Inside Sandra Bullock's Partner Bryan Randall's Quiet ALS Battle: Medical Expert Explains Condition
09.08.2023 - 05:43
/ etonline.com
Sandra Bullock's longtime partner, Bryan Randall, died on Saturday after a private battle with ALS. Randall had been battling ALS for several years, and Bullock was by his side, caring for him in his time of need.In the wake of Randall's tragic death at age 57, ET spoke with Dr.
Jeffrey Rosenfeld, MD/PhD and professor of neurology at Loma Linda University Health, who provided some insight on what the disease is, and what Randall may have faced in his battle with the illness.«ALS is a progressive disorder that involves motor nerve cells,» Dr. Rosenfeld explained.
«Motor nerve cells in the body live in both the brain and the spinal cord and in the disease of ALS, both areas are affected in a progressive way.»According to Dr. Rosenfeld, one of the primary symptoms for most ALS patients presents as «some form of [physical] weakness.» «It might be weakness in an arm, or a hand, or a leg, or their ability to walk, lift, carry through their regular workout.
For others, it might be some change in speech, or swallowing or breathing, and for yet others, it's both, or combinations in various forms,» Dr. Rosenfeld explained.
«So it's quite variable, and how it presents, and also how the disease runs.»Because of these symptoms, many who are battling the disease often need additional help, and can sometimes retreat from the public eye.«Almost all folks that have progressive motor neuron disease need some form of assistance that they certainly did not need before, and that also tends to keep folks more in the at home, on the sidelines,» Dr. Rosenfeld said, «as much as we do try to encourage them to stay involved in the community.»While ALS is a complex illness, and there's no known cure, there are new avenues of treatment and ways to
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