How a 3-legged pup inspired me to start accepting life with ALS

ALS challenges our sense of self and ability to accept change. However, the triggers that motivate us toward acceptance can be different for each patient.

Recently, on the ALS News Today Forums, we’ve been having a lively response to the question, “What is the most difficult thing for you to do physically, now that you live with ALS?” Among the many replies were having difficulty breathing, asking for help, and losing independence. Other forum members identified moving, speaking, and swallowing as being the most difficult for them.

My ALS symptoms affect my movement and speech and prevent me from drinking thin liquids. Although we share having to live with these daily challenges, we’re not all in the same phase of acceptance. Many comments also included feelings of bitterness, frustration, and being seen as different — all feelings I experienced during my first year with ALS. How I eventually conquered them came from an unlikely source.

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A doggy inspiration

Shortly after my diagnosis in 2010, I watched a TV program featuring an animal rescue organization that was rehabilitating dogs with catastrophic injuries. One young dog had to have a hind leg amputated and was learning to run with only three legs. Another young pup’s hind legs were partially paralyzed and had been outfitted with a special wheeled body brace giving the pup the ability to roll from place to place.

Certainly, the medical innovations were impressive, but what held my attention was how these two dogs interacted with a group of “normal” dogs. The two didn’t act embarrassed or self-conscious of their disabilities, nor did they avoid mingling with the pack. And the other dogs accepted these two as if nothing were amiss. The two pups joined the ongoing wrestling and doggy play, proving they still were fun-loving dogs at heart.

At that moment, I decided to channel the attitudes of the pup on wheels and the three-legged dog. I realized that even though my symptoms changed how I would navigate through life, they didn’t change my sense of self. I was, after all, still me.

That’s the thing about ALS

ALS may slow down my movements, force me to use a wheeled walker to get around, require I thicken my beverages with a special powder, and make me slur my words. But I don’t feel awkward or insecure, or worry that people are judging me as less than. I’ve accepted my difficulties and adopted the necessary adaptations. My focus is on my projects, family, and friends.

Nothing is easy with ALS, and it’s important to remember that attitude has everything to do with how much you can enjoy your life. I remind myself that I can’t always avoid the changes and difficulties that ALS brings, but I can change how I react to them.

Remember, I believe we can live well while living with ALS.

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