Hi! Welcome to Sweet Speakable Sorrow. My name is Tricia, and I am my mother’s daughter. The day my mom, Susan Catlett, died, I removed her blog, Susan’s […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Outings / Susan's Steps
#1 The ALS Journey
Susan Catlett
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lament / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Outings / Susan's Steps
# 59 My ALS Journey–Call 9-1-1
As the Emergency First Responders headed toward the front door from our bathroom, I yelled to Tricia from the back of the house, “Get their picture!” Cliff was […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lament / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Outings / Susan's Steps
# 58 My ALS Journey–Catheters and Urine
Each week, as I prepare to write this blog, I spend time reflecting on events that impact my life, either directly or indirectly related to my ALS, keeping […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lament / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Outings / Susan's Steps
#57 My ALS Journey–Gimmicks and Gadgets
This past week, I was jazzed. I like being proactive and figuring things out. I am part of a Facebook group that is only open to ALS patients. […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lament / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Outings / Susan's Steps
#56 My ALS Journey–Walk and Roll With Me
After being diagnosed with ALS in August 2011, our world was turned upside down. We were advised: you have a life expectancy of two to five years, get […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lament / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Outings / Susan's Steps
#55 My ALS Journey—Some Really Good Things
“Grief is a part of what it means to be human in a broken world. And once you wrap your heart around that fact, your sorrows have a […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lament / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Outings / Susan's Steps
#54 My ALS Journey—The First Step
“It is not down on any map; true places never are.” Herman Melville As they say in many 12-Step Programs, “Hi, my name is Susan and I have […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Outings / Susan's Steps
#53 My ALS Journey—My Anniversary Date
“Lady, that’s where Jasper is. He’s in the green house over there!” I’m driving with my just six-year-old granddaughter, Selena, and I strain to turn my head to […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Outings / Susan's Steps
#52 My ALS Journey—The Electronic Dilemma
It’s a good reminder here that my mother rarely asked for help. She was highly independent, and even throughout her diagnosis, I was called to come to […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Outings / Susan's Steps
#51 My ALS Journey—Rule 15: Be a Crusader & Know Your Disease
Almost every post I add to this blog guts me. Of course, I miss my mother, but I am also overwhelmed with the sweet gifts her life continues […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Outings / Susan's Steps
#50 My ALS Journey—Well Deserved Tantrum
I am very sorry indeed to hear that anxieties again assail you. (By the way, don’t ‘weep inwardly’ and get a sore throat. If you must weep, weep: […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Outings / Susan's Steps
#49 My ALS Journey—Yesterday vs. Today
This week, I came across a new website entitled Her ALS Story. The site “seeks to raise awareness that ALS impacts young women diagnosed before 35 and provide […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Outings / Susan's Steps
#48 My ALS Journey—The Rule Book: Rule 12
A Rule Book by Susan Catlett Rule #12 for ALS This Rule is a reminder: it is not all about me. This is a tough rule because my […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Outings / Susan's Steps
#47 My ALS Journey—The Rule Book: Rule 11
A Rule Book by Susan Catlett A huge thank you to all for your encouraging words, thoughts, and prayers; it really helps to know you are all out there. […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Outings / Susan's Steps
#46 My ALS Journey—The Rule Book: Rule 10
A Rule Book (cont.) Rule Book and Artwork by Susan Catlett Adding rules to my Rule Book is great fun: it allows me to think through my days, […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Outings
#45 My ALS Journey—The Rule Book: Rules 7, 8 and 9
A Rule Book (cont.) Book by Susan Catlett Having fun and looking for joy in each day is one of my personal rules. I started my Rule Book to […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Susan's Steps
#44 My ALS Journey—Rules 4, 5, 6
A Rule Book (cont.) Book and Artwork by Susan Catlett I think my list of rules is getting longer; I now have over ten. I should probably condense […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Outings
#43 My ALS Journey—Need for a Rule Book
A Rule Book By Susan Catlett A Rule Book. That is what I need, something to tell me what to do and how to feel, because I don’t […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Outings
#42 My ALS Journey—Rude Betrayal
Rudely, my body continues to betray me. Rudely, my body betrays me and fatigues me before I am ready. Last night, we were at my daughter’s, having dinner […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Outings / Susan's Steps
#41 My ALS Journey—Being Stupid
“The attempt to develop a sense of humor and to see things in a humorous light is some kind of a trick learned while mastering the art of […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Outings / Susan's Steps
#40 My ALS Journey—Treasured Moments
“Our problems cannot always be fixed, but they can always be accepted as the very will of God for now, and that turns them into something beautiful.” Elisebeth […]