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Lou Gehrig's Disease: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a degenerative neuromuscular disorder that affects the motor neurons of the spinal cord and brain. Due to degeneration or destruction of the motor neurons, muscles throughout the body begin to become weak and waste away to the point that an individual has no muscle movement. In most cases, due to having muscle strength, a patient with ALS will succumb to their disease because of respiratory failure or dehydration and malnutrition. It is a progressive disease with a prognosis of 3 to 5 years after initial diagnosis. There is no cure for the disease as of now. This paper will discuss a more in depth look into the symptoms, diagnosis process, treatment options, medications, prognosis, and ongoing research. What …show more content…

Lou Gehrig was a professional baseball player. Lou Gehrig played in 2,130 consecutive games for the New York Yankees from 1925 to 1939. Lou Gehrig was given the nickname “Iron Horse” for his consecutive game streak and also due to playing through such injuries as a broken thumb, a broken toe, and back spasms. In 1938, Gehrig batting average fell below a point three hundred average and so he began noticing a lack of his usual strength. During the beginning of the 1939 baseball season, he only managed to play eight games before he began to really feel like something was wrong due to getting fatigued very easily. Shortly thereafter, Gehrig went to the Mayo Clinic, where he would be diagnosed by doctors with ALS. Lou Gehrig would retire shortly after his diagnosis in June of 1939 and would later pass away due to complications with ALS on June 2nd, 1941. ALS grew in a national awareness during this time frame due to Lou Gehrig being a national celebrity and his advocacy for people suffering with this …show more content…

The overall prevalence of ALS in the United States has been estimated to be between one and two cases per 100,000 people. The overall prevalence worldwide is estimated to be between four and ten per 100,000 people. Even though ALS can occur at any particular age, the most common age at onset is the mid-to-late 50s. Men are affected slightly more than women, according to most studies, by a ratio of five to three. The vast majority of patients with ALS have no prior family history of the disease. Around 75% of individuals develop limb-onset ALS, with initial involvement occurs in the upper and lower extremities. The other 25% develop bulbar-onset ALS, with initial involvement occurring in the bulbar muscles. The bulbar muscles are considered to be the muscles of the mouth and throat that are responsible for speech and swallowing. Bulbar-onset ALS is more common in middle-aged women with the prevalent beginning stage symptoms being difficulty swallowing, chewing and

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Despite his recent diagnosis with ALS, a neurological disorder with no cure, Lou Gehrig is able to maintain a positive and inspirational tone through his use of positive diction in order to stop his fans from pitying him because he still has so much to live for. Gehrig uses many words with a positive connotation, which help create his positive tone. When describing his encounters with “these grand men,” Gehrig uses phrases such as “the highlight of his career” and “honor” to show how lucky he has been. These phrases emphasize his wonderful experiences meeting such famous figures and help him prove, to the audience, that he has lived an incredible life, which he uses to deflect pity from the audience. Gehrig’s word choice has a large impact

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Lou Gehrig, a professional baseball player who spent his whole career with the New York Yankees from 1923 through 1939, playing 17 seasons. During his career, Gehrig was diagnosed with ALS, a condition that would end his career and cause him to lose control of his muscles. In 1939, Lou Gehrig's gave a speech to his fans regarding his illness and retirement. His speech quickly gained recognition and influenced the famous “Ice Bucket Challenge” that gained popularity all around the world, allowing for over $115 million to be raised for an ALS movement. Gehrig used repetition in his address to emphasize how fortunate he was to spend a happy and fulfilled life despite his conditio For instance, during this speech, Lou Gehrig constantly used rhetorical questions such as "Who wouldn't consider it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert?" and even "To have spent six years with that great little fellow, Miller Huggins?"

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According to WebMD, type 2 spinal muscular atrophy is also referred to as chronic infantile spinal muscular atrophy. Moving on, type 3, which is also called the Kugelberg-Welander disease, is characterized by having difficulties running, getting out of a chair, and using the stairs form ages two to seventeen. Due to these issues, someone with type 3 spinal muscular atrophy will likely require a wheelchair to move from one location to another. In addition from the same article, type 4 spinal muscular atrophy only impact those with spinal muscular atrophy that are adults. The health problems for type 4 include shuddering, difficulties with breathing

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He went to college at Columbia on a football scholarship but ended up playing football and baseball for Columbia. He was immediately recruited by the New York Yankees once spotted by a scout. Gehrig played 2,130 consecutive games and helped lead the Yankees to a world series. The first baseman was a vital part of the New York Yankees and became the team MVP and a very respected player to all. Gehrig’s speech also uses Ethos when he says, “I have been in ballparks for seventeen years”.

