TAKING THE NEXT STEP...

Hi Everyone,

We want to begin this post by saying how much we appreciate the positive response we have received to our blog! We so appreciate the many emails we have received and the comments that you have posted. We are also delighted to have heard from other ALS patients that have seen Gene's profile on ALS websites; we welcome you here and hope you will return to check up on us.

Okay, down to business! We are off to San Francisco tomorrow! Our doctor here has arranged for us to see one of the leading ALS research doctors in the US at the Forbes-Norris MDA/ALS Research Center. They are conducting some new clinical trials that Gene may qualify for and they are also on the forefront of ALS treatment looking for new ways to prolong life in ALS patients.

This will be the first time that we are traveling as a disabled person and we need to take advantage of those nice people at the airport that wheel you through to your gate and then wait there when you get off the plane. Of course, this is very humbling for Gene who has always been so capable and I'm usually the one running to try to keep up with him! But they say God has a sense of humor and we have been doing a lot of laughing because when we made our flight reservations we had to go with Virgin America (we have never flown with them before, in fact I wasn't sure they were even a legitimate airline!). Check out the picture; they advertise that they have mood lighting during the flight. We half expect the pilot to come out and say we are on "Cash Flight" (Cash Cab). Gene is doing a really good job at keeping his weird sense of humor and he keeps me laughing, but I keep telling him that his sense of humor is inappropriate for someone in his condition because people don't get it! I guess that is one reason we have had such a great marriage is because I get it. In fact, we are sitting here cracking up as I write this!

But all kidding aside, here is one of our "don't waste your ALS" plans. Gene had the idea to make up some business cards with his name and our blog address on it. As you know, Gene is a very friendly guy. We have noticed that people tend to stare at you when your giddy-up isn't working too good, or you are pushing a walker or riding a mobility scooter, so Gene uses the opportunity to strike up a conversation and then he wants to hand them one of his cards. They say "Gene McCain--I have ALS, but God has me!" and then it has our blog site on it. It also has Romans 8:18 on it I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

People are receptive to him. He is taking a huge stack of his cards to San Francisco with us. The clinic has the largest ALS population of any other clinic. We have not yet met a fellow ALS patient in person and we are looking forward to it. In fact, God is really touching our hearts with an awareness of all the disabled people that we are seeing in the community lately. I am amazed at how many attend our church!

We will report back to you when we return from the "trip".

Gene has finally fallen asleep and as I glance over at him I think how hard it is for him as he continues to lose his strength and independence. As I see him reflect Jesus, I have never been prouder of him or loved him more. When I look at him I think of the verse that I will close this post with: 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power my rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. for when I am weak, then I am strong. Gene is one of the strongest weak people I know.

We are so blessed to have you all in our life,

Gene and Michele