ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis): Letter From a Man with ALS

A Random Letter From a Victim of ALS

By: Fat Lester

The following are the contents of an email that a friend and colleague passed along to me. He is raising money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) to help find a cure for ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis).

Out of nowhere (he does not know this man - hence the anonymity - nor does he know how the man obtained his top-secret email address. That said, he found the letter quite the motivational tool to summon his best efforts in attempting to solicit donations from family, friends and social media contacts, and as one of those whom he asked to help spread his message, I was given his permission to publish the contents of the letter he received from an actual ALS victim provided I keep the gentleman's identity private and include no information that could lead to his identity being tied to the substance of the message itself.

Without further adieu, here is the letter minus the greetings and signatures:

Dear Peter,

On January 25, 2012 I was diagnosed with ALS. From that evening on-my life has changed drastically. I have always been a very active person but due to the progression of the disease, my activities are limited. I left work shortly after finding out I have ALS to spend more time with my family and to acquire much needed rest. My symptoms were, and still are, muscle aches/twitches, headaches, stiff neck, noticeable muscle loss in my chest/back, cramps in my legs/feet and general fatigue.

My upper body is my weakest and biggest problem at this time. It is now getting difficult or impossible to do some of my everyday activities because I can barely raise my arms. Shaving, bathing, dressing, getting in and out of the bed are all a challenge and require assistance.

The people at MDA of Greater New Orleans have been a Godsend. They are so helpful and are always willing to help you with any issue you face. The staff at the MDA clinic that I go to every 3 months is also wonderful – they are friendly, knowledgeable professionals that will do anything to help.

I have a very supportive family and close friends that are always there for me no matter what my needs are. My wife and I have met some great friends, other pALS (People Living with ALS) and their wives. We get together often for dinner and other activities and find that these are the most wonderful relationships. We are all dealing with the same struggles, even though we are at different stages with ALS, but understand what each other is going through. This group bond that we have as made a huge difference in our lives.

If it weren’t for organizations like MDA I would not have had the opportunity to meet these pALS and receive the help we need. I know there are more hard situations in the future, but with all the support I have, I will get through it all.

Thank you for supporting the Covington Lock-Up, MDA and my family.

Since we're keeping the author of the message anonymous, there will be no signature or goodbye message included here. That said, if that does not touch upon a soft spot in your heart, one must wonder if you even have one.

That disease (ALS) is among the most debilitating and torturous illnesses in the history of mankind, and my heart goes out to everyone and anyone who has ever suffered from it, God rest their souls.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

The friend posted a blog about ALS, why he is motivated to help find a cure and why he feels that you and anyone else reading his blog should donate to the MDA Lock-Up event Thursday, May 23 in Covington, Louisiana. The friend will be "arrested" as a "repeat offender" and will need to post "bail" (your donations) in order to be granted release from the makeshift holding cell at the restaurant at which the event is being held.I will ask all readers of this blog though to please consider donating anything you can --- even if its just a single dollar --- to his "bail bond" as finding a cure for ALS is about as good a cause as one could conceive of to financially support.
If you can afford to help out, please do so, and know that his company, EGAN Medical Equipment, will be matching each and every dollar donated up to $1,000.

Vitamin D3 and Chronic Hair Loss

Vitamin D3 May Help Reverse Chronic Hair Loss

By: Peter Egan

Chronic Telogen Effluvium: Can Vitamin D3 Reverse It?

A particularly interesting post appeared on the Vitamin D3 blog Wednesday, April 24, 2013. Unlike the other articles and news stories detailing scientific research and clinical trials in terms normal people can understand, this post was actually a lengthy comment submitted by a reader in response to an article confirming a link between vitamin D deficiency and alopecia, a form of premature hair loss.

The lady detailed her experience with Chronic Telogen Effluvium, a hair loss condition considered to be among the most severe, with little known about the condition, its cause or how to fix it.

According to "Elle", she had tried every solution under the sun to try to regrow her hair after being diagnosed with chronic telogen effluvium to no avail. She checked her own records from all of the blood tests she'd had conducted over the years, and was shocked to learn that despite her doctor(s) never once mentioning anything of the sort, her vitamin D levels were alarmingly low in each test in which they were measured.

For the past three months, she has been on an intensive vitamin D3 supplement regimen, and claims that her hair has not only stopped falling out, but also has started to grow back.

Man's Weight Loss Secret 'Exposed'

WARNING: This Weight Loss System Only Works for Responsible People Who Are Not Lazy

Little did I know when I made the decision to keep a stray puppy who showed up at my medical equipment store and chased away my customers for four days that the decision would ultimately turn out to be among the best I've ever made - at least as it pertains to my own personal health and fitness.

