The Journey: A Family's Firsthand ALS Account (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781514654118)

The Journey is one family's firsthand account of their experience with ALS, the progressive neurodegenerative disease made prominent by the viral Ice Bucket Challenge of recent years.

But in June 2013, when his mother was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, author Mitchell Brent Spiegel and his family had nothing to help prepare them for the difficult journey ahead. This book fills that gap, offering information and advice gained through their own experiences to help others avoid some of the pitfalls and better meet the challenges presented by this cruel condition.

ALS is a formidable disease that leaves sufferers with a fully functioning mind as their muscles waste away, resulting in difficulty walking, talking, swallowing, and even breathing. The average life expectancy of an ALS patient is two to five years from the time of diagnosis.

Despite the grim prognosis, this book shows that, with the help of compassionate caregiving by family, friends, and medical practitioners, strong health care advocacy, and some creative problem solving, maintaining some level of quality of life for a loved one with ALS is possible. In a straightforward manner, The Journey gets down to what's most important for those beginning their own journey with ALS.