About This Blog

Since this blog is nearly 5 years old as I write in February of 2014, I thought it appropriate to add this comment. This was written day by day, starting in June of 2009, as this challenge unfolded. Rather than go back and edit it to past tense, I'm leaving it just as I wrote it. The hope and anticipation we all felt in the early months of this journey are evident, just as they happened then. I hope you are blessed in some small way by reading our story:

Hi, I'm Dick Aitkins. For 50 years and counting, I've been Bettie's husband.

Many of you reading this blog know me and are now supporting me in myriad ways for which I thank you.

I'll be posting basic information on Bettie here to keep you, her many friends and supporters, appraised of her condition and progress.

I'll try to post anything of significance and keep this as current as possible. As we progress through this challenge, I'll probably find this to be a useful part of my own therapy.

Posting this information here is intended to help her many concerned friends get the latest update, while saving those of us directly affected from having to field and respond to multiple inquires each day. However, please do not interpret that as meaning that the family and I do not want to hear from you...we do, really. Feel free to call or e-mail and we can get right to the really supportive stuff without having to repeat the daily update -- visit the "Profile" page for our contact info.

The articles in the blog (called Posts) are arranged with the most recent one on top. That way you'll see Bettie's current status first, without having to scroll down. If you want to follow along in chronological order, you need to scroll to the bottom and click on "Older Posts". (The first post in the blog is titled "The Day it Happened".) Then work your way back up to the top. Or, just click the link Download & Read all Blog posts in chronological order (pdf) in the upper right of this page.