Cookie and I were married Feb. 4th 1962 and that day in late Oct. ,2008 represented the low point in our lives. It was very difficult for her but she managed to negotiate from the wheelchair to the van for the short ride to the nursing home. This was a whole new experience for us and needless to say we were both scared. We got her there and made the exchange from the van to another wheelchair and were ushered to an office where she was to be admitted. After signing off on the paperwork, which was considerable, she was assigned to room 13.

Throughout the years we had often functioned independently. When the boys were young she was there with them when my work would take me away from home for days at a time. I started OTR trucking in 1985 and was gone for weeks at a time but this was very different. I am sure some of you can identify with this situation and unfortunately others of you may also have to face this in the future. While she was in the hospital I had spent much of the day with her and had spent the night on occasion However the nursing home experience would provide her with care which I had yet to learn. More about that later. We agreed that I would be there for a while everyday and it would free up time for me. The quest began. PTL JPT