I don’t know where to start this entry, but maybe I should start at the beginning. My name is Danielle, and I am a 37 year old single mother of 4 amazing teens! I also happen to be sick. This journey started a few years ago, when my legs started to go numb. As time progressed my legs became heavy, uncoordinated and impossible to use of my own accord. My body became weak. So weak I can’t even stand without assistance. Many other symptoms were presenting as well. Trouble breathing at night, difficulties swallowing, sharp pains in my legs and constant “buzzing” nerves and jerking muscles. I had every specialist puzzled by my symptoms. Ct scans, MRIs, so many labs, EMGs; spinal taps and muscle biopsies are next...all of it has led to this point. Let me be honest, it’s scary to have 3 specialist all say they believe I have Motor Neuron Disease. Also commonly known as ALS. 
I still have to have the spinal tap and muscle biopsies done, but all other possible diseases have been ruled out. My EMG, nerve conduction tests, show clear death of the nerves in my legs, and atrophy of the muscles. 
I feel like I am standing at the edge of a very steep cliff, and I know I’m about to fall off. And no one can stop it, or help me. How do you plan a future, when you don’t know if you’ll have one? I can’t hide it from my kids...they see it everyday. They help me walk, they feed me; they’ve taken over every role that used to be mine. My soul is heavy with fear. I do not want my children to grow up without a mother...but I can do nothing to stop this. I crave answers, but I fear those answers even more. What’s next? How do I adapt to this new “normal”? How do I keep a positive attitude when it feels like the world is caving in around me? I won’t give up. That’s just not me. I will stay strong for my babies. Even if the diagnosis is, in fact, MND/ALS I will fight. Bc what is life of you don’t fight for it?