Ron, U are an idiot! I have a good friend with cancer, but as another has said there are many other issues that need research as well. And you might be surprised to find out they have been working on cancer for quite a while now! If you are so damn smart I would think you already have cancer cured yourself.

The most surprising part of that statement is that you have a good friend.

Maybe if you suffered from this disease or knew someone who did, you wouldn't write things so stupid. Why don't you do something creative like look up this disease on the internet instead of trying to be a "smart ass"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please read my response to you!

When I read this article I was afraid that some people would interpret it saying that Lou Gehrig's disease does not exist, but then I assured myself people wouldn't be so heartless and stupid.

Thanks, Ron, for ruining my (tentative) faith in humanity. My father died of ALS and it was every bit as tortuous for him and our family as dying of cancer, which HIS father died of. Perhaps more so, because there is no known behavioral cause for ALS, and no treatments either--and there are for cancer.

Hey Ron - My mother died from ALS, it was not a pretty sight! You can't control you body at all, you can't walk, you can't talk, you can't swallow food or water, you have to be fed using a tube placed into your stomack, but the good news is that you mind is still there as good as ever. You can honestly see your self die!!! So, Ron, you are a complete and total idiot! It would be completely reasonable for someone like me that had lived throught this problem like I did with my mother to actually hope that you or one of your closest family member would come down with this disease just so we could see how your slow mind might change!!!!

You people are complete lunatics, I never said Lou Gehrig's disease was not a bad disease.

You make stuff up in your mind and then you buy into it,What a joke.

No Ron, you just forgot to turn your A$$ off before you turned your mouth on!!!!

"Ron, you are a complete and total idiot! It would be completely reasonable for someone like me that had lived throught this problem like I did with my mother to actually hope that you or one of your closest family member would come down with this disease just so we could see how your slow mind might change!!!!"

Sorry about your mom.

good luck with your life.

Ron:

The remarks made by you are insane. Flippant, and no knowledge of Neurological Diseases. How about Parkinson's Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Lou Gehrig's Disease, and other severe Neurological/ possibly inherited genetic diseases. Not all are afflicted with them by genetic makeup.

You one day, may get one of these. It is highly likely--most are genetic. I've know people with all these terrible, crippling diseases. They have died, some are still alive. There is no dignity to any of these diseases.

It is torturous to watch someone who is fully healthy one day, just crumble slowly or fast in front of your eyes.

You are one insensitive, immature, little wimp, who shows everyone on this board how really stupid you are.

Tyler:

Anger comes easily when reading insensitive and noneducated remarks. Mine also, bottom paragraph. Sometimes, ire is an instant response. My apologies.

Please read rons comment carefully he said it was a waste after 71 years to try to figure out why a sports figure died when the money and time could be spent curing a disease. He did not say ALS wasn't a bad disease he said why do they waste time trying to figure out why a guy died 71 years ago. So lighten up.

They are all bad diseases and there will be no cure for most in my lifetime so all you can do is pray you are afflicted by none of them.

bklynj:

I don't know why you would defend Ron's later remarks to others. They are rude, and insensitive. "Treat others with kindness, and it will come back to you".

Ron

Your taking an unjustified hit here.

Myself and Bklynj understood what you were trying to say.

Coot19:

The second comment is what upped the ire from Ron. It was needless and cruel. #1.2.

Hawaii2

Agreed! I missed it.

While there are folks known as "cancer suvivors" there are no "ALS survisors." There are theories on the cause of ALS and one not mentioned publicly as a commonality to those who served in the military is the vaccines. I lost my 80-year old dad last year to ALS only 8 months after diagnosis. In the military yes, but not combat. One theory is due to the multitide of vaccinations & boosterss given our service folk, many contained a preservative that's derived from Mercury. A huge percentage of today's ALS patients are Gulf War vets. It's not a disease--it's a confirmed death sentence. MDA shares funding of research for this other diseases. On a final note, it is unfortunate tdon'that for most of us--including me-don't pay much attention to such diseases until it hits someone we know.

Lacy:

This disease, ALS, is just not reserved for men who have served in the Military (vaccines). We just had a woman friend die of ALS very quickly. It was astonishing how fast it ran it's course. Am sure you know it happens to both genders. Thanks.

bklynj, it may be that you and the ever-popular Ron, misread the article. Although the title of the article would lead one to that conclusion, the underlying point of the study and the article was not really that "Lou Gehrig may not really have had ALS". The study itself did not even mention Lou Gehrig as the article points out. The point of the study is that many of those diagnosed with ALS may not actually have it and may benifit from a different treatment than that which would normally be used for ALS. That certainly is valid research. The article does talk about the irony that Lou Gehrig may not have had the disease that bears his name but, again, it really isn't the case that the scientists in the study blew money on answering that particular question.

