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| Hi everyone: It was great seeing you all at the first practice of the season yesterday! I think many of you have heard that I have run into some health issues. Others may be seeing me for the first time this spring and wondering why my speech sounds so slurred. I thought it might be helpful to send a note to help answer any questions that you or your kids may have. I have been diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), which is a progressive disease that affects the nerves and muscles. For many people, this starts with weakness in the arms or legs. I have a more rare version (Bulbar-Onset) that starts by affecting the nerves above my neck first. At this point, my primary symptoms are difficulty speaking and swallowing. I also seem to need a lot more sleep now — suddenly I can empathize with all the teenagers! My family and I are adjusting to all the changes that come with this diagnosis, but one thing that hasn’t changed is our love for LPAC. I know that Julia will do a great job as head coach, and I hope to do as much as I can to support her and the other coaches and swimmers this summer. We’ll figure this all out together. Of course, it’s up to you as parents how much of this (if any) you want to share with your kids. It might be helpful if you at least let them know that I have an illness that makes it hard for me to talk. If they (or you) ever have any questions or have trouble understanding me, it’s totally fine to ask me to repeat myself. I’m getting used to that. 🙂 In the meantime, Julie and I just want to say thank you to all of you who have already expressed such warm wishes to our family. We can truly feel the love, and we are grateful every day to be part of such an incredible community. It’s going to be a great season… see you on the pool deck! Scott |
