The power of hope for those affected by ALS
A widely used saying in the English lexicon, “Hope springs eternal,” was coined by the poet Alexander Pope to simply suggest that hope is always available to us. It means a great…
OutSpoken — James Clingman
James Clingman lives in Easley, South Carolina, with his wife Sylvia. He developed ALS symptoms in 2009 and was diagnosed on August 23, 2013. Although he is in the later stages of this disease, his goal remains to expand awareness and knowledge of all facets of ALS as well as other lesser-known diseases. He wants to encourage everyone to acknowledge the blessing of life no matter what hand they are dealt. He is also a former adjunct professor, author, business consultant and has a daughter, Kiah, who lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
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Sleeping with the enemy after an ALS diagnosis
I’ve previously written about sleeping and described how bedtime is one of my most anticipated periods of the day. In this column, I’d like to go a little deeper and get some feedback…
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Sending out an SOS for ALS advocacy and support
When baseball legend Lou Gehrig was diagnosed with ALS in 1939, unfortunately, not much about the disease was being discussed at the time. Instead, Gehrig’s career and baseball prowess dominated the news…
Looking for New Year’s Motivation? Try Replacing ‘New’ With ‘Do’
What are your plans for this year? What are they for next month? Will you do something you have always wanted to do? Will you do anything different from your usual way of life?…
This New Year, Let’s Nurture Our Will to Want to Live
Note: This column includes a mention of suicide. The most powerful force within people is the impulse to stay alive. Our survival instinct is so strong that we’re willing and inexplicably able to perform…
What a Month in the Hospital Taught Me About ALS Care
“I don’t know what that is.” “I don’t know how to use that.” These are a couple of the statements that ALS patients do not want to hear when a medical professional walks…
A Universe of Possibilities Occur in That One Last Breath
Have you ever thought about what a single breath means to you? What you can do in one breath? What you can say with one breath? What or whom you can see during one…
Finding My Way Through the Doorway Marked ‘Humility’
“Find the victory in this.” For nearly three decades, I’ve carried these five provocative words in my mind. Like my life, their meaning to me has evolved over time. I first heard them spoken…
‘ALS x 5’: How Familial ALS Has Shaped My Friend’s Journey in Life
Just when we think life has dealt us the worst hand possible, along comes someone whose circumstances make ours look a little less daunting. I’ve experienced that feeling a few times in a support…
My Cycling Days May Be Over, but I’m Still in the Pace Line
I contend that most people diagnosed with physically debilitating illnesses later in life previously had a favorite activity that consumed much of their time. Cycling was that for me. My cycling life ended…
Who Cares for the ALS Caregiver?
Often, as we discuss the ravages of disease, we give short shrift to one of the most vital aspects of debilitating illnesses like ALS. We offer our sympathy, prayers, money, remedies, and sentiments,…
Doc, Where’s the Instruction Manual for Living With ALS?
I was an avid cyclist in the warm months, and in the winter months in Cincinnati, I was a league bowler. But in late 2009, I started falling as I released my bowling ball,…
