We take it for granted that we can walk, move, use our hands, swallow, talk and breathe, but everyone of these things depends on our muscles working efficiently.
Chris was noticing the wasting in his leg muscles and he showed me his calves. At first glance they don't look out of the ordinary, but there is no tension in the muscle, just flab. If I flex my foot then my calf muscles become tight, Chris can't really flex his feet anymore anyway and no matter what he does, there is no tightness in the muscle. It is amazing really that he can still walk, though that is getting more difficult. He is finding it harder to get up off the sofa and maybe that is why.
There are many diseases that attack the body, but with many others there is always a chance that it can be beaten, not with MND, the progression is relentless and for now it will win the war and it will take no prisoners.
There are many clever people around the world who have being trying for years to find a weapon to fight back, to halt this disease in it's tracks, but it is hard to find a cure when you don't know the cause. They are beginning to think it is a genetic thing and have discovered there is some mathematical equation where it takes six things to trigger MND. The only problem is no one knows what those six things are.
This is why research is so important and that can only be done with money. At the moment it is like having a sword fight with a feather, you wouldn't stand a chance against cold steel, but hopefully that feather will one day turn to metal and then everyone with MND will be able to fight back.