ludvig I think your first thought is more on target than the brain trauma . The fertilizer should be investigated and studied more than the brain trauma. The fertilizer is all kinds of potassium fertilizers used for lawn care. People with ALS should check there past for any contact with this fertilizer in my opinion.

amazing it has been known for centuries that an injury to the brain or spinal cord can cause nerve damage an slow death. i fail to see anything new from this article? He did have lou gehrigs disease it was named for him. If he had als is another question. His brain was injured the nerves were damaged he died. My head was damaged,my brain was damaged, my neck an nerves were damaged, i am slowly dying. I am waiting for the cure? How do they reverse the nerve damage? the physicians ignored the broken skull with brain matter protruding, ignored the subluxated neck bones compressing the esophagus causing a restrictive airway. I wonder how many organ failures are caused from neglected nerve damage? Cristopher reeves could have used some help. From what i have read preventing the injury is the only thing available. once you have the injury forget getting medical help. with five minutes allocated to you from the doctors you will run out of breath prior to saying what you are experiencing. If i had not put on my hard hat i would have been instantly dead. Instead i have suffered for decades.maybe amino acids can repair some nerve damage?

Scientists have been looking at the fertilizers for at least 30 years. As a biologist and anatomy and physiology instructor that they may be on to something with the brain trauma. We are learning that it is extremely devistating to the nervous system especially with repeated trauma.

Ouch, another zinger from the Ron-man...

Hey Ron G F Y

I will when i am done with your mom.

"Ron - the world of medical research does not orbit around cancer"

I never said it did!

The world of medical research does not revolve around what Lou Gehrig died from either.

It means his doctor was a quack.

It means that medicine has made some advance since 1939.

If we left everything at that, the practice of medicine would still be at the Stone Age level. Research into causes, manifestations and progression of diseases all contribute to the knowledge needed to find treatments and hopefully ways of preventing many of the devastating diseases man is vulnerable to.

Oh Abby, I am so sorry for your diagnosis, and hope you pass many more expiration dates!!! Be well and I know how much you and your family are suffering from this terrible disease. I am glad to see your comments about making you mad tho. I honestly feel that people who have this attitude, make it work for them.

Thanks, I go back to the Mayo Clinic tomorrow, and once again will be told that I am "past my expiration date' (lol) I have twin daughters that are seniors in high school this year. I just hope I am able to see them both graduate in June, and enroll in college. Ron is just an immature joke, that needs to take his energy and go something positive with it instead of trying to make people mad. I can at least say that today is a good day, and I hope nothing or no one changes my attitude today!!!!!!

at your next physical ask the doctor to do a blood test. check for alpha 1 deficiency this lack of an important enzyme can cause nerve damage an paralysis if left untreated for decades. easy fix add protease enzyme to your body. they sell it in powder an capsules. If you have a lot of constipation beware that is a symptom. using a microwave to cook your food kills the enzyme natural in the food that is needed to properly metabolize the food. Russia banned microwave because it is very bad for the health. the united states should ban microwave ovens also. in my opinion it is the number 1 cause of cancer. it stops the food from providing nurishment to the body.

"I would rather suffer an extended, painful cancer death than suffer one day with ALS."

I hope you never suffer with any disease.

Thank you, Ron. My grandfather always told me that I was supposed to overlook people like you because they haven't had a proper upbringing.

Your welcome, Tricky. I was told the same about people like you.

I agree with you. we have mercy to put dogs,cats an other animals to sleep. why so unmerciful to people? let the sick person decide when an how. as for me i have been paying for life insurance to leave something to my spouse so i will linger on till policy term ends or i do.

you missed the ENTIRE point of the story. Contact sports, military injuries, etc cause trauma that may lead to a disease that mimics ALS. Lou Gehrig was one of the first people to bring the disease to the publics attention. Now his fame may help bring the attention necessary to research not only ALS, but also this trauma based neurological disorder. It didn't happen 50 yrs ago, it happens everyday to a person and their family....I can't imagine how devastating it must be to a family....if you didn't like this story, go to another blog and comment there!

I totally agree deb, in this story they are basically saying that his death could have been caused by a trauma that mimics A.L.S. Lou Gehrig is the one that the disease was named, they are just letting the public know that his death could have been caused by something other then A.L.S. My grandmother died from A.L.S in 1971, it is very rare for women to get this disease. The more research for A.L.S and trauma neurological disorders or any disease should be researched, the medical field and technology has come so far since then, granted there hasn't been a cure found for A.L.S but the difference between the two diagnoses can be determined with more research.

That is where the research comes in.

yeah well first thing you have to do is figure out what it is that you're trying to cure. Much like cancer, HIV, etc., that's not a trivial question. The article is basically hinting that they may not know what ALS really is. When one is trying to find a cure, knowing the cause is a big plus. Maybe they'll rename the S to syndrome rather than sclerosis.