I am a 63 year old male who has led a very active lifestyle. I am a Vietnam vet and I am so thankful to the quality of care I receive at the Minneapolis VA. I first noticed that I was slurring a few complex words just after Christmas 2008 although no one else seemed to notice. I was diagnosed with ALS at the U of MN ALS clinic on Apr. 29, 2009. I no longer can speak and use a machine to communicate. As of Feb 2011, I have become increasingly reliant upon my wheelchair. I do get fatigued easily and pace myself every day. In Nov, I started using my feeding tube for all my nourishment.

I had the G-Peg installed March 2010 and was using it daily for water needs. A swallowing study conducted November 2010, showed silent aspirations of virtually everything I eat or drink so I switched to an all liquid diet immediately.  It has not been a hardship because the two hour meals were getting tedious.  I remain optomistic that treatments will be found that will slow the progression of the disease. 

I look forward to purchasing a special van with a ramp because it will mean I can get out of the house again.

On the family side, my wife and I pray daily for all our blessings and we look forward to the times when we can visit our kids and grandkids.