by Amanda Wood
My husband Kenneth Dunlap underwent four back surgeries during the summer of 0f 2022. For years, his pain and frequent falls, foot drops, and muscle cramps were misdiagnosed as back issues. After the surgeries his back pain was relieved, however, Kenneth was unable to regain strength or walk on his own. I moved from Virginia to Georgia January 22, 2023, to help Kenneth with his recovery. On February 8th, Kenneth’s diagnosed was ALS.
A little back story, Kenneth and I met in 1993. We spent all our free time together that year and into the spring of 1994. Neither of us ever told the other how we really felt about each other, and we both eventually met and married other people. I moved across the country, and we lost contact.
Christmas Eve of 2021, I received a message from Kenneth. We had not seen each other since 1994. With joy in my heart, I responded to that message, Kenneth and I talked every day thereafter.
The diagnosis of ALS was gut wrenching. We both understood that our plans collectively and separately were gone. Kenneth was no longer going to be able to live on his own. In February, Kenneth was still able to walk short distances with a walker. By the end of March, Kenneth had lost the use of his legs. July was the left hand.
Kenneth had always teased me that he had wanted to marry me since 1993. In July we decided to make that dream come true and in a small backyard ceremony we exchanged vows on August 5th. We planned to honeymoon in the Georgia mountains in October of 2023, however, on September 29th at 2:30 a.m. Kenneth aspirated on a pill that broke in half. Each half went down a different pipe. I performed CPR until an ambulance arrived to take him to the hospital. The doctors decided that Kenneth needed a tracheostomy and a Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG) insertion. During the procedure for the PEG, the surgeon accidentally cut an artery between the two stomach walls. The mistake was unnoticed for hours until I alerted them that something was wrong. Within minutes he crashed. Eleven people rushed into the room, and they escorted me to the lobby to wait. Miraculously, Kenneth survived. 68 days, it took us 68 days to come home from ICU/Acute Care. He beat the odds. We beat the odds together.
Our hopes of ever going on a trip, much less a honeymoon, seemed impossible. The doctors told us that Kenneth would never go home & in all reality he should not be alive. Kenneth and I are together 24/7 and seldom leave the house as it is a large undertaking to take Kenneth and his equipment out of the house.
When we applied for a dream trip for Kenneth, I thought it was a long shot. Emily Elizabeth from Team Gleason told us about handicapped accessible cabins in Tennessee that would have everything we needed floorplan wise. We chose a beautiful cabin at the Little River Valley Mountain Resort in Sevierville, Tennessee. My Sister Sharon Auman and her husband Andy Auman volunteered to help us with the drive from South Georgia. My best friend Trish Ransford and her daughter Roni also volunteered to drive from Virginia and meet us in Tennessee.
It took two vehicles to bring the equipment needed and all hands were utilized with pushing equipment carts and taking control of Kenneth’s powered wheelchair.
A week before our trip, Kenneth’s pup Sophia Olivia had an emergency Splenectomy and mass removal. I called the resort; they were understanding about our need to bring his pup along with us. When I mentioned leaving our other puppy, Mokey Clarice, with family, the kind staff told us to bring her as well. I gladly paid the pet deposit and Sophia Olivia and Mokey Clarice joined the party.
Our adventure was AMAZING! The view of the mountains with the fall colors was breathtaking. Kenneth attracted attention on our journey. People stopped and asked if they could pray with him. A sweet gentleman at the flea market gifted Kenneth with three beautiful wooden plaques. A very suave raccoon snuck up to the second story deck as we were looking out at the mountains, he/she “Ricco Suave Raccoon” grabbed Kenneth’s hand before we knew he was there. Kenneth was unharmed by the raccoon and the gentle soul eventually agreed to leave once it was, we would not be doling out tasty goodies. We all enjoyed loading up in the van and driving through the mountains. Due to Hurricane Helene, there were sadly, no running waterfalls.
We celebrated Roni’s 25th birthday and Kenneth’s 54th birthday at Muchacho Alegre Mexican Restaurant. The staff were very attentive and accommodated our party with all of Kenneth’s equipment and both puppies. The staff and management came out to the patio where we were sitting and sang for both of them. Then we went back to the cabin and played card games on the deck while enjoying the cool mountain breeze.
