Hi
My name is Andy MacKinnon, I am 19 years old and I am a sophomore at Miami University. My father, Keith, was diagnosed with Bulbar Onset ALS June 6, 2009. He is my best friend in the entire world and I cannot imagine one without him in it. He started off with slurred speech, sounding like he was drunk even when he woke up in the morning. At first he had good speaking days and then bad speaking days, with the bad getting more prevalent as the days went by. After many visits to several different doctors, he was finally diagnosed with ALS on my first day home for Summer Break after my Freshman year. As the days wore on while we were trying to deal with the news, my dad starting losing the power is his right arm. My dad played football in his high school years and was an absolute horse strength wise. Soon his left arm joined in the degradation and then his wrists followed. To date, he has lost over 40 pounds, mostly muscle. One day as we were at my future fiance's house, her little brother (5th grade) and my dad and I went out back to shoot a basketball and at this time it had become apparent that he had lost power in his wrists. He was able to drain shots like it was nothing just last year, and now the same man, under a year later, could not even make it above the rim. I almost broke into tears right then and there seeing his face. ALS is not cracked up to be a walk in the park, but I never expected it to be this bad. My whole life has been turned upside down. My father is having fits of unexplainable anger, binge drinking, body pain (which we were told he wouldn't have?), unbelieveable sadness, and this stupid disease has taken away everything he valued in his life (he was the most sociable man I knew and one hell of strong man, physically and emotionally, and ALL that has changed). As for my mother, her father 80 years old, was just diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, that has begun to spread throughout his body and the end of his days are emminent and her mother has a horrible case of Alzheimers and then on top of that her husband of 25 years has only 2-5 years to live (if that). As for me, I am a much more angry person than I was this time last year. I wake up some mornings wandering why god would put such good innocent people through this? I still am not comforted by all the literature that I read. I cannot fathom why my god would want my good father to suffer like this? I have never seen or even known about my father crying before this happened. It is a sight I will never, EVER forget for the rest of my life. I am scared, alone and angry at everything. Please is there anything ANYONE can do to ease my trouble? Please don't hesitate to ask questions or give advice. I am VERY in need.
God Bless
Andy MacKinnon
My name is Andy MacKinnon, I am 19 years old and I am a sophomore at Miami University. My father, Keith, was diagnosed with Bulbar Onset ALS June 6, 2009. He is my best friend in the entire world and I cannot imagine one without him in it. He started off with slurred speech, sounding like he was drunk even when he woke up in the morning. At first he had good speaking days and then bad speaking days, with the bad getting more prevalent as the days went by. After many visits to several different doctors, he was finally diagnosed with ALS on my first day home for Summer Break after my Freshman year. As the days wore on while we were trying to deal with the news, my dad starting losing the power is his right arm. My dad played football in his high school years and was an absolute horse strength wise. Soon his left arm joined in the degradation and then his wrists followed. To date, he has lost over 40 pounds, mostly muscle. One day as we were at my future fiance's house, her little brother (5th grade) and my dad and I went out back to shoot a basketball and at this time it had become apparent that he had lost power in his wrists. He was able to drain shots like it was nothing just last year, and now the same man, under a year later, could not even make it above the rim. I almost broke into tears right then and there seeing his face. ALS is not cracked up to be a walk in the park, but I never expected it to be this bad. My whole life has been turned upside down. My father is having fits of unexplainable anger, binge drinking, body pain (which we were told he wouldn't have?), unbelieveable sadness, and this stupid disease has taken away everything he valued in his life (he was the most sociable man I knew and one hell of strong man, physically and emotionally, and ALL that has changed). As for my mother, her father 80 years old, was just diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, that has begun to spread throughout his body and the end of his days are emminent and her mother has a horrible case of Alzheimers and then on top of that her husband of 25 years has only 2-5 years to live (if that). As for me, I am a much more angry person than I was this time last year. I wake up some mornings wandering why god would put such good innocent people through this? I still am not comforted by all the literature that I read. I cannot fathom why my god would want my good father to suffer like this? I have never seen or even known about my father crying before this happened. It is a sight I will never, EVER forget for the rest of my life. I am scared, alone and angry at everything. Please is there anything ANYONE can do to ease my trouble? Please don't hesitate to ask questions or give advice. I am VERY in need.
God Bless
Andy MacKinnon