In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Placebo Effect,” If you could create a painless, inexpensive cure for a single ailment, what would you cure and why?

Without a doubt, I’d choose ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease.  It is such an insidious disease, and one of my greatest fears is not being able to breathe or swallow. When I was in my twenties, I had an older friend who contracted it.  He was a lovely, warm, funny man who was a teacher in the same school I taught in.  I think it was probably the first time I’d heard of the disease.  Probably the first time I’d heard of Lou Gehrig, as well, as I’ve never been a sports fan.  It was so painful to see how quickly my friend Bill deteriorated and since then it seems as though the disease has become much more widespread.  It would tie with Alzheimer’s as my most feared disease, but since I’ve already written two posts on my sister’s Alzheimer’s, (Read one HERE,) I guess this fear wins out this time.

This is one of those topics where there is no possibility of a humorous or lighthearted answer. Rhyming wouldn’t help and the subject seems too grim for even poetry.  My answer is as straightforward as I wish a cure could be.  I’m sure there will always be diseases.  When one is tackled, nature seems to think up another to take its place; but it is hard to conceive of one more heartbreaking than ALS.