I am just too busy with life. I am not ready to die. And, as long as I continue to breathe, even with the aid of a machine, I will try to life live to the fullest extent possible rather than be content merely to exist. More than 5,000 victims are diagnosed each year. The disease usually afflicts individuals ages 40 to 70, though it has been reported in both younger and older persons.
Men appear to be afflicted more often than women.
The disease attacks nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. It starts with symptoms such as muscle weakness in the limbs and difficulty in speaking or swallowing. Eventually, the disease totally paralyzes victims, except for the muscles of their eyes, and destroys their ability to speak or breathe without a ventilator. But it leaves their brains intact, enabling them to think clearly. The disease remains the only one named after one of its victims.