Former Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals running back Chris Johnson publicly revealed his diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, it destroys the motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle actions.
As these nerve cells deteriorate, they stop sending messages to the muscles. As a result, muscles weaken, contract, atrophy and eventually rob you of the ability to move, speak, swallow and even breathe.
The 39-year-old opened up about his diagnosis in an interview with ABC’s “Good Morning America” that aired Monday, June 29.
While speaking through a speech-generating device based on recordings of his voice, he said, “There is no history of ALS in my family. My doctors believe my case is what is called sporadic ALS, which is actually how the vast majority of ALS cases occur.”
“That’s one of the reasons why this disease can be so shocking. It can happen to someone who never expected it,” he added.
The former running back, whose title “CJ2K” was coined because of the 2,006 yards he gained in 2009, the seventh-most yards gained in a season in NFL history, revealed that his problems began when he noticed he had a weak grip.
Speaking about the rapid progression of this disease, he said: “A little over a year ago, I was picking up my 7-year-old daughter to make a wish with her birthday cake. Today I couldn’t do that.”
Early symptoms of the disease include limb weakness, motor control problems, and unexplained muscle cramps. difficulty speaking, difficulty projecting voice, and minor difficulty swallowing. Over time, the patient faces serious difficulties in chewing, swallowing, and speaking clearly. Excessive drooling is also common.
The disease currently has no known cure.
