Taking time to say, “THANKS”

It is time a take a short break and let you know how much I appreciate you reading my blog. I have been blogging now for five months and published 92 articles. When I started, I really did not know what to expect or whether anyone, other than my family, would read these articles. I hoped to be able to reach out to a few people struggling with Kennedy's Disease (Spinal Bulbar Muscular Atrophy) and perhaps provide support by letting them know that they are not alone. I felt that if I could touch a few lives that it would all be worthwhile. I also wanted others to know that living with Kennedy's Disease is something that not only affects the individual, but it also affects the entire family. Finally, I wanted to personalize the story so that everyone could understand the pain, frustration, and, most importantly, the humor that comes with living with the disease. Humor, in many ways, is our salvation. If we cannot laugh at ourselves, than it would indeed be a terrible disease.

Well, after a slow start, readership is picking up and more people are commenting (either by email or in the comments section at the bottom of each article). Almost 1,100 people from 51 countries have visited my blog and there has been over 4,100 page reads. That is not a lot in the blogging world, but to me it still seems to be a lot. An even more interesting statistic is that January's readership is up 13% over December (my previous highest month).

When I first conceived the idea, I never knew what to expect or whether I would have the discipline to continue to write three-plus times a week. Several times I did not believe I had another topic to write about in me. Then, magically, someone posts a comment (or sends an email) telling me how much he or she liked an article or they share some useful tip that might help me. Just knowing that someone still finds the topics and my style interesting, informative and/or enjoyable seems to keep me going.

So, today I am stepping back from my normal articles to say, THANK YOU for reading my blog. And, thanks to everyone who has commented. Comments, whether positive or negative, are important to me. I believe comments add much to the articles because they reflect support, another point of view, an experience, or an issue that others need to consider. I would also be interested in your thoughts on other topics that might be of interest.

In closing, let me say again, please feel free to comment on my articles. By taking a moment to share your thoughts you add much to these articles. The articles then become more than just something I said or believe. In addition, by adding a comment, you might just be helping the next reader. 

And always remember, you are not alone!

One way or another, we are all living with Kennedy's Disease because we now know someone who shares that unique DNA mutation.


 
BTW: This coming Sunday's article deals with Muscle Memory. I would really value your comments on that subject because it intrigues me.