<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto">Thank you Andrew. <div>Merry Christmas\U0001f332</div><div><br id="lineBreakAtBeginningOfSignature"><div dir="ltr">Sent from my iPad</div><div dir="ltr"><br><blockquote type="cite">On Dec 13, 2025, at 11:33\u202fAM, Andrew via NHLakesChapter <nhlakeschapter@nfbnet.org> wrote:<br><br></blockquote></div><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr">\ufeff<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style>@font-face { font-family: "Cambria Math"; }
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div.WordSection1 { page: WordSection1; }</style><div class="WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Here\u2019s the text from Randy\u2019s facebook post:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Good Saturday morning, everyone. This is a longer life update.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">After a week here at Mass General Hospital, they will be discharging me later today to head home with Tracy and an aggressive outpatient follow-up plan.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Unfortunately, we have not yet resolved my situation, but we have learned a considerable amount and have established a clear outpatient strategy to continue<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">that work and carefully coordinate how and when to advance treatments in ways that can truly be meaningful and effective.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Candidly, this is a mixed bag of news.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Let me start with three significant positives.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">First, my sleep continues to be pretty solid, with every expectation that this will continue and bring long-term, increasing benefits across every aspect<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">of my life.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Second, we have seemingly minimized or mitigated the migraine challenges to the point that I may return to the infrequent level I experienced before this<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">condition began. We will see how that holds up as I transition back home, but there is a reasonably high degree of confidence on this front.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Finally, and perhaps most positively, there is a deep comfort in being able to return home. I am really looking forward to being there with Tracy, Swirl,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">and Nama.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">All of those genuinely good and hopeful points aside, there are still some significant concerns.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">I can expect frequent episodes of syncope, meaning I may become lightheaded and potentially black out multiple times a day, even with minimal exertion.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">The good news is that this tends to present as a sliding scale, giving me warning to get to a safe place and reduce activity before things escalate. Even<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">so, this makes traveling anywhere difficult, including navigating within my own home.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">In addition, my vestibular system is not functioning well. This means I can become vertiginous and sufficiently off balance to fall erratically and dangerously,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">often with little to no warning. This is a very significant risk, especially as a 6\u20194\u201d, blind guy. While this is not occurring at the extreme level of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">the days when I was asked to remain in a wheelchair full time, it is happening often enough that I must be exceedingly cautious. This will have a meaningful<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">impact until we are able to address it more fully.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">As test results continue to come in and studies are completed, the plan will become clearer. In the meantime, the team has asked for a short window of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">patience while we pursue an aggressive outpatient approach. This will involve frequent trips into Boston. Tracy and I will be evaluating how I travel and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">navigate, and for now that will likely mean using a travel wheelchair outside the home, simply because we cannot yet ensure my safety with walking alone.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">This does not mean I should expect to be relegated to a wheelchair long term. It does mean that, for the short term and outside my home, this is the safest<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">choice. I am conflicted about it, but I am also resolved. Safety matters, and I want to make the right decisions, even when they are uncomfortable.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Appointments are already lining up, including as early as the coming week, which is pretty remarkable.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Am I nervous and concerned? Absolutely.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Do I still have the same level of hope and optimism as when we first began this journey here at Mass General? Yes, I honestly do.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">This is a complex situation, and it is not surprising that it takes time. The team is being deliberate and precise, focused on finding the root cause rather<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">than simply applying a temporary fix that might mask the real issue and allow it to worsen.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">I suspect many of you may have questions. To be candid, I have plenty myself, and I am still doing a lot of processing. I ask for a bit of grace and patience<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">right now. You are welcome to ask, but I likely will not be putting effort into answering questions just yet, as I continue to sort through my own understanding<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">and mindset. Perhaps starting next week we can dig into that more.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">What I do know, without question, is how incredibly kind, supportive, and encouraging so many of you have been. Please trust me when I say I appreciate<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">it more than most of you will ever know.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">I expect to head home mid to late afternoon today, and I will likely be radio silent until Monday.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><span>_______________________________________________</span><br><span>NHLakesChapter mailing list</span><br><span>NHLakesChapter@nfbnet.org</span><br><span>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nhlakeschapter_nfbnet.org</span><br><span>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NHLakesChapter:</span><br><span>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nhlakeschapter_nfbnet.org/dolllady1%40ne.rr.com</span><br></div></blockquote></div></body></html>