ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, attacks the nerves that lead to the voluntary muscles. When the nerves die, the muscles atrophy and become useless. The sense of touch is unaffected. I can feel a kiss on my cheek but I cannot raise my arms to hug or shake a hand.
The disease has chipped away at my body since I was diagnosed in February 2007. I enjoyed being six foot three inches tall and able to hike and kayak. When I started using a walker, my sense of physicality began to erode. This erosion continued through successive stages of using a wheelchair, a scooter, and now a power wheelchair which someone else has to move for me. The most recent blow to my appearance and sense of self is that I have started to drool. When I was looking for a nursing home to move into, I turned one down because there were "too many droolers in the hallway." It is an ironic lesson to me about my judgment that I have become a "drooler" myself. I hate it.
I take an anti-secretion pill before I come to worship at St. James. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Several weeks ago I was alone and started coughing during worship. I was choking on my saliva. When I got my coughing under control, I had drooled on my chin and shirt.
As I was sitting there with a wet chin and shirt and wondering what to do, a woman came to me and asked if I was alright. When she saw my plight, she got some tissues and wiped the spittle off my chin and shirt. She was not embarrassed and since she wasn't, neither was I. As she was doing it, she said, "We love you, Tom." Then she stood alongside me for a moment, not staring at me because that would have been awkward, but stood watching the worship. She was making sure I was okay before she left. I was okay and filled with gratitude. She checked on me again a few minutes later.
A lot of wonderful (full of wonder) things happen at St. James Episcopal Church during worship on a Sunday morning. We rise to worship and sing praises to God. We hear several readings of scripture and hear a message of application and inspiration. We pray together and pass the peace. We confess our sins and receive forgiveness. We eat and experience the glories of the Eucharist. Finally, we are sent into the world to serve our Lord. If you stop and think about what we do on a Sunday morning--communicate intimately with the Creator of the universe--it is spectacular.
Also spectacular was the simple act of love the woman, my friend, gave to me when she wiped the saliva off my chin. Many of you give me similar simple acts of love. These deeds of lived faith lift me up far beyond six foot three inches. I think that is full of wonder, too.
My mother was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) when she was 68 years old 2 years ago. The Rilutek (riluzole) did very little to help her. The medical team did even less. Her decline was rapid and devastating. Her arms weakened first, then her hands and legs. Last year, a family friend told us about Ogbeifun Herbal formula and his successful ALS TREATMENT, we contacted him. and ordered his ALS Formula, i am happy to report the treatment effectively treated and reversed her Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), most of the symptoms stopped, she is able to walk and eat well, sleep well and exercise regularly., she is pretty active now and her attitude is extremely positive.i joyfully recommend you to dr ogbeifun because health is wealth this is a very bad experience with those living with ALS please do not hesitate to contact him ogbefunhearlingtemple@gmail.com or call/whatsapp him via +2348102574680
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