Paul H. Bringgold

At my annual physical in 2003, my doctor and I discussed the worsening weakness in my hands and feet. After several exams and a biopsy of my thigh muscle, I was diagnosed with a rare disease called Inclusion Body Myositis (IBM), a form of muscular dystrophy. IBM is a progressive muscle disorder characterized by muscle weakness and atrophy that develops in men over 50 years of age. The cause of IBM is not known and there is no cure. I was diagnosed around the age of 76 having had symptoms that I attributed to aging for several years. I am now 92, no longer taking food by mouth, am in my wheelchair or my bed at all times, and am on home hospice. You can learn more about IBM on the Mayo Clinic and NIH websites.