THE PHYSICAL ASPECT

I mentioned in my last post that of the four aspects of this disease (physical, spiritual, emotional, relational), the spiritual is by far the most important in that it impacts all the others. Having said that, obviously the physical aspect is the most in-your-face of the four. One of the oddities of MND/ALS is that it affects everyone differently. Some are initially affected in only one or two parts of their body, others (like myself) are affected throughout the body. It can start anywhere, spread to anywhere, move quickly, plateau or even ‘burn out’ completely. No one knows what causes it, and there is no medical cure.

Of all the physical challenges I face related to MND/ALS, the most difficult for me is the degenerative nature of the disease. The almost continual need to make adjustments in order to compensate for increasing weakness can be very draining. However, I have disciplined myself not to dwell on the things I can no longer do, but rather to focus on the things I can do. And that has made a huge difference. It also helps to be a compulsive problem-solver—when something becomes too difficult, find another way to do it. Technology can also offer some very helpful solutions—like the head mouse I’m using to write this post.

Early on I identified the “Big 5” physical challenges of MND/ALS…
Ablutions – bathing and toileting
Transportation – including walking, driving, etc.
Consumption – eating and drinking
Communication – oral and written, verbal and non-verbal
Recreation – everything from sport to channel-surfing
Each of these areas contains their own challenges and milestones as the disease progresses.