Hello! My name is Heidi Good Swiacki. I have been married to Steve for 25 years, which has been filled with laughter, trust and love. We have 2 great kids, Ashton 22 and Chris 16. I have ALS, aka Lou Gehrigs Disease. I was officially diagnosed March '05, I was just turning 45. This blog will be about a myriad of topics. I will share my ALS story which will hopefully encourage others. It will show that quality of life comes in many forms. I have to tell you up front that there will be some spiritual references. Don't be afraid or turned off by that. Since I have had ALS I have seen many miracles. Let's be realistic, who can be a happy, non-verbal,ventilated quadriplegic without Faith? I hope you will join me and make this an interesting, educational, inspirational forum. Humor and the ability to enjoy life is required! :)


Heidi passed away 3-25-13 :(


August 4, 2013

Hello, Steve here. To help with the healing process, I am going to continue on with Heidi's blog, primarily talking about our lives and how we as a family are learning to live on with Heidi's memories pushing us forward. Topics covered will be geared towards the affects ALS has on loved ones.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Things That Crawl in the Night


My Quadriplegic nightmare
 
Ever since a little girl I have been wary of bugs. I love snakes but creepy crawlies, never.
Maybe it was too many Twilight Zone episodes. Tiny 6- legged creatures nesting in my nose or ears has been a key scenario in my terrified, head under the covers nighttime ritual.  If camping, I am the one burrowed down low with the zipper all the way up and the drawstring tight. 
I know that there are many of you that share my squeamishness, whether you admit it or not. Once I lost my mobility, my fear turned into terror. If there was a spider in my room, it was soon to be dead. Sorry, I am not a believer of sparing the lives of creepy crawlies.
Summer of 2010 there was a spider nest in my bedroom. We didn’t know until one night several babies were making their first solo flight down from the ceiling, right over my head. Luckily Steve was here and could see the frantic look on my face, followed my eyes upward and saw the mini-brigade of dive bombers.  He called my son in, because killing things is a guy thing. They assembled their weapons from a golf club and my walking stick and attacked the ceiling. I still have the marks above me to remember that fateful night.
Well, it gets worse. A few weeks ago I had a run in with an earwig. I never thought they could hurt people but I learned otherwise. Half asleep I feel creepy little legs on my cheek.My caregiver is asleep and I don’t want to open my mouth, or move for fear it will walk into my mouth. I feel the body intruder walking across my face.Skinny little legs just cruising along my cheek. If I knew how to close my nose and ears, I would have. Visions of Twilight Zone filled my head. Then the movement stops and I figure it’s going to go away. No,I feel and hear it CHEWING on me. CHEWING!! It seemed forever but was just seconds I imagine. Talk about feeling helpless. So, I just waited until it sated its thirst. Once it was full it walked it’s creepy little legs down my face. I didn’t feel it anywhere else so it must have gone somewhere to digest it’s big meal.  Chewing!!
The next day I awoke with nasty bite marks on my cheek. When Wanda changed my sheets we found the bloated earwig snoozing between the sheets. Boy that sucker did not want to die.  She pinched and pinched, he squirted out a lot of my blood but still didn’t die. The only burial for it was the porcelean flusher, it was going to a watery grave.
Sorry to those of you that believe in preserving ALL life. As a completely dependent, immobile, defenseless human, I will show no mercy to creepy crawlies.
 Zoom in on the sucker
Scars of Proof
Below are the pictures of 

2 comments:

  1. OMG! That is terrible. I am affraid to sleep right now because this house is infested with them right now. It's very disturbing to me.

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