Editorials & Other Articles

Faygo Kid

(21,478 posts) Thu Jan 5, 2012, 07:34 PM Jan 2012

Stephen Hawking to turn 70, defying disease

Cambridge, England — British scientist Stephen Hawking has decoded some of the most puzzling mysteries of the universe but he has left one mystery unsolved: How he has managed to survive so long with such a crippling disease.

The physicist and cosmologist was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease when he was a 21-year-old student at Cambridge University. Most people die within a few years of the diagnosis, called motor neurone disease in the U.K. On Sunday, Hawking will turn 70.

"I don't know of anyone who's survived this long," said Ammar Al-Chalabi, director of the Motor Neurone Disease Care and Research Centre at King's College London. He does not treat Hawking and described his longevity as "extraordinary."

"It is unusual for (motor neurone disease) patients to survive for decades, but not unheard of," said Dr. Rup Tandan, a neurology professor at the University of Vermont College of Medicine. Still, Tandan said many longtime survivors had ventilators to breathe for them — which Hawking does not. . .

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120105/NATION/201050480/1361/Stephen-Hawking-to-turn-70--defying-disease

Amazing.

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Stephen Hawking to turn 70, defying disease (Original Post) Faygo Kid Jan 2012 OP

There are two main presentations of this disease Warpy Jan 2012 #1

My dad had the same kind as Hawking, he lived for three years. I am thrilled that Hawking is still Happyhippychick Jan 2012 #2

Warpy

(111,317 posts)

1. There are two main presentations of this disease

Reply to Faygo Kid (Original post)

Thu Jan 5, 2012, 07:45 PM

Jan 2012

There's the central one where things like swallowing, coughing, gagging and eventually breathing fail first. I had a cousin with that one, her longevity after diagnosis was five months.

Then there is the peripheral type that presents with weakness and clumsiness in arms and/or legs, the type Hawking has. People with that variety can and do live for decades as the progress is slower and central functions aren't affected until the end. Hawking has had a full life complete with marriage and children because the progress was slow.

Still, I wonder how long he'd have lived had he been anyone but Stephen Hawking.

Happyhippychick

(8,379 posts)

2. My dad had the same kind as Hawking, he lived for three years. I am thrilled that Hawking is still