I was diagnosed with ALS in late 2004 while living and working in Sydney, Australia. In retrospect my first symptoms (coughing, crying and yawning) started several years earlier. My husband and family were still living in New Zealand and I chose to remain in Sydney and continue working as a clinical research associate. For the next two and a half years I travelled extensively for work and holidays while slowly losing my voice and my ability to eat. My book is not only a "cannot put down" story, but a very poignant milestone in understanding the human tragedy of ALS - see below