Kurt was diagnosed with ALS in 2021 after a year of symptoms that were initially treated as stress-related. On February, 24, 2021, however, test results brought the unwelcome diagnosis. After a lot of processing and reflection, Kurt made the decision to begin writing about his ALS journey. "The Diagnosis" is the first of his po-flections (poems written as reflection).
The Diagnosis
By Kurt Ewen
The call was short,
The message clear,
The news unwelcome.
Months of testing at an end,
Hopes for cancer apparently denied.
Increasingly visible physical decline,
Family, friends, and colleagues needing answers.
Sharing the news in a COVID world came with a profound singularity
Family and friends (old, new, rediscovered, and unexpected) arrived with unanticipated support.Â
Telling Mom would require time for vaccination, obfuscation, the silence of family, and a flight home.Â
Her reaction revealed the frailty that comes with age and a life of worry, disappointment, and grief.
Â
Years of preparing for the legacy phase of a career--now in sight--at an abrupt end.
The time for legacy is now.  Â
It is now as it has always been.Â
Opportunities for growth and healing abound with or without a diagnosis.  Â
The call was short,
The message clear,Â
The news unwelcome,
A daily response required.
My family knows your disappointment.....we too prayed for cancer or at least for something treatable but this was not to be......3 years of symptoms and 25+ doctor appointments later......from carpet tunnel to trapped nerves to effects from diabetes.......18 months later it took my sweet, amazing husband but we know he's running, fishing, and jumping in heaven with no worries or pain! God bless you and your family and know that my family is still fighting for more research and treatments but mostly give the physicians a better understanding of this horrendous disease and what to look for sooner rather than later! Prayers to you and everyone else receiving this life changing diagnosis!
I feel you, as a son of an ALS patient. All the very best as new treatments might emerge to the market. Hang in there!
Praying for strength through this difficult time & sending love!
Sorry Kurt, hang in there!