Neuro note 3: Transfatty Lives

For this neuro note, I chose to watch a film that was suggested in class along with our discussion of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).  I watched a documentary film by Patrick O'Brien called "Transfatty Lives" that shows first hand Patrick's battle with ALS.

This film was directed by Patrick as his disease progresses.  The film begins by showing Patrick as a healthy film maker with a lot of life ahead of him.  When he was diagnosed with ALS, he turned the camera on himself and began filming parts of his journey.  Throughout the film, he goes from walking independently, walking with a walker, riding in a wheelchair, to bed-bound.  After he was diagnosed, he met a girl that became his girlfriend and together they had a child named Sean.  His son becomes his motivation to live and to continue working with film and video. Patrick's condition declined throughout the movie to the point where he had to chose whether to be put on a ventilator.  This was a hard choice because it would prevent him from speaking but he decided to continue living for his son.  Having the ventilator in resulted in part of the movie being narrated through the computer voice of Patrick.  Patrick's mind is fully intact while his body is crippled.  I was impressed by his statement about this disease maybe being an good thing because it sent him on an inner journey of himself.

I thought this film was so unique because it was done by someone actually experiencing ALS.  It was hard not to experience the emotions he felt.  I learned so much from this movie, from the many physical struggles he faced to the emotional loneliness he experienced.  His attitude when he was first diagnosed and during the earlier stages, he was so positive about his disease and was active in doing what he loved and advocating for a cure.  It was sad to see this happy guy sit in a nursing facility with a ventilator in the later stages of ALS being so lonely.  I felt so much joy for him as he was transferred to the facility for those with ALS and he knew he would not be lonely anymore. Patrick is still alive today, 12 years after being diagnosed with ALS, and what a journey! It is inspirational to see him to continue to do the videoing and editing that he loves, even in the face of impossibility.

I am so glad that he made this film to really bring awareness to his condition but it also encapsulates him as who he was and who he is in his mind and not as simply a ventilated ALS patient.

Please go watch "Transfatty Lives". You will be glad to have gained incite into ALS. It can be found on Netflix!

O'Brien, P., Dupree, M., Green-Dove, A., Hallinan, D., & Mohiuddin, M. T. (Producers). O'Brien, P. (Director). (2015, April 16). Transfatty lives [Motion Picture]. United States of America: Handsome Cargo.