Greg's Journal

Grace Mason   Greg, great news about your FIL! I'm glad they have ruled out MS for your son. Hope he can get some answers soon.

Pamela Gregory  You have such a great view for your son. I will also say a prayer for a hopeful outcome. Great about your father-in-law doing well!🙏💗

Ana Brusso  Hi Greg, thank you for your update on Norman, glad to hear his good news. Also glad that there is no MS for your son. You and your family have endured so much, but your faith has helped you and I know God will be with you all always. God bless you and continue to give you His Peace. 🙏❤️

Rose Madura  Greg, good news about Norman.  Thanks for the update and for sharing the news about your son. You have a strong constitution and I'm sure you realize how much your faith in God helps. God bless you and your family.

Ana Brusso  I will lift him up in prayer Greg. What’s his name? God bless him and give him His peace. 🙏❤️

Greg Lewis  He likes to laugh a lot! I found this..and his name is Norman GUNDERSEN, so I showed it to him tonight...

Deena Elani  Definitely in my prayer tonight and going forward.  Please update us and remind us about the prayers.❤️

Donna Casaletto  How do you find these comic pics? It is hilarious and humor is the best medicine!! Sending more 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

Mindi Wieseman  That's funny, Greg! Norman did laugh, right??........ Sending prayers and positive thoughts to you, Norman

Patsy Stewart  Greg, your father in law, Norman, will definitely be in my prayers. Also sending hugs and prayers to your wife. I'm sure she's having lots of things go through her mind. Prayers and continued healing for you as well. 17 blockages is totally unreal! Safe travels on Sunday. Tuesday can't get here fast enough!~❤️

Madeline Hagman  May the Lord God bless him with great skill and wisdom for his surgeon and staff attending to all his care.  May Jehovah Rophe the God who heals touch him in a special way!  I speak healing in the name of Jesus.

Lilly Black  Greg, OMG! did he find it funny? I was always worried that I would wake up during surgery as they were sawing through my sternum! but TG it didn't happen! good luck to your father-in-law!

Greg Lewis  We saw Diana's dad today. He's doing good. Surgery still planned for Sunday. Smuggled him in some jelly beans. He tore in to them pretty fast!! I showed him the posts from all of you, but had to stop, because it was making him cry. 
It is  amazing to us the care that all of you show, on this support group. He was pretty choked up. Thank you! 
He won't join here, only because he is not very tech savvy.

Danielle Elizabeth  Good luck and kudos for keeping up with the cardio despite these hurdles. Hope your results from tests are normal! 

Greg Lewis  Thanks gang! I am sure it will be fixable. They check some organs today. Personally I think it's cartilage damage. 

Greg Lewis  This community is just so helpful at keeping spirits up! It can be quite disappointing when you hit a new hurdle, as most of you know. It means so much to talk to people who get it! But get a Machiatto, and shift to a different gear, and be happy to be alive!!

Rose Madura  Sorry you are having pain Greg. I'm sure the doctors will figure it out and you will feel better soon.

Klara Čičić  Greg, I am sorry you have a new hurdle in front of you, but you will overcome this, I am sure. I can understand how you feel, I have hit the wall myself right now. We must stay positive!  

Klara Čičić  You are right, it means the world to talk to someone who truly understands this feeling. And about machiatto...I love it! 

Ana Brusso  Dear Greg, you are always in my prayers and will continue to be. God is in charged and He will take care of you. God bless you and touch you with His healing hands. 🙏

Patsy Stewart  Always a hurdle~always a way around it! This community is much like the little engine: I think I can. I think I can. I think I can! Sending prayers that it's an easy fix and you get some much needed relief. 

Deena Elani  Greg, great story, talk about being blessed. And also some good genes. Researchers say that if you live to be 95 or over you most likely have "old age genes". -- also referred to as methusaleh genes, but not at age 969 as in the bible. My bet is that her parents also lived to be in their 90s. So, for her, yeah, age is but a number, because she is actually aging slower than the average human. #Envious.

Ana Brusso  That’s a cute story, your neighbor has great genes. She sounds lovely. Richard you look great for your 70 something years 👍😊❤️

Klara Čičić  Heartbreaking indeed, Greg. So sorry to hear that about your son. I am wishing you strength, and peace and healing for your son.

Susan Lynn  Greg - I'm so sorry to read about your son. It can be a difficult season for so many people as you clearly stated. It's a good reminder for all us to be aware of the challenges, illnesses, and losses of those around us. It doesn't cost a dime to say a prayer or extend a bit of compassion and kindness to others in need.
Thank you for the thoughtful post.

