As many of you have recently learned, my dear husband, Ayeez, has been diagnosed with ALS. Since his diagnosis, in addition to caring for him, I have made it my personal and professional mission to help research this devastating disease and ultimately, find a cure to see that no one human being, or their families, experience this illness ever again. I have created a global research team who work day and night to keep Ayeez as healthy as possible while proactively finding the best treatment options possible to help reverse his disease. In doing so, we are discovering more and more ways to treat ALS and are looking forward to spreading the word about these treatment options to anyone who is affected..
One thing I have learned is that while most people know of ALS, not many know exactly what it is.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, commonly referred to as ALS or ‘Lou Gehrig’s’ Disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. ALS belongs to a class of disorders known as motor neuron diseases, and is often times confused with multiple sclerosis. In our bodies, we have motor neurons that reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles. When a person has ALS, these motor neurons deteriorate, causing muscle atrophy and loss of the deteriorated muscles. The motor neurons that are affected when you have ALS are the motor neurons that provide voluntary movements and muscle control.
As of today there is no single known cause of ALS. In many patients, ALS is a combination of many different causes. It is also said that there is no cure, however I wholeheartedly believe there is nothing on this Earth that is incurable. My research team and I are devoted and working day and night to find a cure for not only my husband, Ayeez, but for anyone who is suffering from ALS.
While there are a ton of causes of ALS, below are some of the many common contributing factors to ALS:
- Lyme Disease
- Glutamate (neurotransmitter) excitotoxicity
- Anterior Horn Cells
- Toxins: heavy metals such as lead, mercury, arsenic
- Oxidative stress
- Physical and emotional stress
- Autoimmune disorders
- Hormonal imbalance
- Mold toxicity
- Genetics
- Epigenetics
- Retrovirus
- Gut Dysbiosis
- Cervical stenosis
- Copper Deficiency
- Damage to the cervicospinal tract
There is also a very wide range of ALS signs and symptoms. Below are some of the most common symptoms of this disease and how they affect those who are diagnosed:
- Spasticity, or tightening of the muscles
- Clonus
- Fasciculations or muscle twitching
- Impaired speech
- Difficulty chewing
- Persistent fatigue
- Muscle cramps
- Difficulty swallowing
- Weakness
- Hyperreflexia
- Difficulty breathing
When it comes to testing for possible causes of ALS, it can be very overwhelming as to where to begin. Below are the three most probable causes of ALS, and also testing options for each:
- Heavy Metal Toxicity – Doctor’s Data Test
- Lyme Disease – Igenex
- Mold – Real Time Labs
Finally, one aspect I have learned is that there is a large misconception about ALS.
ALS does NOT impair a person’s mind, personality, intelligence or memory. ALS does NOT affects a person’s ability to see, smell, taste, hear or feel. ALS is NOT untreatable.
As each and every day passes by, Ayeez still stands to be as resilient now as he was before his diagnosis, as do many ALS patients. He still pushes himself hard to maintain all his activities, smiles, and is the same determined and courageous Ayeez he has always been. My family and I would greatly appreciate any positive thought or prayer you can spare. We are believers in miracles and will not stop until we find a cure for this illness.
Please feel free to join our Facebook community where we encourage you to share your thoughts and prayers, as well as motivational and kind words for Ayeez.
We are also creating a website and will be featuring stories about other wonderful people and families affected by ALS. If you’d like to submit an inspirational story of an ALS Hero, please email it to zoelalji@gmail.com.
