The ALS Association

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Progress

Retirement Interrupted: Switching Gears with ALS

Not many Americans can say they helped tear down the Berlin Wall. Dennis McAvoy was there with his wife Helga and young son Patrick on November 9, 1989, with hammers in hand chipping away at the wall. Having spent nearly 29 years in the United States Air Force, McAvoy has traveled the world and considers Germany his second home.

McAvoy met his wife in Berlin and they were married in 1970. They own a small condo in a quaint village of Landstuhl, Germany near the Army’s Landstuhl Medical Center where he worked as a fire marshal for eleven years following his retirement as a Chief Master Sergeant. The view from their condo is superb. “From our back balcony, we can see the Landstuhl castle, and our front balcony overlooks Landstuhl’s main street.”

McAvoy is originally from Massachusetts and he and his wife planned to spend their retirement years dividing their time between their homes in Massachusetts and Germany.

“That plan has gone by the wayside,” lamented McAvoy, who had worked hard his entire life for a comfortable retirement with his wife that would be highlighted by their love of travel.

McAvoy’ best-laid plans began to change in January of 2013 when he noticed his fingers weren’t working right. Suddenly, he couldn’t turn the keys to start his car or use a nail clipper.

His first visit to a neurologist didn’t produce any answers. McAvoy wondered whether a pinched nerve might be to blame. Soon after, during a family vacation to Germany in 2012, McAvoy visited the Landstuhl Medical Center where he used to walk three to five miles a day down the long corridors.

McAvoy noticed his left foot just didn’t sound right walking down those same hospital hallways. He recalled, “It wasn’t how it felt, but how it sounded. Something wasn’t right.”

McAvoy made an appointment with the Army’s Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, where he saw a neurologist, Major Alan R. Larsen Jr., D.O. Dr. Larson worked through his lunch break to fully investigate the problem. After three hours of intense scrutiny, McAvoy was given a diagnosis of ALS.

“There are plenty of people who don’t reach the age of 67,” said McAvoy, but having hoped to live a normal life to at least 90, McAvoy admits to feeling cheated.

“We saved a lot and weren’t very extravagant,” explained McAvoy. “We put off things when we were younger with the expectation of living a long, normal life full of travel. Now we can’t live the life we had planned.”

Still, McAvoy has resolved to live as long as he can while doing as much as he can.

Not one to let grass grow under his feet, after he received his diagnosis of ALS, McAvoy promptly filed his claim with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on April 15th and by the 30th, his claim was approved.

“All I can say for the VA in Massachusetts is that they do a great job,” said McAvoy. “The service they provide is excellent. The VA medical center provides for all my needs in a very reasonable length of time and the doctors are great.”

His advice for other veterans facing similar circumstances is to file a claim as soon as you receive a diagnosis of ALS.

“The VA has a grant program where they modify your house,” explained McAvoy. “They worked on our bathroom this winter, and they are going to put ramps on the front of the house this spring.”

Although he doesn’t need the ramps yet, McAvoy reluctantly admits they may be a necessity in the next six to eight months. His strategy is to stay one step ahead of the disease with the help of the VA. McAvoy and his wife want to be able to live in their home as long as possible.

“She provides for all my needs and sees to it that I get first-class care,” said McAvoy.

McAvoy wants other veterans with ALS to know that the VA will provide substantial assistance, including financial support to purchase a van and make it handicap accessible. They provide full medical coverage and will even arrange for transportation to their hospitals if needed.

Some of these services take time to implement. For example, McAvoy projects it will take approximately 14 months for the home modification work to be completed.

The VA considers ALS a presumed service connected disability for anyone having served 90 consecutive days of active duty in the military. More information on applying for these veteran support benefits can be found here.

McAvoy has also provided his information to the National ALS Registry. He said, “Without a database, it’s difficult to make progress. It’s important for people to fill out the forms and surveys. Someday, it may provide valuable information.”

A pragmatist, McAvoy conceded, “Some diseases you have hope. With ALS, the hope is that you live longer than the three to five year prognosis.”

That sliver of hope brings McAvoy to the renowned Massachusetts General Hospital four times a year where he gives bloods samples for research and hopes one day to participate in one of their ongoing research trials.

“I’m not holding out hope,” said McAvoy. “But if you don’t put yourself in the system, you never know. Somewhere down the line, the information they’re collecting may help.”

Until that time comes, McAvoy said that he tries not to think about it. “There’s really nothing you can do,” he explains. “Worrying doesn’t change it. You’ve got to enjoy life as it comes along.”

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