Covid vaccine

Last week the governor of Ohio added ALS to the list of qualifying medical conditions, allowing Kevin to schedule his first vaccine for tomorrow!   We are relieved to see things moving forward, and eagerly await the day that we will all be protected.

Kevin's speech is noticeably slower and more effortful.  I can still understand him most of the time during the day, but when he is tired (or frustrated, or laughing), he is very difficult to understand.  We are awaiting the arrival of an assistive communication device through Tobii Dynavox, but it will likely be May until it arrives.  Essentially, it is a tablet with built-in eye-gaze technology that will attach to his wheelchair and speak for him when he "clicks" on buttons by looking at them.  The software is customizable, so he will be able to create buttons with frequently used phrases, like "Let's have tacos," or "What's going on with our internet?" or, more recently, "I have an itch!"  Not sure how he's going to use it when he gets the burning tears, but well, one step at a time....

He also used some money from family to purchase a PCEye, an eye-gaze device which allows him to access his regular laptop as well.  The headmouse is still working for him, but we have learned with ALS that it is helpful to anticipate needs if you can.  Kevin's work on his own Headmouse Pi is on hiatus for now; he has reached a sort of plateau in its development, and was starting to feel a bit "burnt out."  We've been using some of our free time in the afternoons to sneak in a little computer game playing, instead.  We worked our way through The Witness, and are currently exploring Thimbleweed Park, an adventure/mystery game of sorts.  Fun, quirky.   Something we both enjoy and can do despite downers like Covid and ALS (insert appropriate "neener-neener" emoji here).