ALS
For the past two years I have seen a co-worker of mine leave work often. I first saw him in his wheel chair and laptop waiting to be pickup on a side street that is near my car. I noticed the laptop off hand that was mounted to his wheel chair and thought that was pretty cool. He couldn't move and he could really look around. But he had his laptop there to communicate. I thought to myself- hey if i was in that situation- i'd want a laptop too! So days go on and I see him again being picked up in his van- while his lab dog wait patiently for him.
It was amazing that he still went to work, and still went through his day. HIs body was frail- his skin was pale and I really didn't have a clue what was wrong with him. I though maybe he had gotten in a bad car wreck and that he had paralyzed himself... or something to that degree. I was just so impressed that he kept doing what he was doing.
So today when I was about to leave work for the weekend, I checked my email one last time and saw that a person at work had past way and they would be holding a memorial service. For some reason it triggered that memory of him (i hadn't seen him in quite some time and he slipped my mind) and thought maybe it was him. It said that he had been battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease. I quickly looked his name up and there popped up his picture. And boy was it different than the man I saw in the wheel chair.
My heart saddened and I knew that it was him who had past away. I looked at his picture and saw a young healthily man- probably my height and weight at the time of the picture.
It was just so odd to put the two together- to see what he looked like before hand and to know what he looked like recently. I have never paid much attention to Lou Gehrig's disease. I heard that it was bad- but couldn't put it to mind.
"Approximately 30,000 patients in the United States currently have ALS. The disease has no racial, socioeconomic, or ethnic boundaries. The life expectancy of ALS patients is usually 3 to 5 years after diagnosis. ALS is most commonly diagnosed in middle age and affects men more often than women."
But now i do... and now i know. the emotion of that- of seeing that person- of knowing that nothing could be done.... that makes me very sad. But when i saw his picture today- before he was sick- i could see beyond that -- see inspiration in his eyes.
It makes me think of my own health and how i am doing. I need to understand that i am completely blessed by what I have been given.
its amazing what death can bring- sadness, joy, so many emotions. But for a person I never really knew, I'll miss him.