Books with title Goodnight Baxter

Goodnight, Bob is a blending of two stories; it spans 51 years and chronicles a love affair between a 15-year-old girl and a 21-year-old young man, who elope on a dare from a friend. The book describes the struggles and successes of a woman who became a wife and mother, while still a child herself. Bob was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in 2002. ALS is a debilitating, neurodegenerative illness that slowly leads to paralysis and death. Goodnight, Bob speaks of the inevitable difficulties and relentless stress we experienced as our relationship slowly evolved from that of husband and wife to that of patient and caregiver. Our story is written honestly and bluntly, with all struggles, mistakes, and pain revealed, along with the humorous, vulnerable, and loving times. Goodnight, Bob was written with the hope that those who are living with a debilitating illness will know they are not alone.

I saw the doctor's lips moving, but as soon as he spoke the first word of Bob's diagnosis, I stopped listening. I did not want to hear that my suspicions were correct. We were looking for a reason that would cause Bob to have increasing weakness in his arms and hands. Over the past year, he had slowly lost muscle strength in those extremities. His arms flopped against his body and hung from his shoulders. They were useless. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a slow tormented way to die. Bob was given a death sentence. This is the story of a love affair that lasted 51 years. My husband and I lived with the ruthless monster with the initials ALS for four of the 51 years. Our story speaks of the heartaches we endured and the humorous times that helped us get through another day.