Just what does ALS mean to you? Too many people... it's a disease with a long name that people can't pronounce so to make it easy they named the disease after a baseball player that many people never heard of many years ago who had the disease (Lou Gerhigs ).
For others... it's a fatal disease and for the people who deal day in /out it's a disease that forces us to go to extreme lengths jumping out of planes or plunging into very frigged cold waters just to raise awareness to find a cure for a incurable disease.
Yesterday I found myself along with my husband raising ALS Awareness in a doctors office. I went in for flu symptoms talking with others in the waiting room. These people who we were talking to that knew little to nothing about ALS. After that John looked at me and said way to go we raise awareness again.
As the progression of this disease continues it toll on me I find myself fighting harder and stronger than ever before. Being diagnosed September of 09 I still find myself keeping active even though I depend on others for just about everything I do. But I say this not for sympathy but for People to understand more about ALS and to help others.
Many people ask what were my symptoms and really all it was was a slight continuous twitch that started in my left arm/hand. That was April of 09 today I no longer walk on my own. Matter of fact I do not do much on my own. Imagine being outside and a bug lands on you. Your natural instinct is to swat at it. With ALS I can not. Imagine laying in bed not being able to move or even pulling up the covers if you're cold. I go through this every day and others just like me go through this because of three letters with no cure... ALS!
So what does ALS mean to you? To me yes I do have ALS but having ALS doesn't mean that I am dying, it means that I am living and fighting ALS and each day I am able to share my experience and give hope to others to live, laugh and appreciate what they have to give to help others.
This year just like last year no resolutions made to be broken but this year will be the year for a cure. Now just so you know ALS to me stands for AMAZING/LOVING/SPECIAL people
One last note ; if you have gift cards from Christmas that you don't know what to do with, send them to your local ALS Organization and donate in someone's memory or honor.
Until we meet again I wish you a very happy New Year!