The puppy, who appears to be some variation of a golden retriever mixed with chow, originally appeared during the heart of winter, antisocial and severely malnourished. She would not allow people to come within about 30 feet of her, but for whatever reason hung around the store, which is located along a very heavily trafficked thoroughfare in Covington, Louisiana.

It's a miracle that she wasn't killed by a passing vehicle during those days before I was able to catch her. Well, turned out she was a runaway, almost certainly due to abuse sufferd at the hands of her previous owner. Extremely skittish, while not aggressive, she would snap in defense when anyone made any attempt at touching her - particularly her head, neck and face.
This made her "unadoptable". The Humane Society wouldn't take her, and I refused to bring her to the pound because I know what they do to dogs there (they systematically and methodically kill them). Thus, I decided to take her home with me and work on establishing a bond of trust with her in hopes of taming her enough to find her a good home.
Well, she grew on me, as I did her. While she still has her moments, and is still hyper-sensitive to any agressive talk or movements, she's come an awful long way for a dog that everyone else had left for dead (with many advising me to bring her to the pound and let them murder her).
She's also had a bit of an unexpected impact on me personally, and my relative degree of health and fitness, to be specific. You see, I live in a condo with no backyard in suburban Long Beach, Mississippi. Dogs occasionally have to "go". In fact, for those dogs that reside primarily indoors, they must be walked several times a day, 4-5 at the absolute minimum. They also have what to humans seems like an infinite amount of energy to burn off, which lends to the walks being very fast-paced, occasionally graduating into outright jogging.
I moved to Long Beach about 8 weeks ago. Prior to that, I had lived in a rural community where the dog had plenty of green space to roam about as she saw fit without any leash or restraint. With the move, I had inadvertantly taken on the responsibility of walking and exercising the dog.
When I moved, my clothes also fit me --- quite well in fact. That has changed so much that this past weekend I came to grips with the reality that I'm going to have to buy an entire new wardrobe. While fishing in the surf along the Mississippi gulf coast on a beach that while not crowded, is frequented by enough people that it is by no means isolated, and certainly not private.
One can imagine the thoughts going through my head after wading out about 100 feet into water about 4-6 inches below waist-deep. The first real wave that came along brought the water level to my chest, and my bathing suit to my ankles. This was a bathing suit that had fit rather well when I first moved to the area, so I had no reason whatsoever to suspect that the weight from the water added to the suit itself as a result of being wet was sufficient to prevent the shorts from staying in place. It was so bad in-fact that I had to literally hold them up by grabbing the waistline of the shorts with my fist and holding it around my hips. Luckily, there were no children around to witness the traumatic spectable.
The worst part was the walk back. I had to carry two fishing poles, a large tackle box and an ice chest, having to pause every few steps to pull up my shorts before they fell too far.
While certainly not a pleasant experience (briefly losing my britches in plain view of everyone on the beach), and without a doubt anything but a pretty sight (at least for most), the flip-side is that I'm in the best shape now that I've been in since my early 20's, and I have my rescued dog to thank for it. All those walks, runs and jogs have definitely paid off in terms of my health.
Sure, she's put a pretty big drain on my wallet, but I'll gladly trade the money it costs to feed and care for her along with the cost of my new wardrobe, not to mention being put in a bit of a compromising position for the better part of an hour in exchange for peak fitness.
So, if you're struggling to lose weight or have a desire to lose weight, are a responsible and caring person, and are not inherently lazy, you may want to consider visiting your local animal shelter and adopting a dog. This goes for anyone, including both men and women experiencing weight gain - so long as the individual is responsible and motivated enough for such a long-term physical commitment.
A pet is a major responsibility, and is not right for everyone --- especially those with anger issues, who lack empathy or who are downright lazy, narcissistic or irresponsible. However, if you do qualify as someone suitable to become a pet-owner, a puppy can be a wonderful way to improve your quiality of life, a loyal companion whose love is truly unconditional, and on top of all of that a pretty darn good way to motivate oneself to exercise and lose weight.
It sure worked for me. Just ask everyone at the beach whose vision was forever scarred by an untimely wave that left no room for doubt that I am in fact in far better shape than I was two months ago, with at least four inches gone from my waste that had been there as recently as February.

What is Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol), and Why is it Important?

Vitamin D3 - Cholecalciferol

Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol) - The Nutrient of the Century

Vitamin D3 is a form of vitamin D. It is also referred to as cholecalciferol and calciol. Cholecalciferol is the raw form of the nutrient that humans obtain through exposure to sunlight. Calciol is the form the nutrient takes after it has been processed for use by the body.

