The Absurdity of a Progressively Debilitating Terminal Illness
“Oh, I used to be disgusted and now I try to be amused.” Those lyrics from the Elvis Costello song “(The Angels Wanna…
Notes From the ALS Front
— Rick Jobus
Rick is a 62-year-old man who was diagnosed with ALS in January 2007. Currently a resident of Southwest Florida, he has lived in four other metropolitan areas, but greater Chicagoland will always be “home.” Rick is a degreed engineer, spending his career in the medical device industry. He’s had the good fortune of extensive travel throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean. He writes, in part, to be an ALS advocate. Additionally, it is his hope that his output will help dispel the myth that technical folk and digestible prose aren’t mutually exclusive.
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In Memoriam: Rick Jobus, Feb. 6, 1958-June 19, 2022
Courtesy of Rick Jobus It is with deep sadness that we inform the ALS News Today community of the passing of our friend and treasured columnist, Rick Jobus, on June 19, 2022. Rick…
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Taking Baby Steps in Search of a Cure
“Baby steps.” That was the advice imparted to Bob Wiley by his psychiatrist, Dr. Leo Marvin, in the movie “What About Bob?“ Wiley, portrayed by Bill…
Oh My God — I Have ALS
The lyrics to “God Shuffled His Feet,” a song by the Canadian band Crash Test Dummies, portray God as indifferent to our struggles. When he speaks of…
‘What’s Love Got to Do With It?’
“Without your love, I’d be nowhere at all. I’d be lost if not for you.” The inspiration for that Bob Dylan song is…
ALS, Before and After
Author T. H. White‘s collection of novels titled “The Once and Future King” depicts the legend of King Arthur. While the title suggests…
Houston, We Have a Problem
The hubbub percolating around the SpaceX launch last weekend reminded me of the role a committed and engaged support team plays in averting and staving off peril. …
A Typical Day in My Life With ALS
“Woke up, fell out of bed, dragged a comb across my head.” These are the first two lines of the bridge that Paul McCartney contributed to The Beatles’…
The Monster That ALS Is
Donald Rumsfeld, the former U.S. Secretary of Defense, once stated at a Defense Department briefing in 2002 that, “There are known knowns. There are…
ALS Awareness: What It’s Worth
“I think it’s time we stop, children, what’s that sound? Everybody look what’s going down.” That call for awareness comes from the song “For What…
Mission Impossible? The Quest for Perpetual ALS Awareness
In 1992 the 102nd U.S. Congress declared, via joint resolution 174, that May become National ALS Awareness Month. Part of the text…
On Planning to Get Punched
“Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” –Mike Tyson The author Lee Child includes that quote in his Jack Reacher crime novel series…
With Apologies to Ian Fleming: Squaring Off with ALS and COVID-19
“The mind ought sometimes to be diverted that it may return to better thinking.” –Phaedrus (Plato) During these surreal times that shake us to our core, a…
