Learn more about living with ALS

Last summer, ALS became synonymous with ice buckets, and the Ice Bucket Challenge revealed the generosity and goofy side of thousands of Iowans. I'm told $350,000 was raised here in the state during the challenge - money that will lead to greater care, and better access to equipment.

However, many people who donated or helped raise awareness did so without knowing a single person who suffers from ALS. This summer, the ALS Association is asking Iowans to take part in the Ice Bucket Challenge again, and it's my goal that they will accept that challenge with a greater understanding of the disease.

My name is Linda McFarland. Because of ALS, I cannot move my legs and can only lift my arms a few inches. I rely on the assistance of others to take care of my daily needs. Even something as simple as breathing requires the use of a BiPAP machine.

Before being diagnosed with ALS, I was no stranger to disease and certainly no stranger to hospitals. I worked as a registered nurse in the U.S. Navy in the 1960s and 70s and continued nursing in New Hampton until retiring in June 2010.

While it is said that veterans have a significantly higher chance of getting ALS than civilians, my symptoms didn't kick in until 2008, nearly two decades after my Navy career had come to an end. It started off small. I began to walk with a slight limp, yet never felt any pain. Still, it was enough to get me into the doctor's office.

ALS isn't diagnosed like other diseases. There isn't a specific test that tells you whether you have it or not; rather, it is determined by ruling other diseases out. I visited neurologists. I traveled from clinic to clinic, from Mason City to Minnesota ruling out complications from Type 2 diabetes and everything in between. It took more than two years for the letters A-L-S to become a reality.

I remember immediately looking for answers. How long am I going to live? How much longer will I be able to walk? How will I take care of myself? With ALS, the answers to these questions are unclear. The truth is, every case is different. A doctor may tell you that life expectancy is three to five years, but some patients lose their battle in mere months. Some patients will dream of walking their daughters down the aisle, only to rely on a wheelchair weeks after their diagnosis.

In the grand scheme of things, I consider myself blessed, which I realize may seem like a stretch coming from a woman bound to a mattress and recliner. By the time you read this article, I will have surpassed the five-year mark since receiving my diagnosis. The disease, while a challenge for everyone involved has brought my family closer together. My eldest daughter has returned home from Colorado to take over the farm, and my youngest visits frequently from California.

Blessings, of course, have also come in the form of generosity shown during the Ice Bucket Challenge. If you participated last year, you helped raised awareness by simply hitting 'record” and 'submit.” If you made a donation, your money will help researchers develop treatments that will slow, and someday defeat this horrible disease.

In the next few weeks, you will no doubt see more Ice Bucket Challenge videos. Be thankful for the ability to lift that bucket above your head and enjoy a little relief from the summer heat.

Thank you for your participation and support.

Every August until a cure.

' Linda McFarland lives in Fredricksburg. Comments: lindakaymcfarland@gmail.com