We continue our series this week of getting to you the person, not just the “patient.” Today’s interview is with “iceberg,” a member of our PatientsLikeMe ALS Community and another 2010 newsletter interviewee. Read on to learn more about what keeps him motivated, how his condition has affected his work life and how he took part in the PatientsLikeMeInMotionTM program. Enjoy!
* * *
 |
(Amy) What keeps you motivated? |
 |
(iceberg)
I have always been self-motivated. I have been running since my high school days, running cross country and track in high school. I started to run again in 1978 and even ran a marathon in 1990 when I was 40. I continued to run until 1995 when my foot drop became so severe I began to trip myself. My wife says I am just too bullheaded to give in to ALS. I think watching my grandson grow up is my motivation too. In 1998 when he was born, I didn’t know if I would see his first birthday. He is now 11. |
|
(Amy) Who do you admire and why? |
|
(iceberg)This is a hard question to answer. I admire anyone who has ALS and continues to battle to live. When I travel to Washington, D.C., for Advocacy Days and see PALS in wheel chairs with breathing tubes and feeding tubes and see how they are fighting to live, it makes me admire them. “Never Give Up.”
|
|
(Amy) How has your condition affected your work life? |
|
(iceberg) I was a Toll Collector on the Pennsylvania Turnpike until August 23, 2009, and I am now on disability retirement. I have gradually lost the use of my thumbs over the last several years. I was no longer able to keep up with wrapping coins and counting change back to the customers. So I guess you would say it has affected my work life quite a bit. |
|
(Amy) What’s your favorite aspect of PatientsLikeMe? |
|
(iceberg) PatientsLikeMe has afforded me an opportunity to meet a lot of people with ALS who I have become friends with over the past several years. Some of the people that I have talked with on PatientsLikeMe I had the pleasure of meeting in D.C. over the past several years. PatientsLikeMe also supported our walk team this past summer for Walk to Defeat ALS. [See photo on left] My thanks to PatientsLikeMe for the ability to make new friends and talk about how ALS has affected our lives. |
|
(Amy) No, thank you for being so willing to help others learn from your experiences with ALS, iceberg! |