Deena Elani  Merry Christmas, Greg.  So well said in the true spirit of Christmas. I hope your son had a much better day than expected today. God bless him.

Ana Brusso  Dear Greg, this is a great post and reminder of how blessed we are. I’m sorry about your son’s condition and will pray for him, for you and your family and the homeless. I wish God’s peace and comfort. Blessings 🙏❤️

Amy Berger  Praying for you and your family, thank you for your honesty and sharing with us. Definitely a timely reminder.

Rose Madura  Greg, I hope your son had a good day. You are so correct. We are so blessed and sometimes we forget to think of those less fortunate for whatever reason. I have two people dear to me who suffer from anxiety attacks and they are horrible for them to experience. Christmas is a great time to reflect and try to be kind to everyone as you so eloquently suggested. God bless you and your family.

Greg Lewis  Thank you everyone!  It is so incredible to have people, I have never met, respond in such a caring way. Not sure what to say...Thankyou from my heart!
And Adam had a great day today, at Christmas.  It was perfect! 
Tomorrow is to relax, and watch him eat everything in the house! Lol

Pamela Gregory  So glad your son had a great day! Hope you stocked up on lots of food. Thank you for always posting meaningful messages.

Donna Casaletto  So glad to hear your son had a great day! Great reminder that you never know what people are struggling with and the holidays can be tough on everyone!

Brady Busch  I've never heard of the term, scrupulosity,and had to look up the meaning.It's a good thing,that he has your love,help and faith in God.
The bible shows that Jesus came to deliver us from sin,because we are not able to do that ourselves.
I pray that his understanding is enlightened,to see that we have a forgiving and loving Father.

Kimberly Eisenhut  Greg,

 I began writing a response yesterday, but it was too difficult.

 My 17 year old son has severe anxiety, and panic also, on occassion. It runs in the family, as I myself have struggled my whole life as well as my other two children, all in similar ways. My son worries about being able to get a job because of his terrible anxiety, and it is so hard to watch him struggle with this, especially when I myself know how hard it can be. I agree that you just never know what someone is struggling with, and always to be kind, understandng and give Grace when needed. We have a difficult road ahead of us, as we will be needing to secure a new place to live in a few months also. The owner of the home I have been renting for years has not been paying the mortgage, and not sure what wil happen when bank owns the home again. Supposedly, my lease will be honered until June as per a Federal Law, but who knows? I am just so stressed and since rents are so crazy high now, it worries me we wont be able to find something I can afford. I just pray and hope for the best. 
Greg, my son did well Christmas Eve also, going to his older sisters house, but the next day had some panic, almost like the extra stimulus was too much maybe? The hardest part about being a parent is seeing your child, no matter how old, struggle. I am so glad your son was able to enjoy the Holiday. You are a good parent knowing and alowing your son to be who he is without feeling less than he is! Too many people just say, "toughen up" , or "stop being so sensitive". This is not in our control, so saying these things just makes it so much worse. My son tells me just talking to me when he is struggling brings him out of his anxiety/panic, and knowing I understand how he is feeling and he can tell me anything is better than any counselor hes ever talked to.
Thank you so much for sharing your post, it made me feel a little less alone in this.
Best wishes to everyone for the new year and any struggles or hardships you are going through, may they resolve, lessen and you be at peace. This is my hope also.
I am so very grateful for this site and the wonderful people willing to share and support each other.

Greg Lewis  Kimberly,  thankyou so much for the response. And I hope and prayed that your home situation will work out!  Adam has the exact same worries, with the job. Please let your son know that he is not alone. Adam found a job, but had to quit for awhile. He will look again, once his legs get better.

Greg Lewis  Richard, it will take more than a Moose to feed that mouth! Last time he was home he said it was good he was leaving, cause we were gonna starve him to death! Diana and I were like...what the heck!! 😂

Susan Lynn  Kimberly - You're such a wonderful mother. I'm happy to read that your son finds comfort in sharing his feelings with you.  I applaud you for developing such an open, honest relationship with him.  I wish you both the best. 

Greg Lewis  Brady, Wow! Thanks for the interest! scrupulously is a type of OCD. He knows about Jesus, but the OCD makes him fear doing anything wrong. But not regular fear.. horrible, terrifying, fear. I have had 20 years to try to understand it, and he still enlightens me when I am not helping, or making it worse. It is just such a huge topic of discussion. Just want to Thank you for your caring! It's incredible. .. have a great New Year's!!

