Staying Upbeat Through Every Scary Stage of ALS

When a tightness in her calf led to four years of testing and, ultimately, an ALS diagnosis, Brooke Eby was shocked. But two months later the tech saleswoman from Potomac, Md., now 36, did what may seem unlikely for someone still processing the news of having a terminal illness: She started laughing.

- BROOKE EBY

BROOKE EBY, 36, LAUNCHED A NONPROFIT AND BECAME A SOCIAL MEDIA STAR WITH HER HONEST POSTS DOCUMENTING HER JOURNEY WITH A TERMINAL DISEASE. HERE SHE SHARES HER INSPIRING STORY

“Everyone was a lot more comfortable with my situation when I was laughing,” she says, “and that came back around to make me feel more comfortable too.” Now, three years later, Eby has been making a splash on social media by sharing her experience with the progressive neurodegenerative disease, for which there is no cure, and launching ALStogether to help connect fellow patients with resources.

Despite her bleak prognosis, Eby’s videos as @Limpbroozkit remain positive, even as she shares the grimmest aspects of her reality. In a personal essay for People, Eby reflects on her experience and how humor keeps her going.

Levity is my superpower. Although, before I was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, aka ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, in March 2022, that wasn’t always such a good thing. At work I was usually the one making jokes, and people would tell me to be more serious. But I think it was instilled in me for a reason.

After I was diagnosed, I crawled in bed and wondered what to do next. I tried to watch TV, but it was no longer appealing: Everyone was dying there too. Instead I stayed in bed, I ate M&M’s, and I read.