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My Life With ALS: Taking Action

By U.S. News & World Report

I’ve been living in California since 1979, when I moved to Pasadena as a high schooler. Back then, I played every sport I could for a guy my size, mostly baseball and football. I figured one day I’d grow tall enough to play basketball, too, but I never did. Turns out I inherited my mom’s genes for height and a condition called ALS from my dad, but I wouldn’t discover that until I was 50 years old.

My dream coming out of school was to own a car dealership. I knew I’d have to do everything I could to learn the business, so I started as a service technician in the Star Auto Group’s Chrysler dealership in Glendale. I moved up to become service manager, then eventually jumped straight into the general manager job, managing 35 people. The whole time I kept up sports, playing simultaneously for five different adult baseball teams. I played like I was being paid a million dollars. I just loved it. Then my body started to fail.

[See: Who’s Who at Your Doctor’s Office.]

I noticed it one day in 2012 when we took our grandson to an aquatics center in Long Beach. We walked everywhere, and my legs felt really heavy. In a few months I started to fall down. Less than a year later, my doctor diagnosed me with ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. It was familial ALS, the kind that’s passed on through generations, the same condition that claimed my father in 1990.

Athletes will always tell you, “We see the play. We live the play, and then we fulfill the play.” I can’t play baseball anymore, but I play that mental game living with ALS every day. Before I go to bed, I’m thinking about the next day: getting up, walking, getting in the shower, using the restroom, drying myself. I’m doing all of this in my head, playing out my action plan. But I don’t look beyond that 24 hours. If you’re living with ALS, you can’t plan for what’s going to happen next week or next month. You have to think about the things that you need to do to function right now. Then you have to act.

[See: What Your Doctors Wish You Knew.]

For me, acting means staying as informed as possible regarding research and trials, and sharing my data online so that others who have just been diagnosed with ALS can find out what’s working for me and what to expect next. I became a member of PatientsLikeMe and one of its advisors. The exchange of experiences and power of community and positivity on the site help me not only plan my day, but appreciate every minute of it.

I’m part of PatientsLikeMe’s latest work, which will combine information about my daily experience living with ALS with new measures that gauge what’s actually happening in my body. They’re going to eventually combine all that data with advanced mathematical techniques to find new signals about my health and disease. It will take time, and I may not directly benefit from that research, but I want to help those diagnosed with ALS and those who are soon-to-be diagnosed. That’s why I connect with others and participate in it.

Acting also means being open to trying different types of medical treatments, modifying my diet, trying acupuncture and taking supplements. I go to acupuncture twice a week, eat a gluten-free diet and take supplements and herbs. A natural approach has helped increase my energy and stamina, enabling me to do more things by myself, such as getting up, rolling around in bed, feeding myself, cutting my food and tying my shoes.

[See: The Most Common Patient Complains.]

I may not be able to throw or hit a ball like I used to. But I’m thankful that after years of living with ALS, I can still use my hands. I can still speak. I can still breathe. Many aren’t as lucky.

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My Life With ALS: Taking Action originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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