Living with ALS
The first symptoms of ALS appeared in my body when I was 29 years old. As it began, I thought nothing of what I was feeling. Every so often I would experience a muscle cramp, some minor muscular twitching or weakness. Being so young, I would typically ignore these symptoms and simply conclude I was tired or having a particularly rough day.
It was plausible for me to be tired and a little worn down. For years, prior I had been the guy to take every overtime shift, work a little harder than I had to, and really push myself to try get ahead. My approach was exhausting, but I knew I would eventually be rewarded. As a young adult, I worked every summer, slaving away, to save up enough money such that I could return to school in the fall and pursue my dream of becoming a professional electrical engineer. I did this on my own, and my plan was simple. Year after year, I would devote myself to discipline and as I watched my friends live for the day, my head was down in a book or working an extra shift such that I could facilitate my dreams for tomorrow. I was committed to delayed gratification, knowing that if I worked just a little harder now, I would reap the rewards in my future. And so, I worked avoiding every adolescent pitfall along the way, while preserving my dedication towards self-improvement. By uplifting those around me, I got to reward myself by seeing success in others, in addition to myself.
In 2009 I graduated from the University of British Columbia with a degree in Electrical Engineering. It was one of the proudest moments of my life. This was the moment where I could see the fruits of my labor finally paying off; I could accept the accolades knowing that I was only in this position because of my dedication. That which was once just a dream was now coming to fruition as a result of my effort. It was empowering to know that if I was willing to commit myself and do the work required, I would be able to achieve any of my dreams. With this, I continued to set goals for myself. I continued to work hard and be the best engineer I could be. The work that I did as an engineer was a labour of love. At work, I supported my colleagues professionally, respectfully, and courteously. At home, I supported my friends and family with compassion and consistency. As a result, I continued to excel and my life was finally becoming what I had always hoped it would be. The dreams that I had in my mind, for what I wanted my life to be, these same dreams that I would formerly obsess over and refuse to compromise on as I laid in bed, exhausted, likely after one too many extra shifts at work, and one too many bumps in the road, were finally my reality. I was elated. My life was finally what I wanted it to be and I was excited to see what I could achieve next. Then I noticed some muscular twitching, cramping, and a weakness in my left hand.
Over many months of medical correspondence, and as my physical health continued to decay, it was determined that my diagnosis was “probable ALS”. Since the onset, ALS has affected every area of my body. Its progression has been slow but relentless and I have watched it overtake my body one limb at time, day by day, progressively weakening me to the point where I will eventually become completely dependent upon others for even the simplest daily task. Regardless of my unwavering optimism, dedication to hard work and all of the other effort I put into making my life what I wanted it to be, ultimately, ALS will dictate my future.
ALS is an incurable and fatal disease that can strike anybody at any time. Despite how I’ve lived my life, it struck me. There is no known cause, nor is there any known cure. The only thing anybody can do is offer a financial contribution to the researchers attempting to understand and cure the disease, or the ALS Society of BC who support people like me by trying to make living with this disease more manageable.
Please support the Walk for ALS in your community www. walkforals.ca