ALS Diagnosis!

This is my neighbor Brad DeLacey.  He's a 51 year old father of  7 kids and 6 grandchildren!  There are only 2 left at home, one just turned 6 and the other just turned 11.  He is married to his best friend and the love of his life Annetta.   He has been diagnosed with ALS.  All that know him are devistated by this news.  They suspected that something was amiss back in April of 2017. They visited one of his older sons who lives in Utah and is in the military.  Their annual tradition when they would visit eachother is they would arm wrestle eachother.  Brad always won this little game hands down!!!  Not this year however.  He lost.  The family just laughed and thought oh no, he's finally getting old!  Now of course, they wonder was this a first sign.   He started having weakness in his left hand.  Simple tasks became difficult.  Starting the lawn mower, breaking down boxes at work, using the power saws at work being he was a meat cutter at Kroger.  He suffered through this for a long time because he is very modest and very much a Man's man.  He compensated the best he could and didn't mention this to his wife.  Finally in August of 2017 the symptoms were unavoidable and he had to tell his wife something.  He went to the Chiropractor because they thought it might be a pinched nerve.  After about 3 weeks of no relief they did an MRI which showed some spinal stanosis so they were referred to a Neurosurgeon.  The Neurosurgeon recommended spinal fusion surgery from maybe some old football injuries assuring him upon awakening he would feel so much better!  There was absolutely no relief!  He was eventually sent to a pain clinic and put on meds for a month.   The weakness then progressed into spasms then began to atrophy.  Now they were worried!  They then went to a Neurologist for an EMG. The diagnosis was absolute nerve and muscle damage.  He was then sent back to the Neurosurgeon with those results.  The Neurosurgeon then gave a diagnosis of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. The doctors said it might get better, keep taking the meds and move on.  So he did.  He fought through the pain.  He struggled through the side effects of the medications.  He couldn't sleep because of the pain.  It was hard to stay awake because of the pain and the side effects of all of the medications.  He had to constantly change positions at work because he was unable to do his job adequately.  They went through the holidays watching as he kept getting worse.  By Christmas he now was unable to cut his own ham during dinner.  January they decided to go back to the Neurosurgeon.  When they gave him the diagnosis of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome they said the symptoms would stay localized in the left arm.  Now the exact same pain, spasms and mild atrophy was occuring on the right side.   They needed answers!  The Neurosurgeon did further testing.  His MRI's looked fine.  They were perplexed at why this was happening and suggested now this may be a Motor Neuron disorder.  Sent them back to the Neurologist to do a repeat EMG to compare the previous one.  They discussed the results in March of 2018.  The Neurologist said he felt it was ALS, however this was not his area of specialty and recommended they see an ALS specialist.  They went to University of Kentucky.  The specialist there required him to repeat ALL tests including the painful but necessary EMG.  After this testing they felt that yes it was most likely Motor Neuron Disorder, but before giving out the official ALS diagnosis they wanted to compare all of the tests.  The following week they got a diagnosis of ALS.  They recommended they get their affairs in order.  Get their house ready for wheelchair access.  Set up house on their main level. Look into hiring home health care.  Talk about their advance directives.  Quit his job.  Get his will updated, get counseling, get in touch with the ALS chapter here in KY, appy for short term disability, long term disability, get his retirement funding in order and last but not at all the least, tell your children whats ahead.  So, here we are today.  This is my neighbor, my friend, our neighbor, our friends!  We've been friends and neighbors with them for 5 years now.  Our children play together every day after school.  We are just beside ourselves.  I will of course be here for them but wanted to  do this for them because I know they will never EVER ask for a thing!  They are the "doers" for others.  He is a very modest man.  I know they will need funds in a big way.  More than they can comprehend.  Not to mention that they are best friends and completely in love with eachother, their kids and life!   I ask, for them to please please pass this story on to anyone and everyone you know.  They will really really need this help.