For my 5th, and final, neuro note I decided to watch a movie titled TransFatty Lives. This movie follows a filmmaker named Patrick O'Brien, also known as DJ TransFatty, through his life after being diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects motor neurons. This means that as the disease progresses your muscles will start to waste away and you will no longer be able to move or control your body. However, your mind and cognition will stay completely intact. Patrick describes this as having your brain "unplugged" from your body.
In TransFatty Lives, Patrick was diagnosed with ALS in the spring of 2005 when he was 30 years old. He reached out to a doctor when he noticed his leg was trembling and he couldn't make it stop and when he fell backwards out of a chair for no reason at all. In a room full of Patrick's family and loved one's, the doctor confirmed that he did indeed have ALS and he would have between 2 and 5 years left to live. After this diagnosis, Patrick and his production team began documenting his story and how he was living with ALS. It showed in very real detail the many struggles he faced with doing his ADL's and how even with help like his friends and father activities like taking a shower could become extremely dangerous and even impossible. It starts with us seeing Patrick walking with a walker and having to take frequent breaks all the way to him being completely reliant on others and machines for survival. The film gives you a very real look into what happens as ALS progresses including doctors visits, adaptive machines and equipment and the role of caregivers.
Something that I found so unique about this story was that in 2006, a year after his diagnosis, Patrick starting dating a women who eventually became pregnant with his child. The baby, Sean, was the reason that Patrick wanted to fight for so long. Through the struggles of needed constant care, a G-tube for feeding, a tracheotomy for breathing, and only being able to communicate through typing with his eyes he wanted to live to see his son grow and answer any questions he may have while growing up! Patrick spent all of his money to stay in nursing homes full time and to stay alive for his son even though him and his mother ended up breaking up and he was unable to see Sean much. ALS is a debilitating disease that affects not only the patient and their loved ones physically but also mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Patrick had many people support him in the early stages of ALS and then walk out of his life throughout the film which left a sad, lonely hole in him. This movie does an amazing job of showing the realness of ALS and the stress that it puts on everyone involved but also the importance of loving and ALWAYS supporting the patient. Thankfully, in Patrick's case there is a happy ending. Patrick was offered at spot The Leonard Florence Center For Living in Boston, which was a specialized facility only for patients with ALS. Through his films, blogs and Facebook posts he raised enough money to be flown to Boston and afford to stay at this facility. During this time, he also got to spend time with his son and family! When Patrick finally arrives at the facility and is surrounded by people who are dealing with similar struggles to him he types with his eyes that he feels "humbled" and starts to cry.
I original chose this movie because I wanted to learn more about ALS since I had very little previous knowledge about the disease. I wanted an opportunity to learn more and get a different perspective! I would highly recommend this movie because it shows you what ALS does to not only the patient but the one's around the the patient and also gives you a new perspective of what the patient is going through! I really enjoyed this movie!
TransFatty Lives. (2015). https://www.imdb.com/tv/watch/tt4221762?ref_=tt_wbr_fdv.
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