Vitamin D3 is a secosteroid and a fat-soluble hormone. It is structurally similar to steroids such as testosterone, cholesterol and cortisol.

Humans can obtain vitamin D3 is a variety of different ways. First, the nutrient is naturally present in certain foods such as eggs and cold water fish such as mackerel, salmon and sardines. The primary means through which humans ingest vitamin D3 is direct exposure to sunlight, hence why it is commonly referred to as the "sunshine vitamin." Individuals who cannot obtain enough vitamin D3 through sun exposure and diet are advised to take a high-quality vitamin D3 supplement.

It is important for those who take vitamin D supplements to make sure the supplements they are taking are of vitamin D3 and not vitamin D2. Vitamin D2, also known as ergocalciferol, is made from plant-based materials. It is synthetic, and is not as bioavailable (also known as "bioidentical") as is D3. Cholecalciferol is five-times (or 500%) more bioavailable than Ergocalciferol, which means that D3 is converted into a usable form by the body at a rate five times faster than is the case with D2.

Vitamin D3 supplements have been shown to help to prevent a laundry list of diseases and illnesses.

Vitamin D Deficiency

Vitamin D deficiency, also known as vitamin D insufficiency, is a condition involving chronically low levels of 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol in the blood.

Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with an increases propensity for diagnosis of more than 30 different diseases, illnesses and health problems.

The complete list of diseases and ailments linked to vitamin D deficiency is below:

• Breast Cancer
• Skin Cancer
• Prostate Cancer
• ADHD
• Alzheimer's
• Autism
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Allergies
• Parkinson's Disease
• Depression
• AIDS
• Fibromyalgia
• Rickets
• Influenza
• H1N1 Flu
• Various Autoimmune Disorders
• Osteoporosis
• Lung Transplant Rejection
• Asthma
• Childhood Obesity
• Chronic Pain
• Tooth Loss
• Gingivitis
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Arterial Stiffness
• Metabolic Syndrome
• Heart Disease
• High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Lupus
• Psoriatic Arthritis

For more information about diseases associated with vitamin D deficiency, please see the article about vitamin D deficiency appearing at the Vitamin D3 Blog.

Video: What is Vitamin D Deficiency?

Additional Vitamin D3 Resources

• Vitamin D3 Questions
  Forum for the discussion of topics related to Vitamin D, and in particular, Vitamin D3. If you have any questions pertaining to cholecalciferol (D3), this is the place to ask them and get them answered promptly.
• Information About Vitamin D3 - Cholecalciferol
  Vitamin D3, or cholecalciferol, is a specific form of vitamin D that humans and other animals generate as a byproduct of exposure to sunlight. The nutrient is sometimes classified as a "fat-soluble hormone".

Vegan Blogger Misleads Readers About Vitamin D

The ease of publishing on the web has granted a new, powerful voice to millions of people around the world who were previously restricted to communicating amongst those within speaking distance.

As with any technological breakthrough, most people will use the technology for good or at the very least benign purposes. However, as with any technology, blog publishing has its share of individuals who use it for, shall we say, less than benign purposes.

This brings me to Ginny Messina, some crackpot vegan blogger who likes to write about health and nutrition-related topics. She no doubt enjoys the platform and the subject matter, however she is woefully lacking in credibility and credentials, a fact that became painfully obvious during a recent post on her blog (not named here due to my policy of not linking to agents of misinformation).

In the post, Messina was blabbing about fat-soluble hormones. Vitamin D is considered to be a fat-soluble hormone as well as a vitamin.

As most readers here are aware, I am something of an expert on the subject of vitamin D, and there may be no one more qualified to speak about the subject than my mother Pam (whose abbreviations are too many to list here).

One of Messina's readers cited a paragraph from the Vitamin D3 Blog in the comments section of her post about fat-soluble hormones. In an attempt to dismissively undermine what she perceived to be a blogger in competition with herself, she flat-out lied to the reader in an effort to contrast the post from the Vitamin D3 Blog --- a blog whose authors are fully qualified to discuss matters such as the one I'm about to get into.

Ginny Messina told her reader that no significant difference between vitamin D2 and D3 exists. This is flat-out incorrect, and could not be any further from the truth. She then went on to insult the authors of the post being cited by the reader in suggesting they were "confused" about the subject.

Well, I happen to know for a fact that said authors are far more qualified to be speaking on matters such as vitamin D2 vs. D3 than some vegan crackpot with no particular educational or clinical qualifications. Messina is dead-wrong in her assertions about vitamin D3, and for that she is being heretoforth called out.

Vitamin D3 is indeed a more bioavailable and otherwise superior form of vitamin D than D2. This is true in spite of whatever uninformed crackpot bloggers like Ginny Messina have to say about it.

