** Stu's Views & M.S. News **: Thought control of robotic arms using the BrainGat...:
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
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About Me
- Enjoying the Ride
- Before my diagnosis I had a Chemical Engineering degree, an MBA, and a promising career. I had an amazing wife and two wonderful children (still do). I had a nice house with a swimming pool, a big lawn, and a bunch of toys. I was living the dream. I enjoyed a variety of physical activities such as golf, camping, hunting…driving, typing, and dressing myself. Then one day as I was jogging on my treadmill I noticed that my left foot went slap, slap, on the treadmill, whereas my right foot smoothly transitioned from heel to toe, heel to toe. After a year of visits to an assortment of specialists, I was diagnosed with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis, a particularly disabling variety of MS. Twelve years later I sit here in my power wheelchair, dictating to my computer because my hands won’t allow me to type more than a couple of words. I can’t work anymore, and my wife now doubles as my caregiver. I’ve started this blog to help me pass the time while engaged in a productive activity- advocating for the disabled community, of which I am now a reluctant member. I am Mitch, and despite everything I am still Enjoying the Ride.
This is really amazing! I wonder if it works with the legs, too. I also wonder if, when it's made available, all people will have access to such technology.
ReplyDeletePeace,
Muff
Muff,
ReplyDeleteI have no answers for your questions, but I have some guesses :-)
I see no reason that this technology wouldn't work equally well with legs as it does with arms and hands. But I suppose the risks are higher with legs, in that if you screw up you don't just drop your drink, you fall down.
Obviously this technology is in its infancy. At first, it will be available to very few people at only a very high price. Eventually, as with most technology, the price will keep coming down. At some point disabled people, like me, will need to fight a battle for insurance companies to cover this treatment. That will take years.
But I like to think that eventually – maybe 10 or 20 years down the road – this sort of technology will be useful and affordable. But, then again, I am and incurable optimist.