Tom

[Guest guest]

Joan,

Rob and I were shocked and saddened to hear of Tom's passing. You

have been on my mind since the Christmas card I sent you was returned

because I somehow addressed it incorrectly.

As others have mentioned, I'm glad you had a wonderful, memorable

trip to New York. But I'm so sorry that Tom was taken from you so

quickly and so prematurely. I know how difficult it would be for me

to lose Rob in that way. We too are still active and I simply can't

imagine my life without him. It's terribly sad and shocking to think

that this could happen.

Joan, I really can't find the words to adequately express how sorry I

am. I hope you know that you and your family are in our prayers as

to try to adjust to life without your soul mate.

With sorrow,

Carol & Rob

> Dear Group, I have not been in contact with you for sometime - Tom

broke

> his collar bone on Sept 11 - we were going to Boston. Due to his

fall, we

> realized it was time to move to a single level residence and we

sold our

> home and moved to Evergreen, Colorado to be our son and his

family. Tom got

> an electric cart which he loved and we liked our new place very

much. Tom

> wanted to do something special for our 40th wedding anniversary and

since

> our first date was on Valentine's 45 years ago we decided to go to

NYC

> Valentine weekend. We have 3 children and 2 of them along with

their

> husband and wife were able to join us. The Plaza was having a

special. It

> was the first time we had taken the cart on the plane. It was

easy, but the

> cart was not working when we got to NY. I was very depressed,

thinking the

> trip was going to be ruined, however, I was able to rent another

and we were

> off. Our son Ben had set up an appointment with Dr. Alterman who

does brain

> stimulation, and has done a couple of MSA patients, but Tom's

response to

> sinemet made the operation not worth while. We used van cabs to

move the

> cart around and only had one time where we just could not find

one. We went

> to Ground Zero, SoHo, Central Park, The Lion King, several dinners

out, we

> had a spectacular time. Our trip home was smooth, we flew

Vanguard, and for

> just $100 more had business class. Tom and I read together, and

then had a

> great conversation on our last leg. We arrived at Denver Airport

around

> 9:30pm, got our suitcases, were heading to the car - Tom was using

his

> walker and Tom complained of shortness of breath, then he fell,

Tammy and I

> pulled him up, Ben put him on the cart to push him to the car, he

did not

> look right - he looked as if he were having a seizure - he has had

this 2

> times before, Ben performed CPR, medics arrived 10 minutes later

and used

> the defibrulator - but to no avail. I was expecting to have him at

least 10

> more years - Tom had been an integral part of my life for 45 years

of my 60

> years. It is wonderful that we had just completed a wonderful

family

> experience, his communication with his children has always been

outstanding

> so they have no regrets or need to have cleared up anything.

> I have been more of an observer than a participant. We received

so much

> help and information from you all and I wish to thank you deeply -

we are

> asking that memorials be donations to the Shy-Drager Support Group

because

> it is such a vital service to those of us associated with this

disease.

> Joan , formerly of Seattle, and for now in Evergreen,

Colorado