About ten days ago, I shared the Sarah Langs ALS story and how it related to my Dad’s battle 25 years ago. Our family’s journey coincided with that wacky 1998 MLB season and I’ll relate the two as best I can because it’s as much a journal recounting the progression of that lousy disease.

Everyone’s battle is different even if the eventual outcome is the same. As Dad suffered from bulbar-onset ALS, it was a matter of time before he would require a feeding tube. We learned the hard way that swallowing was one of his greatest difficulties and that the feeding tube was an immediate. When my dear Aunt Grace learned that Dad would no longer be able to dine, she made a point of cooking his favorite meal-as he called it his last supper. Today is the 11th anniversary of her passing and among the many kind things she did for us, this stuck out today. He truly appreciated that kindness and relished the broiled white fish and ice cream for dessert.

The next day he had the operation, but that didn’t slow him down for a few months. In fact, the feeding tube allowed him (and others) to live as normally as possible. He didn’t let that spoil lunches with friends and family. He never made it a big deal. People with other issues have to go the feeding tube route so it’s not unique to folks dealing with neuromuscular diseases.

However, it took a few weeks’ time to figure out nourishment and attending baseball games. As I’ve mentioned before, in the last twenty-five years, people have learned more and have continued to figure out new ways to adapt.

All of this coincided with Sammy Sosa’s torrid June-when he hit 20 home runs. On the rare afternoon off, I attended a few games that month. Dad would attend his first game without me in early July. That proved to be a roaring success, as our friends that took him and Mom could care less that he wasn’t able to speak or eat.

Dad did his best to normalize the situation, but we were all fortunate to have family and friends that bought in. As he had done his entire life, everyone included him in every conversation and discussion.