“Faces of Death” Chapter 143

The clock struck midnight and we moved into 2021. People were on the move again as we started to leave COVID behind us. I had been working from home since March 2020, and was missing suiting up and going into work. Putting on a jacket, shirt and tie - while still in boxers for Zoom meetings - was cool until you stood up forgetting the camera was on. Oh well, I wasn’t the only one, and at least I didn’t get caught having sex during a meeting like that one lady did.

I already had my plans for the future and was excited for it. Then came April 2021 and I was back in my office two days a week, and standing in a line that was at least 200 people to get my Covid vaccine and I thought nothing of it. After all, I had spent 21 years in the Army and stood in many lines for various shots before. This shot felt no different than any other. It was about a week later when I noticed my right eye brow twisting up and down. I couldn’t stop it and was getting strange looks by women who thought I was hitting on them. One even looked like she winked back at me. I wasn’t sure if she was hitting on me or got a shot too? 

I blew off the twitching and stood in line again 30 days later for the Covid booster even though my tongue started to continuously move like a bag of worms. It wasn’t long before my lip started to sag and I was looking like “Two Face” from the “Batman” movies. I didn’t know it at the time, but they were early signs of Bulbar ALS and my face was changing as my body was slowly dying.

New Years 2022 brought the promise of a new job and an unknown future. I was hired as the Associate Director of Physical Security for the U.S. Capitol Police and a new face in town. Everything at work was great, but I wasn’t. In June I was diagnosed with ALS, and by August I was down 50 pounds to 135. My face was sunken and empty. My cheeks and jaw were green easily visible like “Skeletor."

Fast forward two years and I have gained back 40 pounds and my face filled back (kind of) lush again. However, my body continues to die as ALS continues to destroy the muscles in my face, leaving me to look like an mask from “Scream”

No matter what face of death I wear, under all of them, my face still shines. Full of life and hope that one day there will be a cure and nobody will have to look in the mirror wondering who’s looking back.

Time for a shameless plug. On 21 Aug I am participating in the DC CEO Soak which raises money to help find a cure for ALS. I am asking for your support . Every dollar helps.

https://secure2.convio.net/alsa/site/TR/ALSEvent/DCMDVA?px=8864102&pg=personal&fr_id=16904&fbclid=IwQ0xDSwMQLXBjbGNrAxAtaGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAAEewabIRb0LmYI-0V7r0d2ljyTK9JPLasf7V2phLs-ea-Gs_oZ62ouJ50iBmrQ_aem_d4QiWS0MFg198eeMNqxY0w

Love and Blessings

 

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