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Facing Mortality with Courage: A Perspective on Living with ALS
Does someone with a terminal illness have the right to be angry or resentful? "Out of the immense frustration my situation brings, I ask myself each day how I'm living in the present. Not against memories of the past, nor against future possibilities. But how do I live now, in today’s given reality that can neither be negotiated nor changed?" An article you won't want to miss.
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It all began with a weakness in his legs, unlike any other weakness Eli Sharon had ever experienced. A few days later, when the weakness didn't pass, Sharon felt certain he had ALS. When he told his wife, Nili, they both began to cry. "At first, I walked slowly and struggled to lift my legs, and soon enough, I was confined to a wheelchair," he now recalls in an interview with Ynet.
Having accompanied other ALS patients, Sharon knew well what was to come and already acknowledges that the day will arrive "when I'll be fully aware, trapped inside a lifeless body, with blinking as my last physical ability," he says, adding: "It's very unsettling to feel full of strength and bravery one moment and like a fragile leaf the next."
Yes, there's sadness, fear, and anxiety in his life. But despair or self-pity? Absolutely not. Sharon is unwilling to let himself go there. "Out of the tremendous frustration my situation often brings, I ask myself each day how I am supposed to live now. Not facing the past memories, nor what I might hope for in the future. But how can I live in the present, with the reality as it is, one that can't be negotiated or changed?"
How does one do this? "I ask myself what's my role now, and what's my mission in the new circumstances I'm in. I live with acceptance and agreement with reality, rather than opposition to it. Accepting the situation as it is, but the spiritual layer affords me a different perspective on my state."
According to him, in the spiritual realm, he can respond to questions not just by brooding or getting lost in emotions. "Does anger serve me and help solve the problem? This is where the spiritual realm assists me – the anger is justified because the situation is hard and unpleasant. But do these emotions solve anything?"
How can a terminal patient help themselves in their final moments? Watch the fascinating lecture:
How can mental support be provided to a patient? Watch Rabbi Dr. Eyal Ungar's lecture to learn more:
