Beat-ALS

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, (aka ALS, Lou Gehrig's Disease, MND), is a relatively uncommon (about 4 to 6 diagnoses per 100,000 population, worldwide) neuromuscular disease for which neither the cause, nor any cure, is known. ALS is characterized by a progressive degeneration of motor nerve cells in the brain (upper motor neurons) and spinal cord (lower motor neurons). When the motor neurons can no longer send impulses to the muscles, the muscles begin to waste away (atrophy), causing increased muscle weakness. ALS does not impair a person's intellectual reasoning, vision, hearing or sense of taste, smell and touch. In most cases, ALS does not affect a person's sexual, bowel or bladder functions.

Beat A.L.S. is my attempt to relate to the world that there is hope after a diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. No, there is no cure. And yes, the progression is relentless. But doctors are not God (although many would have you believe differently), and they cannot predict when you're going to die. I firmly believe that my rather cocky ‘if you can’t test for it, then maybe I don’t have it’ attitude (ALS is a ‘diagnosis by exclusion’ disease; they test for everything and if nothing shows a firm positive, then you have ALS), and my faith in God are why I am still around pestering you.

Today, I am not dead. And every day that I wake up "not dead" is going to be a GREAT day...