ALS doesn’t have a cure, but compassion helps

In the fall of 2009, when my husband, Todd, first noticed a weak left arm, he thought it was a pinched nerve. He was referred to a spine-care clinic for physical therapy. A doctor there recognized that his symptoms might be due to ALS, canceled his physical therapy, and referred him to a neurologist.

While Todd waited for his appointment with an ALS specialist, he began seeing a chiropractor who focused on patients with neuropathic pain. It seemed to help, so we were hopeful that Todd’s weak arm was something other than ALS.

But an ALS diagnosis was eventually confirmed, and we were devastated. Todd’s chiropractor was visibly shaken, too, when Todd told him, and he asked if he could put Todd’s name in for prayer at his church.

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Todd continued to see the chiropractor after the diagnosis because it seemed to help his muscles function better. During that time, the chiropractor confided that he’d been thinking about his life and how he’d deal with such news, as his wife was pregnant with their first child. He went out of his way to help Todd, even taking late appointments so Todd wouldn’t miss work.

Those visits gave Todd hope in the midst of a devastating time.

One evening after his chiropractic treatment, Todd saw the doctor help another man into his car and then attach a wheelchair to a carrier on the back of his vehicle. At the next visit, Todd asked him about the man, wondering if he was his brother since they looked alike.

“He’s my childhood friend,” the chiropractor said, pointing to his desk at a framed photo of two boys in Little League outfits. He then explained that shortly after the picture was taken, his friend’s muscles began seizing up. It took many years to get a diagnosis, but they finally figured out he had dystonia. The chiropractor chose his field of study, hoping he could at least give his friend some relief.

In treating Todd, the chiropractor consulted a doctor with a specialty in neuropathic chiropractic care and learned of some movements and exercises to help Todd’s muscles function better. We later learned that keeping Todd’s muscles limber through stretching helped him use the strength he had left.

The chiropractor was excited by the improvement Todd showed and arranged for his childhood friend to fly to Atlanta to see that doctor he had been consulting. Through intensive therapy, his friend was able to take his first steps in years, though walking remained difficult and he still used a wheelchair.

Since Todd was diagnosed with ALS, I have struggled to understand why there is so much suffering in the world. People sometimes say that everything happens for a reason, and the bad things that happen are part of some divine or cosmic plan. I don’t think that makes sense, but I do think we have some agency to help bring good in the midst of suffering, as the chiropractor did with his childhood friend and with Todd.

Suffering connects us.

When we or those we love suffer, our hearts can open to others who are suffering. I’ve seen this play out in my own heart since Todd’s diagnosis. I’ve been better able to sit with people in their grief, although sometimes entering into the grief of others feels like too much for me, as we are still in the middle of our own battle.

So many things in this world don’t have a cure, but compassion and care help.

Note: ALS News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of ALS News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to ALS.