I have not shared this

It is one of those many puzzles we see in science.

@DianneN

@GardenGerty

They managed well after his diagnosis and they made lots of good memories. They were married nearly forty years.

@GardenGerty Wow that's impressive given that he was only 59! I'm glad they had many good times to remember. It's true that we should all live each day to the full because you never know what the next day will bring.

@Fleura Yes, it is.

@BarBaraPrz No, not that I have heard. My hubby was given quite a bit of vitamin therapy. At the time they were testing gabapentin for pain issues and it is now on the market. EJ did not seem to lose ground as much or as quickly as Larry did, but I am not sure if he actually had some treatments or not.

@GardenGerty So the clock is ticking... Has there been any new developments in research for, if not a cure, at least slowing down the progression?

We do hang on to hope. I cannot remember if they said it was 50% or 25% chance.

There is a good chance it will skip them, or it could. Some people randomly get it, with no inheritable tendency. It actually is diagnosed as often as MS is diagnosed but it progresses much more quickly.

@GardenGerty Let's hope for the best for your children.

It can be. As my daughter says, she will take what God gives her, though.

I do not think they have determined it to have a specific gene. Rather than call it "hereditary": the doctors call it "familial" but I do not know the difference. Neurologists say that it also occurs sporadically in the general population. Interesting facts are that there is a Pacific Island where it has been very high incidence ever since the area was used for bombing practice, and also ALS occurs twice as often in veterans of Desert Storm than in the general population. Over all it is diagnosed with the same frequency as MS, but average life expectancy after diagnosis is three years. Steven Hawking was totally beyond that, of course. My husband lived one year after being diagnosed, and that is about how long EJ lived after diagnosis.

@GardenGerty It does seem to have gotten much more common in the last 10 or 20 years.

Thank you.

He was a good kid, I got to know him from the time he was eleven or twelve years old.

@GardenGerty

We only hope that they begin to find treatments.

Thank you @Courtlynn . It is sad, but they at least knew that it was a possibility when seeking a diagnosis.They knew what to ask.

I think with many posts there is always a huge back story. Thanks.

Thank you.

@GardenGerty you r welcome