Makes you wonder if there are many strains of ALS... so numerous that they can't be counted. It used to be there wasn't anyone under 50 known to have it... now it's getting down to teenagers! My dad died when I was 12. "They"said it was MS, but didn't act like MS. It was said that he likely had 3 different strains of things that couldn't be put into one diagnosis. He lasted 4 years from the start, and suffered with many things. He was 51 and passed in 1963. He was malnutritioned, had no muscles, and had bouts of severe pain in his face. He had his teeth pulled and had a nerve cut..... but nothing helped. He wasn't parylzed, and was bedridden... no bowel control and had to be catheterized. Sorry to be so graphic. His death certificate said malnutrition. Excuse my spelling.......The many different strains might explain the difference in the progression one to another.