Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Disease or (ALS) is also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Disease or (ALS) is also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.

This is a disease that slowly kills off the nerves that let you control your own body.  Its a slow process and can take years.

It doesn't get better and it doesn't go away.

There are a few parts that are less bad than others

The disease isn't known for affecting a person's mind or intelligence.  Unlike Alzhiemer's you are going to be you for the duration.  That's not to say a person can't be effected.  Of course not!  Depression is a real risk, its hard to keep you hopes up.  So as friends and family members its part of our job to help out as best we can on the mental health front.

Lou Gehrig's also isn't known for affecting a person's ability to see, smell, hear, taste, or fell a touch and most people keep control of their bowels and bladder as well as eyes muscles.... although help might be needed getting to and from the bathroom after a while.

Lou Gehrig's can go faster or slower.  It really varies from person to person.  Some can live with this disease for ten years or more.  More common is 3-5 years.

In the case of Colin he battled the disease for some two and a half years.

You can read a little bit about the man here at:
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/theolympian/obituary.aspx?n=colin-john-godat&pid=146849725

There's no known cure for Lou Gehrig's.  The only drug they've found so far that helps so far is riluzole.  This medicine can help with slowing down the disease but it doesn't give you back what you've lost and it doesn't stop further loss of control from occurring over time.

I'm going to stop for a while and come back again tomorrow.  I can only do so much at one time before I need a break from the subject.  But I promise to return later and try to discuss some part of ALS in more depth.