2020, after a couple of years of strange muscle crampings and spasms. ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) is a fatal disease where the motor nerves in the body degenerate, with progressive loss of muscle function in all parts of the body. At this point, I can still walk with difficulty and using a walker, but my right leg and arm are quite weak, as is my core strength and breathing ability. While the electric wheelchair is such a wonderful help, eventually I will be wheelchair-bound and also require a ventilator. I was forced to retire at the end of 2020, several years earlier than I had envisioned. You can plan for most things in life, but not ALS.

We converted the house to ADA standards in 2021 by widening doors, installing a roll-in shower, and making many other changes. We were also extremely gratified by the large number of people who have and continue to support our GoFundMe effort (Team Keithbob). Enough funding has come in to offset the cost of buying an excellent used Toyota wheelchair van.

One thing we learned from our GoFundMe experience was that there are lots of people who want to help, but don’t know how they can. So check out this website for news of how Jalene and I are doing, and to see what things we need help with. Thank you so much for dropping in here, we welcome your interest and kindness.

With love to you all-
Keith and Jalene

Newest Update

Journal entry by Keith Matteson — Mar 3, 2023

Hi everyone-
Newsletter number three is out, just click on the link below to see it. This time around we're talking about caregivers, and how Jalene and I would be lost without them. It continues to just amaze me how many people want to help us out. We want you to know how deeply grateful we are to have all of you in our lives.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XcXyXuMk4GTJme8A9R4JHtqyt76MGra5/view?usp=share_link

Much love to you all-
Keith

Read More of the journal titled "March 3, 2023"

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