Rhodie Jacobson  It is so heartwarming to know that your sons, Greg and Kimberly, had good days. I am so sorry for the struggles they and you endure. I pray God's blessings on your families. You sure are right...there is so much happening in everyone's lives...so much on your shoulders. God Bless YOU!

Ana Brusso  I’m so grateful for the people on this site. For Greg and Kimberly to share their struggles with their boys it’s amazing. More amazing is the kindness and support and comfort our heart warriors even with their own struggles provide them both and their families. God bless us all and keep us providing each other our love and support 🙏❤️

Kimberly Eisenhut  Greg,
I know there is a difference in our sons conditions, but the intrusive thoughts are debilitating at times for both, as well as constantly questioning themselves about every little thing and feelings of not being what they should be, how they communicate, and how they act around others. My son calls himself "awkward" a lot. I say he is stronger and more in tuned than most people and that he is one in a million, so think of it this way; "You are more self aware and have an amazing mind that very few people will ever know and that makes you even more invaluable, interesting and loved than most." "Normal" is a word that just does not exist in my household because it is just too broad and really has no meaning as far as living in this world. It's funny how my mind has adapted to thinking about so many things differently and turned that light on that lets you never judge another human being until you really know them and give them grace. We all have our own stories to tell. and they are all encredible, beautiful, sometimes painful, but they are ours, and I hope and pray more will catch on and show more compassion, love and understanding for us all.

Greg Lewis  Well said, Kimberly!  "Normal" is a fictitious word. It's a Good thing too. It would be a very boring world if we were all the same! 

Deena Elani  Wow. We never really know someone's pain, yet we judge in ignorant ways. Love wins.

Greg and Kimberly, thank you taking the risk that HVS is a safe place to share. It is hard to imagine walking in another's shoes, but it helps to try.

Wish there was something more helpful to say or do. The one thought to share is that maybe your children could find jobs that let them work at home all the time and not have the added stress of offices. In the mean time, you and your families are in my prayers; blessings your way in 2023.

Ana Brusso  Deena, so proud of you being my hvs godchild. You are so sweet and understanding. God bless you I also have a little Angel called Susan Lynn, so grateful for you two. 🙏❤️

Ana Brusso  Great story and funny, Greg. Merry Christmas to you and your family. Tell Dad I say Hi! God bless you and your family 🎄🎅🏼🙏❤️

Brady Busch  Merry Christmas,I like to grow fruit and took a motorcycle trip,2-3 years ago,from Seattle to near Calgary,at Okotoks.A place called the Saskatoon Farm.It has rows of yes,Saskatoons,only I call them Serviceberries.Bush Cherries too and some Figs in greenhouses.Good trip most of the way,when it didn't rain.

Greg Lewis  Richard, Clark would have loved those trips! Eddie too!! Our family may have resembled them sometimes!! 😂

Brady Busch  Serviceberries are probably what I've heard mostly,except an old botany teacher referred to them as Sarvisberry and after looking it up,he was correct.
The story about the name,from a source or two,came from the eastern US.In the pre-industrial age and the ground froze in the Winter.They couldn't bury the dead.So,during the Spring,when warming awakened the plants,the Serviceberry,(probably had another name)was one of the first to bloom.People saw the many white blossoms,knew the ground could be worked and it was time for a funeral service.
Here's some more names,if that one is a little too odd.Shadbush, shadwood, shadblow,  sarvisberry, sarvis, wild pear, juneberry, saskatoon, sugarplum, wild-plum, and chuckley pear.

Thomas Brusstar  We have visited Alberta, and I want to return to ski.  We visited the area around Banff one September, plus a visit to Drumheller for dino stuff.  I love it up there!

Greg Lewis  Anne, He does!! And he sent me a video of it, on Whatsapp, from Brazil, but I need a photo. It's beautiful!! And Richard...it has a Moose tree topper..lol

Richard Munson  I like that greg. We decided to opt out on a tree this year as our not so little furry friend seems to get into things he should not. Many moons ago our family friend decided the water in the tree stand was fair game. It was ugly. Lucky his insides never froze up from the sap. He was hog tied with xmas lights. 

Ana Brusso  I’m so sorry Greg you went through that horrible pain. Glad it subsided. I also feel my voice changing since ohs. I hope you don’t have that pain again. God bless you