ALS
What is ALS
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a disease that gradually gets worse that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Breaking the words down, 'a' means no, 'myo' means muscle, 'trophic' refers to movement (no muscle movement). 'Lateral' refers to the specific parts of the spine where nerve cells control movement. 'Sclerosis' is a term used to describe the hardening of these areas (which happens as the disease progresses).
In other words, ALS is a disease that causes motor neurons (cells in the brain the control movement) to lose function and die. Gradually, people with ALS lose the ability to control their bodies.
ALS Poem
It struck suddenly, unexpectedly casting me into a world of confusion and unknown. All of a sudden, I could not recognize myself anymore, as if the diagnosis itself broke me. First, it was just an occasional trip or a muscle spasm. But, quickly, I started having difficulty raising my feet. Soon I couldn’t move my foot at all. I felt myself deteriorating day after day, almost like my body was slowly melting away. I felt lost, trapped in my body. I would stare at my feet and legs to try to make them move for hours on end, hopeful for any sort of positive signal, anything at all. But nothing moved. I lost ambition. I had to quit my job. I couldn’t walk. I couldn’t even feed myself. I watched the days slip by. I watched love ones come in and talk at me. I was fully aware, but I couldn’t communicate. I couldn’t show my love and character. I couldn’t crack a joke or tell a story. I lost my voice and with it all my hope. I was defeated.