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Film to capture man's struggle with ALS
He first noticed the symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis after a trip abroad.


Greg Soltys is living with ALS.
(Daily Press / April 18, 2008)




By AMY JOHNSON | 247-4766
April 19, 2008
JAMES CITY - <!--Greg Soltys is living with ALS.<BR><BR>-->Two years ago, Greg Soltys was spending his days delicately applying his hands to refinish antique furniture. He had his own business and worked part-time at Charlie's Antiques in Toano.

Now, Soltys, 54, needs a wheelchair most days and isn't able to make his hands do the kind of work that his mind knows how to do. Diagnosed just 10 months ago with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis - commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease - Soltys has seen his life transform in a way he never imagined. He will share his experience about the debilitating disease with a film crew from California-based Jeneration Studios, who will be in town this weekend filming a documentary on ALS.

"The documentary will give people a good idea of how this disease changes," Soltys said. "ALS affects everyone differently. You don't know what it's going to do to you."

Soltys noticed symptoms after returning from a trip to Costa Rica. He experienced fasciculation, or muscle spasms, in his arms as well as drop foot, which is losing the ability to lift the foot from the ankle. Eventually, he lost the coordinated use of his arms and legs. His muscles are atrophying.

"My mind tells my hand to go flat," he said while presenting a hand with several fingers curved inward, "but it doesn't."

It took a year for doctors to diagnose him since there isn't one test that identifies ALS.

"That was frustrating," he said. "I was about to have spinal surgery when I found out."

Since his diagnosis, Soltys has connected with the local ALS society chapter which offers support groups and has even loaned him a wheelchair. Friends and family have been really supportive, he said.

Larry Stillwater has been friends with Soltys for 39 years.

He said the disease acts fast.

"I saw Greg in January and he was using a cane. Now he's in a wheelchair.

"ALS is not a real well-known disease, but it's a heavy-duty disease," Stillwater continued.

According to Jeneration Studio's Web site, the documentary titled "Better Days" focuses on the fight against ALS and explores why there is no cure or no known cause for the disease. The documentary also examines alternative methods of treating ALS and the question of whether research on fighting the disease is taking a back seat to other "bigger" diseases such as cancer or AIDS.

Approximately 20,000 Americans have ALS.

The film's director, Nadine El-Khoury, interviews a close friend of hers who has lived with the disease for a number of years.

Soltys said he became involved in the filming after learning about it through an ALS forum online. He e-mailed El-Khoury, praising her for making the documentary, and she asked if he would be interested in being in the film.

"I feel honored that they are coming out here," he said.

Soltys will likely talk with the film crew about how he has chosen to treat his ALS, which includes taking low dosages of lithium and working with a doctor on homeopathic remedies such as acupuncture and Reiki - a Japanese relaxation technique used to promote healing. Since there is no proven drug to treat ALS, Soltys feels he has nothing to lose by trying different methods. Most people diagnosed with ALS have a life expectancy of around three years, he said.

By participating in the film, Soltys hopes to convey a sense of hope for others fighting the disease. "You don't have to hide if you have the disease," he said. "While it is limiting, it's important for people to think about what they can do instead of what they can't do."

The film crew along with Soltys and some of his friends and family members will also visit Plumeri Park in Williamsburg today where the William and Mary Tribe men's baseball team will take on Virginia Commonwealth University's team. Tickets to the game, which begins at 4 p.m., have been discounted to $5. All of the proceeds will go to the local ALS association. The event - "Strike Out ALS" - is being sponsored by the college's Circle K Club.

"I just want to thank everybody in advance for attending the baseball game," Soltys said. "It shows good support for the ALS association, which does so much for me and others with the disease."

What is ALS?


Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease because it killed the baseball Hall of Famer, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. The degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually lead to death. When the neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost, resulting in paralysis.

About the benefit

Tickets for today's William and Mary men's baseball game against Virginia Commonwealth University have been discounted to $5 with all of the proceeds going to the local ALS Association. The "Strike Out ALS" benefit is sponsored by the college's Circle K Club.

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