Ginny, I suggest you start to read up on the topics you blog about before you around spouting off a bunch of misinformation, lies and dismissive rhetoric that directly contradicts the scientific findings of every single study that has every been conducted on the topic. You're out of your element, and you would be doing your readers a service by ceasing to blog about matters which you know nothing about.

Endocrine Society Emphasizes Vitamin D3 Supplementation

Endocrine Society Emphasizes Vitamin D3 Supplementation

The Endocrine Society has published a new set of recommendations regarding daily vitamin D3 intake. In the recommendation, which was published in the June online edition of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, the organization essentially recommends that almost everyone participate in a daily vitamin d supplement regimen. The amount of the nutrient taken by each person would depend on the person's age and his or her potential risk of developing vitamin D deficiency.

The research that led to the mass-recommendation noticed that vitamin D deficiency was widespread across all age groups, hence why the organization issued a broad recommendation that everyone supplement with vitamin D, and with those most vulnerable to deficiency directed to take the highest dosages.

Vitamin D deficiency is a health condition in which a person's blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3, also known as calcifediol, are severely depleted for a recurring or prolonged period of time. The condition can contribute to the development and/or worsening of more than two dozen illnesses and various medical conditions.

The condition can be corrected by taking two specific measures:

1. Make it a point to sunbathe whenever possible, soaking up as much of the sun's rays as is possible without overdoing it. Let your body tell you when you've had enough, unless you've been drinking alcohol, in which case you will want to return to the shade after a predetermined period of time so as to make sure you're not being overexposed.
2. Take a daily, high-quality and high-potency vitamin D3 supplement.

The latter of the two options comes with the least amount of associated risk. While vitamin D3 toxicity is always a remote possibility, it is highly uncommon and should not be a concern so long as you take the supplement according to your doctor's instructions.

Vitamin D3 is available from some food sources like eggs and milk, but in order to obtain the amount recommended by the Endocrine Society a person should be sunbathing and/or supplementing in addition to eating a diet rich in D3.

Vitamin D2 is not as effective or efficient a form of the nutrient as is D3. Ideally, when shopping for vitamin D3 supplements, consumers will be diligent to check the labels to see what form of vitamin D the supplement contains. The recommendation of this author is to go with D3 instead of D2 whenever possible.

Vitamin D3: It's More Important Than You Think

Vitamin D3: It's More Important Than You Think

Vitamin D3, also known as (cholecalciferol), is the most bio-available form of Vitamin D, which is essential for skin, bone and immune health.

Vitamin D3 is far more important to every day health and the prevention of long-term illness than a vast (but rapidly shrinking) majority of people currently understand. In moderation, the sun can be both extremely therapeutic as well as a major force helping to ward off illness. Of course, you don't want to overdo it. As we all know, too much sun exposure can be hazardous to your health and to your skin.

It has long been established that supplementing with Vitamin D3 may help lower blood pressure and cholesterol in patients struggling with high levels of either and/or both.

Vitamin D3 is the single most important vitamin for bone health. It plays a vital role in the synthesis of calcium and magnesium in the bones. A few of the many, many diseases resulting from Vitamin D Deficiency are rickets, osteoporosis and heart disease.

I personally do not supplement with D3 during the summer months when I wear as little as possible when outdoors (I have relatively dark skin for a white guy, and I generally do not burn). However, come winter, Vitamin D3 is a daily staple and a major part of my nutritional supplementation regimen.

Worldwide Interest in Vitamin D3 Soaring

Worldwide Interest in Vitamin D3 Soaring

In light of new research that shed light on the myriad health benefits offered by Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol), the mainstream news media as well as scientific journals have finally caught on to this groundbreaking research, leading to an exponential swelling of public interest in the topic.

Esteemed Nurse Practitioner and Health Columnist Pamela Egan has been years ahead of the curve in making known the medical and scientific facts underlying the health miracle that is Vitamin D3 for quite some time now (at least several years now). She has written numerous articles appearing on many different websites (including her own - PamelaEgan.com), as well as in newspapers, magazines and health journals describing the differences between D3 and other forms of the nutrient, as well as why the former is so far superior to the latter.

Nurse Practitioner Egan has been on the forefront of Vitamin D3 research and deserves to be credited as a pioneer in the media, writing years ago what the medical establishment has only recently began to recognize and accept as fact, which has been partially responsible for the swelling of interest in the topic over the past few months.

Shown below is a 'Google Insights' graph, depicting the swelling of interest surrounding the topics of the benefits offered by naturally healthy levels of Vitamin D3 and the dangers of Vitamin D3 Deficiency over the course of the past six years (when Pam first began writing on the topic).