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After the 3 losing seasons the Yankees and Lou bounced back to win 3 straight World Series titles. (Encyclopedia) He continued to dominate the game of baseball throughout the 1930’s not missing a game and in the 1937 Lou Gehrig had officially broke the consecutive game mark by playing his 2,130 consecutive game which untamiltey gave him the name “Iron Horse” for his durability throughout his entire team. (American Classic) This did not last for long for in 1938, Lou hit under .330 for the first time since 1925, this is when it became apparent that something was wrong with him.

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The disease that Dale Maxin has is known as Parkinson Disease. This disease has affected Dale 's life in a very negative way. It has caused him much grief. Medication helped him to cope with Parkinson for a period of time, however; even the medication has reached a point where it n longer helps. His wife is who he has to depend on with help for everyday things.

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The Braves said he had to at least play one more game, he hit three home runs during that game (Macht 54). Babe also retired on June 13, 1948. Babe got a sore throat and his voice began to get hoarse... his diagnosis was cancer, from then and on Babe was in and out of the hospital, he couldn’t have many visitors, but he had lots of get well soon gifts/cards. A movie was made from his life, he left the hospital bed to go see it (Macht 56).

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R-L-T model address the patient ALs in a holistic manner. George (2002) explains that Orem 's mostly focused on the physical requirements and lacks emotional needs of an individual. Moreover, Orem 's model is more suggested in acute care setting where patients require short term treatment (Punjani, 2013). However, R-L-T model is suited for both hospital and community setting and it the assessment is for long term treatments. Another strength of R-L-T model is the simplicity.

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He was the Yankees’ first baseman at the time and was known for his hard-work, dedication, and humility. The way Lou Gehrig went about

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Lou Gehrig’s Farewell to Baseball Address Saying goodbye to an athlete you have been watching is always difficult to do. Even though we see our favorite football, baseball, or basketball athletes retire and leave their sport, it isn’t the end of the road for them. However, Lou Gehrig was faced with a deadly disease that would kill him two years later. He still managed to address his fans and is still remembered for not only by excelling on the Baseball Diamond, but by delivering a speech that still touches a lot of people’s hearts to this day.

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Instead he told his story about being lucky. Be great fun for knowing so many great people and players. Thankful he got to suit up so many times to play he game of baseball. When reading about Gehrig before reading his speech, I found out that he retired because of a disease that was crippling and is now named after him. That is why in his farewell speech he did not want pity, which in my opinion shows great character.

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Imagine that one of the greatest baseball players ever had to retire due to a life threatening condition, later to be named after him. That was what happened to the legendary Lou Gehrig. Lou Gehrig was a renowned baseball player for the New York Yankees in the early 1920’s. The “Iron Horse” as he was known, was forced to retire at a young age due to a life threatening disease called ALS and often known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Gehrig was a slugger and was loved by fans for not only for his ability to hit the ball out of the park, but also for his social influence in baseball.

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I have been in ballparks for 17 years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans.” Moreover, Gehrig did not look to instigate misery out of his audience. Gehrig did not need sensitivity from his circumstance. Truth be told, Lou Gehrig did not specify his illness, particularly and somewhat centered around the positive moments that he had encountered for the duration of his life. He acknowledges what is transpiring.

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Lou Gehrig’s speech, Farewell to Baseball Address, delivers an emotional punch to the gut as he explains about how lucky he is to have had a wonderful life with some amazing people. He states “I might have been given a bad break, but I have much to live for,” infers his will to live. Because of his positive standing with his fans and many other baseball players, Gehrig was able to utilize effectively ethos throughout his speech. Ethical proof is dependent upon the rhetor’s reputation among his audience and other people; for Gehrig, his reputation was one of a hard-working and determined man and so his audience already held favor with Gehrig.

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Imagine how devastating it would be to be unable to play the sport you love because of an illness. For professional baseball player Lou Gehrig, that is exactly what happened. Gehrig played baseball for the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1939 (“Biography”). At the end of his baseball career he was diagnosed with a disease called Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as ALS. ALS is a neurological disease that attacks the body’s neurons that control voluntary muscle movement (“Amyotrophic”).

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